SEASON OF TRANSITION
Beginning March 7, we, the leaders of Glenwood Church of Christ, invite every one of us to participate in 40 days of Prayer and Fasting. We find ourselves in a Season of Transition where we are about to enter a process to discern the Vision that God has for this church. In addition, we need God’s guidance as we begin the search process for the ministers we need to help us carry out that Vision.
Why engage in a time of Prayer and Fasting? Prayer and fasting are valuable spiritual disciplines that God uses to change us, to renew us, and to teach us so that we experience His transforming power. In prayer we empty ourselves of our pride, our busyness and our self-reliance to seek God’s will and His guidance. In fasting, we deny ourselves of food to express our reliance upon God alone, asking Him to fill us with His all-powerful Spirit. We pray that this process will glorify God and we earnestly seek our Father in hopes that He will change us and prepare us for useful service in His kingdom.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assumes His disciples will pray and fast, so He gives instructions in engaging in these spiritual disciplines in a genuine, non-hypocritical way. Matthew 6:5-18 says, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
So what is it that is being asked of us? We are asking every one who is physically able and who has an interest in the future of this church to join the elders and ministers in committing ourselves to times of prayer and fasting over the forty days beginning Sunday, March 7. There will be opportunities for you to make a commitment, beginning next week, to participate in one or more days of prayer and fasting during those six weeks. There will be much more said and taught about this special time in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to this season of seeking God’s will for us, as members of the Glenwood Church!
