Invitation to Fasting & Prayer
We are starting the new year, 2025 with Fasting and Prayer gathering on January 3 and 4. From what I know this is the first time we are having an extended time of prayer with fasting in our life together as a church.
Why are we doing Fasting and Prayer?
I believe God wants his people to come together to linger in God’s presence, waiting upon the Lord and witnessing the Spirit at work in our midst, as we seek him through fasting and prayer for an extended period of time.
How are we going to do it?
It will be an open praying space with ebb and flow of praise and prayer, reading the word and praying with the word, praying alone, praying together in small groups and in a large group. You are encouraged to stay on throughout the evening on Friday (7 PM~12 AM) and the morning on Saturday (8 AM~12 PM), but you can also come for a portion of it.
What is our long-term vision through this Fasting and Prayer gathering?
God has been at work for the past four years in terms of growing us to be a praying church. We have had a dozen people consistently gathering to pray in the mornings for the past four years. Now I believe the Spirit is leading us to move forward by going deeper in our communion with God and consecration to our God. We see the need of deep repentance, deep renewal and deep devotion through fresh encountering of God and lingering in God’s presence.
What is the schedule?
FRIDAY, JAN 3: 7 PM-MIDNIGHT
On Friday evening we will have two rounds of praise and prayer from 7 PM. You are welcome to stay for the whole five hours or partially. What we desire is that you will linger in the presence of God long enough to spend meaningful time with God.
SATURDAY, JAN 4: 8 AM-NOON
On Saturday morning we will have two rounds of praise and prayer from 8 AM. You are welcome to come for the whole four hours or partially. What we desire is that you will linger in the presence of God long enough to spend meaningful time with God.
What about children? Do we have a separate program for children?
This fasting and prayer gathering is for all age groups, including little ones. We will not have a separate program for children. Parents with children are welcome to come at least for the earlier part of the Friday evening and then the later part of the Saturday morning. We will be meeting in Room #308 and there is a small room right next to it (Room #307) where you can linger with your child(ren). But we encourage children to join the praise and prayer time with their parents.
Do we have to fast?
You don’t have to fast, but you are invited to fast and fast for the right reasons. One of the reasons to fast is to seek God’s face with focus by abstaining from food and to feast on God’s presence and be filled with his word. You may fast for other reasons, but consider fasting as our heart’s cry, “More than our stomach wants food, our soul wants you—this much!”
We envision a worship-based, Spirit-fueled, Scripture-led prayer movement at New Hope that establishes our church to be a house of prayer. This gathering may be the start of a new chapter of being established as a praying church––one that will allow us to enlarge our tent to fulfill God’s missional call and also to drill down our tent pegs deeper so that our resolve and dedication to God will be strengthened.
So I invite you to come, fast and pray together as we start the new year, seeking God and his help.