Matt. 6:1-18 & Isaiah 58

Fasting as a topic comes in and out of vogue at various times in the Church. Unfortunately, often, when it does get addressed, the treatments tend toward mystical or superstitious or just plain fiction. It becomes a sort of cosmic arm-twisting – a mystical tool to get God to do what we want.
Our Church had the opportunity each year to conduct a sunrise service Easter Sunday morning at a local cemetery. We usually see several hundred people – many of whom seldom if ever, attended Church the rest of the year. We had an extra burden to have the Gospel proclaimed with unusual power and effectiveness and so we are asked our own folks to fast and pray to that end. That the spiritually dead would be raised through the Gospel, even as we celebrated Christ’s resurrection.
Below, is a VERY brief primer we authored to prepare people for that fast. Perhaps it will be useful for you as well.
Please note this is a SCALED down version of a study I did years ago – but I believe the content can be very helpful. (more…)