A CALL TO PRAY AND FAST

Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV) “Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

As we continue to fast and pray in this season, the joy of the Lord is in the fulfillment of His word and in the fulfillment of His promises. We see this firsthand in the story of Jesus: for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. His road was paved with obedience. In Him is the fullness of joy!

Romans 12:1 (TPT) “Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.”

As we continue to hand things over to the Lord in this season, the act of being “living sacrifices” unto Him are truly in the everyday. Reminding ourselves to focus on the Lord, and releasing fear, pride, gossip, and any issues of the heart, to Him. When we surrender all, He can come in and do the work He wants to do.

During this season of fasting and prayer, our awareness of our desperate need for God has only increased. There is only so much we can do on our strength and power. We desperately need the presence of God and the Holy Spirit to lead our lives. It is so much better when He leads our lives, and not our own flesh.

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

We want to desire God more than we ever have before.

Physically, when we are depriving ourselves of food and water, we are constantly thinking of the food we crave (that we cannot have). How much more if we could be overtaken by our hunger for the Lord? Our prayer is that our everyday living would be overcome by the One who is our daily bread and true source of life. Amen.

Colossians 3:1 (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

This season of fasting and praying is such an incredible opportunity to fix our eyes on Him, refocus, and draw closer to Him as the things of this world will continue to fade.

When we’re hungry and thirsty, we do things we wouldn’t usually do. In Daniel, the Hebrews refused to bow down and stop seeking the Lord. Instead, they had hearts filled with boldness. We pray you would be filled with a fresh boldness as you continue to fast and pray in this season. Open our eyes to see those who are hungry and thirsty for more of God. Help us be bold in our prayer for others to encounter you. Come and reveal yourself, Lord. Amen.

John 15:4 (NIV) “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

During this specific season of prayer and fasting, we bless your ability to abide in Jesus. We pray you would draw closer to Him as you abide in Him, hear His voice, and continue to ask His presence to fill your lives. Amen.

In Matthew 20 (The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard), all of the workers were paid the same amount. If you happened to be joining in late in this season of prayer and fasting together, it is not too late — there is more available for everyone!

Psalm 31:1 (NIV) “In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. ² Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. ³ Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me."

Psalm 31:14 “But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;”

In this season of praying and fasting, we are trusting God all the more. He is faithful to His word, true to His promise, and will do exceedingly more than anything we could ever ask for!

2 Kings 2:4 (NIV) “Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. ⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

What if we are in a season of gathering jars — could be small, could feel insignificant — and bringing them to Him. As we make space for more of Him in our lives, He pours out more than enough.

James 5:16 (NIV) “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

The reminder that Elijah was as human as we are, but he prayed earnestly knowing his prayers were powerful. Our prayer is that we become more dependent upon Him, and that our prayers would prepare the ground for what God wants to do in us, and more importantly in His the Body of Christ. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Although we may not know how long our difficulties, trials, and tribulations may endure, the Lord is true to His word and He is mighty to save! Stand firm in hope, faith, and steadfast in love as we trust in the Lord for this year in 2026!

Galatians 5:1 (NIV) “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, God’s goodness and faithfulness remains the same. Through Jesus, we have been set free. He has already purchased our freedom!

Just by drawing near and getting closer to God, miracles can happen and circumstances can change.

Proximity can unlock power.

Whether it’s example of the woman with the issue of blood who just needed to get in proximity of Jesus - just a touch of His presence, or whether it is being like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, when we draw close to Him, He draws close to us.

Luke 10:39 “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worriedand upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Isaiah 6:3-7 (NIV) “And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

As we continue to pray and fast in this season, the reminder that staying in a place of humility positions us to receive all that God has for us (and more) is so important.

Matthew 4:1 (ESV) “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴ But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

God is the only One who can sustain us. He is the source of life, in Him there is life and He is light! We aren’t fasting and praying to “prove” something to God, but to turn to Him and fill our lives with more of Him.

If you find yourself searching for extra “tools” to help you pray in this season of prayer and fasting, here are some practical tips:

(1) Because reading or listening to the news can be very distracting and misleading (and pulls our focus away from God), we can make the “negative” into a prayer is through Intercessors for America. This group emails the Informer about every two (2) days with news headlines, followed by a one or two sentence beautifully written prayer on the subject. We can pray these prayers out loud.

 (2) Secondly, another favorite is Dutch Sheets GH15 - Anne has been reading every day for 5 years.  GH15 has been a spring board for Anne’s prayer life. It is powerful to read slowly and pause at the parts that the Holy Spirit reveals specifically to you. You can pray along with the prayers written at the end.

(3) Lastly and most powerfully - Pray the bible out loud- read it as a prayer – you can try it with the Psalms each morning (or evening).

Psalm 42:1 (NIV) “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. ² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

Revival must first start in each of our hearts, and there are times when the Holy Spirit draws us to a greater thirst for more of His presence. We pray you would experience more than your requests and your needs in this season, and encounter the true gift of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As we continue to cry out and ask the Lord, “Come and fill us with more of your power,” He will do exceedingly more than we could ask or imagine.

The winds of heaven and the moving of the Holy Spirit are causing great transformation in this season! Expect to see it in your lives!

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)   ^“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This is an incredible season of opportunity to lean into the One who has true life. Our prayer is that our essential need for God and His presence is evident in this season. We pray the Holy Spirit would continue to remind us how much we need to rely on and depend upon Him each and every day. Matthew 5:3 (NIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Amen.

James 4:8 (ESV)  ^“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

As we seek God’s face during this time of prayer and fasting, God is faithful to draw near and pour out more of His Holy Spirit on us. In His Presence there is fullness of joy, there is hope, and there is life.

Fasting puts our flesh into submission to the Word of the Lord. Humility and fasting have one strong common theme: denying our flesh. We are denying the idea of self-importance and self-reliance, and are leaning into the voice of God. We are inadequate when we are apart from Him, and are filled when we live in obedience.

“There is healing in the stretching.”

As we set aside time to focus more on the Lord and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, be encourage that there is healing in the stretching in this season. As we are being stretched in this fast, we pray we would experience the healing that comes with drawing near to you.

As we commit this time of prayer and fasting before the Lord, we ask that He continues to speak to us and that His will, not ours, would be done. Bring your realignment of your Holy Spirit’s moving and your Kingdom come, your will be done. Amen.

Romans 12:1 (ESV) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^”

Psalm 34:6 (ESV) “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.”

God comes to those who cry out to Him in desperation. As we posture our hearts and ask the Lord, “Come - we are willing and desperate for you. Invade our lives, Holy Spirit. We want to be used by you.”

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

While all kinds of prayers and requests are great, it is always essential to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord before we bring Him our petition(s). Lastly, the dimension of prayer where we make declarations are an important part of prayer to proclaim the promises of God!