Calling for a fast

Please join us for a day of fasting and prayer:  November 17th

If you are unable to fast, please pray for the people of Romania whenever the Lord brings them to mind.

Steve and I do not fast regularly. It is an area of spiritual growth for us personally, but we know we are commanded to do it and God grants so many promises to us by doing so.  By no means are we fasting in order to earn something or to gain favor with the Lord.  We do so out of obedience and out of utter dependence on HIM!  Who else can we turn to, but HIM?!

The Lord brought me to Isaiah 58.  This passage sounds so good, but I really wanted to know more about it and still do.  I found two sermons by John Piper on this section of Isaiah 58:1-12.  Let me recap vs. 1-5.

In Isaiah 58:1-5 the people were fasting, but it was really a delusion that they wanted God.  In reality they didn't want God and we know that by the first five verses of Isaiah 58.  They would fast, but then they would drive their workers (who were poor and had no food) hard.  The fasted for contention and strife the Word says.  Their fasting left their sin untouched.  It should not be so!The Lord says to them, "Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?"

The Lord describes the kind of fast He chooses in vs. 6-12.  If you can fast with us today, lets model the Lord's fast...with pure motives and an honest heart.

John Piper says that our fasting should be a spiritual attack against our own sin!  We fast and pray for other matters, but may we not neglect praying against our own sin, that we would be changed to go and share the Gospel and live for the glory of God alone!

The fasting the Lord chooses:

Isaiah 58:6-12

"Is this not the fast which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
To loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke,
and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house;
when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth'
and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finer and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.
And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell."

What we are called to do:
1. Lift burden of bondage (vs. 6&9)
2. Feed Hungry (v.7)
3. House the homeless (v.7)
4.  Cloth the Naked (v.7)
5. Be sympathetic (v.7)
6. Put away contempt for other people (v.9)
7. Give ourselves & satisfy the soul of afflicted (v.10)

Promised Results-What the Lord WILL do:
1. Darkness will become light (vs. 8 & 10)
2. Physical strengthening (vs. 8 & 11)
3.  God will be all around us w/ righteousness & glory (vs. 8 & 9)
4. God will guide us continually (v. 11)
5. God will satisfy our soul (v. 11)
6. God will make us a watered garden (v.11)
7. God will restore the ruins of His city and His people (v. 12)

(*Lists from John Piper's sermon)

Whew!! That's worth fasting for!!!

These are some things we are fasting and praying for:

~praying against our own sin- Psalm 139:23-24
~praying for the people of Romania- that the Lord would reveal Himself to them & grant them understanding and knowledge of the Gospel and the entire Word of God
~praying for Noah & Paige as they endure a lot of busyness and traveling over the next 7 weeks
~praying for healing and complete restoration to some vital relationships in our life
~praying for our parents as they deal with our family leaving
~praying for our marriage--that Christ remains top priority, that we strengthen one another in a somewhat stressful and new transition, and that the Gospel remains central to our everyday lives (in public and private)

Fast and pray for yourself and your family and the people of Romania!!

To Him be the Glory!