If My People Pray – Praying for our World, Israel, the USA

2 Chronicles 7:14

Introduction: With all that is going on around the world and here as a people of the USA, I am calling on you to consider fasting.

1. Fasting

* Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians.

• At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial.

The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23).

Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33).

Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food.

Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.

Shabbat, also known as the Jewish Sabbath, is a weekly day of rest and spiritual enrichment observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It’s a time for Jews to step away from work and mundane activities, focusing instead on family, community, and spiritual reflection.

Key aspects of Shabbat:

Rest and Reflection: Shabbat is a time to refrain from work, including activities like cooking, driving, and using technology.

Family and Community: Many Jewish families gather for meals, attend synagogue services, and spend quality time together.

Spiritual Significance: Shabbat is a reminder of God’s creation of the world and the Israelites’ liberation from slavery.

Rituals: Common rituals include lighting candles on Friday evening, reciting blessings (including Kiddush over wine), and concluding with the Havdalah ceremony on Saturday night.

Food: Special meals, often featuring challah bread, are enjoyed, and there are specific prayers and blessings associated with the meals.

Varying Observance: The level of observance varies among different Jewish communities and
It is not commanded or required in the Bible.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:
Key Aspects of Biblical Fasting:

• Purposeful Abstinence:

Fasting in the Bible is not just a diet or a form of self-deprivation; it’s a deliberate act of denying physical needs to focus on spiritual pursuits.

• Seeking God:

Fasting is often linked with prayer, seeking God’s guidance, wisdom, or intervention in specific situations.

• Humbling Oneself:

Fasting can be a way to humble oneself before God, recognizing dependence on Him.

• Expressing Repentance:

In some cases, fasting is a way to express sorrow for sin and turn towards God.

Types of Fasting:

Full Fast: Abstaining from all food and drink (e.g., Acts 9:9).

Partial Fast: Abstaining from certain foods or meals (e.g., Daniel’s fast in Daniel 1:12).

Liquid Fast: Abstaining from food but consuming liquids like water or juice (e.g., the fast in Matthew 4:2).

Length of Fasting:
Fasts can vary in length, from one day to several weeks (e.g., Esther’s 3-day fast, Moses’ 40-day fast)

Fasting in the Old and New Testaments:
Fasting is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, with examples of individuals and groups fasting for various reasons.

Fasting is not a way to earn God’s favor:

It’s a means to draw closer to God and express one’s dependence on Him.
Examples of Biblical Fasting:

Esther:
Esther called for a fast among the Jews before she approached the king to plead for her people (Esther 4:16).

Daniel:
Daniel fasted for wisdom and discernment, particularly in Daniel 10.

Jesus:
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry (Matthew 4:2).

Paul:
Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.Paul fasted after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:9).

Personal Application(s)

1. It should be a private matter.
   Not for comparison or competition ( Longer, time, etc.)

• Not to be seen or noticed (published).

Matthew 6:16-18

• Needs to be done for the right reason(s).

James 4:1-4

• Not for personal gain or advantage.

Together in one accord!

Corporate confession is what happens when a specific community comes together to confess before God a collective sin. A well-known example of corporate confession is found in Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of a national day of prayer and fasting: “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness” (signed March 30, 1863). Throughout the proclamation, President Lincoln uses plural pronouns such as we and our and mentions “national sins.” Americans who joined in that “day for national prayer and humiliation” were involved in corporate confession of sin.

1. When should we fast and for how long?

Going to leave it up to you (this time).

Key aspects of Shabbat:

Rest and Reflection:

Shabbat is a time to refrain from work, including activities like cooking, driving, and using technology.

Family and Community:

Many Jewish families gather for meals, attend synagogue services, and spend quality time together.

Spiritual Significance:

Shabbat is a reminder of God’s creation of the world and the Israelites’ liberation from slavery.

Rituals:

Common rituals include lighting candles on Friday evening, reciting blessings (including Kiddush over wine), and concluding with the Havdalah ceremony on Saturday night.

Food:
Special meals, often featuring challah bread, are enjoyed, and there are specific prayers and blessings associated with the meals.

Varying Observance:

The level of observance varies among different Jewish communities and