50 days of prayer and fasting
Easter to Pentecost 2025
A new season:
Our leaders are absolutely certain we are entering a new season in this community we call Redlands Church of Christ. We believe we have heard the voice to the Spirit about succession. It's not just finding a new Senior Pastor. Its about generational change. Its about preaching the old stuff in new ways. Its about kids and young people on fire for Jesus. It's about the power of God in everyones "real world" lives.
And - it is time to seek the Lord.
An old idea:
Jesus told his disciples to "wait" or "tarry" in Jerusalem until they recieved the dunamis of the Spirit. The period between Easter and Pentecost was a watching, waiting, wondering time.
It dawned on us that this watching/waiting posture is what is called for among us now, and with Easter just around the corner, we decided, until Pentecost, to call for
50 days of prayer and fasting
joining the apostles, as it were, in the Upper Room - watching and waiting. Every week will follow a major prayer theme - and that will be worked out with daily prayer "intentions". (Here is the list)
Praying together
Every day Monday to Saturday, the church will be open for us to pray together at Midday around the theme for the day There will be some worship, inspiration from scripture, and then three prayer points we will use to seek the Lord.
There will be post it notes available. We would love to see prayer, scripture, ideas, inspirations and doodles on the walls of the church during this season.
We will load the theme for the day onto facebook every morning so everyone can join in.
Fasting
We will engage in the practice of fasting during this period. Jean has made some notes to help anyone unfamiliar with this practice to get the "why" sorted out. We have added the prayer focus for each day to these notes as well. (Click here) The basic thing is to say "NO" to our appetites, our comfort and our habits to make way for a "Yes" to the things of the Spirit. It's a "practice of abstinence". Here are some ideas.
First of all - don't do anything injurious to your health. There are forms of abstinence that don't involve food.
- Only consume water each day until after the time of prayer at Church
- Only consume water for one full day each week.
- Limit your kilojoules to about 800 for two days each week.
- Don't forget that whenever appetite attacks - turn it to a prayer. When you feel the desire/compulsion for satisfaction say "Lord I am turning this desire to you as a prayer for.... I thank you that your power is released through my weakness.
- If it is unwise for you to alter your diet, can you identify something that brings you comfort that you can abstain from for a day or two each week during this period; or can you adopt some additional spiritual practice? It can be anything that helps you to look to your comforts and appetities and say like a child - "You're not the boss of me".
Other items
During this time - limit your attachment to screens when it is only for recreation. Working, staying in touch with family etc matters a lot, but mindless scrolling should be taken out of the equation during this time.
Ensure you maintain your personal prayer routine. Perhaps experiement with forms of prayer you have not tried before.
Conduct an Examen each night. (If you need guidance for this practice - the easiest way is to follow the evening prayer for Lectio 365. The examen is built into their evening prayer routine.)
Journal any insight that arises that might be valuable or encouraging. If it seems appropriate - post it on the church wall.
Why?
This is an offering to God we will make together during this season. We are first and foremost "ministering to the Lord". This is a gift to him.
Secondly we are sanctifying ourselves for the season of mission we see on our horizon. We are giving ourselves a clear message. We are setting aside our comfort to remind ourselves that we are servants of something bigger than ourselves.
Lastly - we are interceding for our suburbs invoking the power and presence of God to make his salvation known to our friends and neighbours.