21 Days of Fasting & Prayer

 

Sunday, January 14th - Saturday, February 3rd, 2018

As we begin this new year, we desire to make God our greatest priority in very real and concrete ways, specifically through the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer. From Sunday, January 14th through Saturday, February 3rd our church family will be fasting and praying for 21 days. We are expecting to encounter God in profound ways during this season and believe that the prayers we pray will have a ripple effect throughout this year and well into the future of our church. 

During this season we're inviting and encouraging all of the Hope Astoria community to join together in:  

  • Fasting from Sunday, January 14th through Saturday, February 3rd
    Suggestions for fasting are below (please discern how you feel led).
     
  • Praying daily
    We're providing a 21 day devotional guide with a brief daily scripture and prayer so that we can be reading and agreeing in prayer together each day. (download and more info below)
     
  • Prayer and Worship Night on Sunday, January 21st from 5pm to 6:30pm
    Join us for a powerful night of worship and prayer at our Sunday location (36-14 35th Street, Queens, NY 11106).
     
  • Small Groups
    During the 21 Days, we encourage you to check out a small group to get to learn and pray together with others during this special season.


Additionally, we will have some opportunities for training that you're welcome to join as you're interested and able:

  • Prayer & Scripture Classes
    Learn more about Listening Prayer after second service on Sunday, Jan 21 and about Beholding Christ in Scripture after second service on Sunday, Jan 28.  (more info and RSVP below)
     

FASTING

We believe that God wants to deepen our love for him and for our neighbor in 2018, but first our hearts must be softened in God’s presence. Biblically one of the greatest tools God uses to accomplish this is through the spiritual discipline of fasting. Seasons of fasting help us to eliminate the noise and distractions from our lives in order for us to seek God with greater intensity. God’s desire to restore the lives of the broken in our city come into greater focus in our hearts as the Spirit burdens our souls with God’s love for our world. Fasting also promotes renewed levels of gratitude and service towards others as we are reminded of the poor and hungry during our fast and are challenged to live out the Gospel for their benefit.

TYPES OF FASTS

Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Take time to pray and discern how God is leading you as well as a consult a physician if your health requires before you begin.

  • COMPLETE FAST - In this type of fast, you drink only liquids, typically water with light juices as an option.
  • SELECTIVE FAST- This type of fast involves removing certain elements from your diet. One example of a selective fast is the Daniel Fast, during which you remove meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruits and vegetables for food.
  • PARTIAL FAST - This fast is sometimes called the “Jewish Fast” and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sunup to sundown.
  • SOUL FAST - This fast is a great option if you do not have much experience fasting food, have health issues that prevent you from fasting food, or if you wish to refocus certain areas of your life that are out of balance. For example, you might choose to stop using social media or watching television for the duration of the fast and then carefully bring that element back into your life in healthy doses at the conclusion of the fast.
     

DAILY PRAYER GUIDE

During our 21 day fast, we invite you to join in praying through Scripture, particularly prayers that are found in Bible. We have created a calendar to help center ourselves in Christ as we pray through Scripture during this time. Everyday at 8 A.M. you will receive a calendar reminder with a verse of Scripture and a short prayer.  These daily prayers run from Monday, January 15th through the morning that you'll break your fast - Sunday, February 4th.  

The majority of the Scripture verses in these daily reminders are prayers found in the New Testament. As we pray these verses, we are praying inspired prayers that the Apostles themselves were guided by the Spirit to pray. As you meditate on these verses, allow God to speak to you and then in turn pray these verses and allow God to speak to your heart. We will provide a brief, written out prayer in addition to the verse of Scripture as a way for us to agree in prayer. As you pray, allow the Spirit to guide you and cause these verses and the prayers that flow out of you to be your own.

If you would like to be included in this calendar reminder, please email kristian@hopechurchnyc.org and we can add you to the calendar or you can click here to download the calendar yourself.  Additionally, a printable PDF of these daily scriptures and prayers is available here. 

WORSHIP AND PRAYER NIGHT  

Sunday, Jan 21 from 5-6:30pm

During our 21 days of fasting and prayer we are calling our entire church family to join us on Sunday, January 21 from 5 P.M. - 6:30 P.M. @ our Sunday morning location (36-14 35th Street, Queens, NY 11106) for a time of worship and prayer.  We're personally praying for all who will attend and invite you to please prioritize this gathering!

Small Groups 

During our 21 days of fasting and prayer, our small groups will be gathering to learn and pray together.  All are welcome!  We encourage you to visit a group - please contact the hosts for details.  

List of groups: http://hopeastoria.org/small-groups

PRAYER & SCRIPTURE CLASSES

During this special season of prayer and fasting, we're providing opportunities to grow in your engagement with prayer and scripture.  These classes are designed to help you connect with God and grow in discernment and faith.  

  • Listening Prayer Workshop - Sunday, Jan 21 from 1-2:30pm
    Interested in learning to hear better from God and developing your personal prayer life? This workshop provides instruction on conversational prayer (a form of prayer where you both speak to and listen to God). You’ll get a theological foundation, practical instruction on how to discern, and a chance to practice in a safe and supportive environment.  A pizza lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by contacting Denise at denise@hopechurchnyc.org so that we have a headcount for lunch and supplies.  We'll be meeting in the first floor kids classroom.
     
  • Beholding Christ in Scripture Class - Sunday, Jan 28 from 1-3pm
    The purpose of reading Scripture is not to gain religious information, but to grow in our intimacy with Christ. Sadly, most Christians struggle to read Scripture in a consistent manner and often we lack the knowledge and tools that would make our reading of Scripture come alive. In this class, we will go over a simple, 6 step process that will lead to greatly enrich your time in God's word. We will teach you this process and guide you as you put them into practice during the actual class time.  A pizza lunch will be provided, and we'll meet in the 1st floor kids classroom.  Please RSVP to kristian@hopechurchnyc.org.

 

RESOURCES 

Sermon on fasting by Pastor Denise Rhrissorrakrai

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by A. A. Calhoun - PDF of chapter on Fasting  

Richard Foster's book Celebration of Discipline has wonderful chapters on prayer and fasting.