21 Days of Prayer: Welcome

This weekend, we will continue with the sermon series we started January 6+7—Trust God in Uncertainty. Then, on Monday, January 15, we will enter into 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Over these next few days, we will be sharing emails/posts that will help us prepare our hearts and minds. We’ll talk about the whys, whats, and hows of fasting, so we are ready to jump in wholeheartedly on January 15.

As we begin this series, a look at God’s Word and what it has to say to us about prayer and fasting is a great place to start. Here are some key Scriptures to read, consider, and pray through.

“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’” Joel 2:12

“…I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions… ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23, NIV

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18

“…a revelation was given to Daniel. Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.” Daniel 10:1-3

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:2-3

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2

 ”Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 4:28

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’” Esther 4:15-16

If you’d like to read more Scripture about fasting, an exhaustive list is available HERE.

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This post was first published on February 1, 2021. Brand-new content for our 21-Day series will begin on January 15, 2024.