52 Day Church Wide Fast
Ultimately Fasting Points to God and His Church
Last month as we prayed about the vision and the next season for TLC we were convicted that our community needs to increase faith and trust in God. It came from Nehemiah 1:9, “but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.” In short, trust and obedience releases the promise of God. God promised to restore a place for people to gather to encounter his life transforming presence if they returned to Him and trusted Him as they once did before. If we trust and obey God, TLC can be a community and a place where people discover Jesus and His church for the first time – even the skeptic, even the outcasts.
How many of us have longed and dreamed to be a part of a church like this? But as dreamers and builders, we must sacrifice and build.
Nehemiah Fasts and Works His Plan
Nehemiah then enters into a fast and works a plan to return to Jerusalem to recruit from towns and “suburbs” of the city to restore the wall of Jerusalem. It was a difficult task. There were plenty of naysayers. Many who were resistant. They sacrificed. They doubted. They were strengthened. They built and fought at the same time – tool in one hand and sword in the other. They prevailed and 52 days later, the wall was built.
However, history tells us that the city didn’t last. In 70AD, Jerusalem was ransacked and the walls and the temple were destroyed. But the building efforts were not in vain because it helped to usher the coming of Jesus as King. The temple is now restored as the gathering of the Saints.
The story of Nehemiah, Israel, and Jerusalem is about Jesus, the Church, and the New Jerusalem. In Christ, we are invited into building the New City. We are responsible to build its walls and fill its heavenly streets with people.
So Everyone Prays and Everyone Builds.
So we’ll build like Nehemiah. We’ll fast and we’ll follow the voice of God and build in prayer and sacrifice for 52 Days. Each day starting from July 13th one of us will fast from eating and will pray for the following:
That God would increase faith and courage for evangelism and disciple-making in Toronto.
That the hearts of our families, friends, neighbours, and co-workers would be softened to hear the Holy Spirit and the Gospel.
That God would open doors for us to use/lease a more permanent facility for ministry and worship.
So will you go to the Facebook Event page here and indicate which day you will be joining the fast? You can also go straight to the online signup sheet here and indicate which day you will fast.
If you never fasted before, don’t be anxious. You’ll be emailed a Prayer & Fasting Guide the day before your fast to lead during your fast. The day after your fast, we’ll follow up and debrief your experience and hear what God is speaking to you.
God is going to speak to us in these 52 Days. Trust and obedience releases the promise of God.
So here we go!