To a significant degree, the depth of our hunger for transformation is reflected in the amount of time we spend fasting and praying.

It’s easy to say that we are desperate for growth and eager for change. We are all called to be discipled and make disciples of others. It was our Lord’s last command on this earth, and discipleship is to mark all we do. That being the case, discipleship is all about transformation, and it is God who nurtures the transforming.

All this leads us right back to fasting and prayer. So, as we journey through this season of Lent, we’re fasting and praying for transformation – in us as individuals and in our church corporately. We’re going to war for what really matters.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and takes us through Easter – a period of forty-six days, or forty days not including Sundays. It gives us a period of six full weeks as we fast and pray and look toward the glorious resurrection of Christ.

For these six weeks, please cover anything that is personally on your heart to fast and pray for. In addition, we’ll focus on key themes through our current study of the book of Mark, as follows:

Week of February 17       Pray to be diligent in daily time with God out of a love for Him (Mark 1:35)

Week of February 24       Pray to be intentional, strategic, and frequent in time spent with nonbelievers (Mark 2:15-17), bolding sharing all that Christ has done for you (Mark 4:18-20)

Week of March 3               Pray to diligently both proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom and walk in the power of the Kingdom (Mark 6:12-13)

Week of March 10            Pray to walk in God’s truth over human tradition (Mark 7:8)

Week of March 17            Pray to love God with all you have, fully delighting in and enjoying Him, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31)

Week of March 24            Pray to truly grasp all that Christ suffered for us (Mark 15:16-20), the significance of His murder (Mark 15:37-39), and the overwhelming elation in His resurrection (Mark 16:4-6)

As with our January fast, here is the expectation: 

1. Commit to genuinely and fervently pray for the topic each day. No time limit or expectation – just an honest and raw time of going to war each day.
2. Commit to fast one meal a week. It can be any meal, but this is the time when you commit the longest amount of time to prayer, and when your prayer is the most fervent. If you are worried about keeping this, consider initiating with someone else so you hold each other accountable while warring together.
3. Enjoy the journey. And wait with anticipation of all God is going to do.

As we fasted and prayed for the four weeks through January, we changed. And our church changed. I expect nothing less this time. So as we approach this, reflecting on our call to transformation and the hunger within us, there’s just one question from here:

Are you in?