21-Day Fast, Day 2

In his essay The Efficacy of Prayer, C.S. Lewis writes, “Prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from command, is that it may or may not be granted.”

I love this quote because it reminds me that prayer is much bigger than my personal wish list. It is not just me asking God for stuff, like a 6-year-old writing to Santa. If I keep this perspective, I learn to trust Him more. He knows what is best. It reminds me that, as Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but…present your requests to God.”

Clearly God wants to hear our requests. And He wants to bless us. But He also wants us to have the courage to not worry, even if the answer is not what we wanted.

The ultimate example of prayer is found in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed to be set free from the crucifixion. Yet, after lots of heartache, Jesus finally said the greatest words ever uttered, “Not my will, but Yours,” to God. In that moment, Jesus expressed what prayer is all about. It is about being real with our Heavenly Father, for Jesus held nothing back. HE surrendered it all to HIS FATHER.

When we fast and pray, we reduce the temptation to focus on ourselves. We begin to overcome the flesh and go deeper in the Spirit and surrender our desires to His will. This is the beauty of a church-wide season of prayer and fasting. When we collectively join together and Lean into God Like Never Before, I believe He will answer our prayers and He will reveal Himself in ways we never thought possible. Join us, this year. Fast. Pray. Lean Into God, and together we will see His power in 2023!