Amplify Our Prayers

Fasting and prayer go together. Like two wings of a bird, together they take flight. You can pray without fasting, and you can fast without praying, but when you combine the two, there’s a noticeable amplification of our prayer before God. This comes as no surprise, since fasting is a kind of praying with our bodies. When the requests of our hearts are coupled with the yearnings of our bodies, our prayers are purified of their dross and presented like precious metal before the Father, for him to do as he will.

Below you will find steps to help you engage with this practice over the next four weeks, as well as resources for further exploration.

Ways to engage with the Fasting Practice

• First and foremost, this practice (and all practices) are meant to be done in community. If you haven't yet, find a small group of people that are commited to walking through this practice together. 

• Download the Fasting Practice Guide. If you can, it is advised to print it out to reduce the distraction of our devices. 

• Gather with your group once a week to watch the Practicing the Way video found below. This will include questions for discussion, as well as a short teaching on that week's practice.

• Step into each practice as much as you are able and feel comfortable to. This invitation is for everyone at all stages of life and faith. 

• Reflect on your experience of the practice using the reflection questions at the bottom of the guide and be prepared to share them the next time you gather with your group.

Recommended Reading

God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis (Chapters 11-15)

Rule of Life Podcast

Fasting Practice Week 3

Fasting Practice Guide

Download the practice guide here

Week 3 Practice - Fast for one day this week, focusing on growing in holiness

For the Fasting Practice, each week’s exercise will be similar and straightforward: fast for one full day until sundown. Each week, we will attempt to focus our hearts on the reason for fasting we covered in that week’s session. This week, focus on reason one: growing in holiness.

Some additional tips:

• In the time you'd normally be grocery shopping, cooking, eating, or cleaning, give yourself to prayer.

• In your dedicated times of prayer, or each time a hunger pain comes, you may want to pray through a short list of specific requests you are holding before God, or simply pray, “God, speak to me. I’m listening.”

• If possible, set aside time in the quiet to listen for God’s voice and offer your prayers up to God. You may want to get up early, find a quiet park on your lunch break, or end your day with a nice walk. But find a time and place to minimize distractions and combine your fasting to prayer.

Week 3 Reflection Questions

Before your next time together with the group for Week 4, take five minutes to journal out your answers to the following three questions about the practice:

• How did it feel to pray while being hungry?

• Have I sensed any direction from God's Spirit?

• What am I longing for God to do with my heart, soul, mind, and body?