By Paul Gordon • March 25, 2024
We are inviting everyone who is part of the Terra North Adams family to a communal time of fasting & praying on Thursdays this July. The video above & the info below outlines the Why & How.
This past Sunday (June 28th) we looked at Matthew 9:14-17 and the idea of fasting. The video above provides a short summary of that teaching time where we defined fasting and laid out the reason for fasting.
Fasting is taking time to intentionally say no to something physical for the sake of saying yes to something spiritual. Often, what we say no to is food (a necessary physical thing) so we can say yes to spiritual things like prayer and bible reading (a necessary spiritual thing). Yet, those things are not the aim; they are the means to an end. The spiritual end we are really pursuing is feeling more of God’s presence in our life, answered prayers for our life, and pleading with God to fulfill more of His promises in our lifetime.
We find ourselves in a unique time in life. A pandemic. Schools closed. Economy suffering. Rising racial tensions. A growing sense of division all around us. All of these things are even been felt acutely even in our small, young church.
We may be wondering: God where are You? God are you hearing our prayers? God, when you will make good on Your promises? We may feel like there is no hope within us or any other place to turn because our pain is so deep and our brokenness so fractured.
Therefore, our response of worship in this season is one of fasting & praying together. Across the Bible we see the people of God joining together in prayer & fasting to plead with God to move. To lead. To provide.
We are inviting all those who call Terra Nova North Adams home to join us in a communal time of prayer & fasting this July.
If you never tried fasting before, please take this opportunity to join us.
If fasting from food is not wise or possible for you given personal health – that is ok, please join us in praying each Thursday.
:: Every Thursday in July (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th) we are asking you to fast from at least one meal. You choose which meal works for your individual schedule.
:: During that time, we will provide you a 2-page PDF prayer & fasting guide to direct you.
:: To help create collaboration and community we’ve set up a FB Group for all those who will participate in this (whether you participate each week or just one). Please be sure to join this FB Group as that is where we will post the Guides and have conversation about our time of fasting.
:: To help foster a community feel for 3 of these Thursdays, Pastor Paul will host a Zoom prayer gathering during a meal time. Here is that schedule
Jesus calls us to Himself and to each other. I am hopeful that this July as we say no to food to seek Him, we will find Him — together. We need Him to lead us and guide us in the days ahead.
Bydand,
Paul Gordon, Pastor