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Tuesday, April 14th, all members of Calvary Baptist Church (who are able to safely do so) are called to a day of congregational fasting (abstaining from all food) and prayer* as we seek God’s grace and mercy during these unprecedented times. (*See bottom of the page for information on how to join our online group prayer meetings.)
God expects us to fast
Fasting, though currently not widely practiced in our culture, is a means of grace ordained by God for His people. Throughout scripture, both Old and New Testament alike, we see examples of fasts observed by individuals, congregations, and nations.
Jesus himself expected his followers to fast. For example, in Matthew 6:2 - 17, Jesus gives specific instructions to his followers as to how they should give, pray, and fast. Certainly, we do not doubt that we, as Christians, should give generously and pray constantly, but do we regularly take advantage of our ability to seek God’s will through fasting?
We fast for a purpose
Though many people in our world may promote the ‘health benefits’ of fasting, we, as Christians, have a much different purpose for fasting.
John Piper writes that, “Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of a homesickness for God.”
Abstaining from food (water is allowed and encouraged!) for a few hours, a full day, a few days, or even for a week or more (such as Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert), has been a common practice throughout the history of God’s people. During these times of purposefully induced hunger, we are graciously brought to a place of perpetual awareness of our need for physical sustenance, which also allows us to be keenly aware of our need for spiritual sustenance. Every hunger pang is an opportunity to bring our attention back to prayer as we long for God’s word, will, and grace.
Why we are fasting now
Our specific purpose for this fast is to humble ourselves before God, to mourn our inability to gather together as God’s people, to grieve with those who are scared, suffering, sick, and mourning, to seek repentance, to seek God’s mercy for a quick and swift end to the Covid-19 outbreak, and to see God advance His Kingdom as the Gospel goes forth into the darkness of this lost world, that we may see many come to Christ.
What and who we will be praying for
For the sick and dying, and for families who have lost loved ones
For medical workers, first responders, and all ‘essential employees’ still at risk
For our President and all world leaders, representatives, and government officials
For church leaders and missionaries around the world
For those who are lost and need the gospel
For individuals and families experiencing unexpected financial hardships
For our ability to gather together as God’s people for worship and fellowship again
For our country to repent of its wickedness, especially (but not limited to) abortion, pornography, sexual immorality, idolatry, covetousness, and greed.
Online group prayer meetings
We will be hosting four opportunities throughout the day for our members to come together for prayer through the online meeting platform ‘Webex.’
The prayer times will be:
7:30am
10:30am
4:30pm
7:30pm
Everyone is encouraged to attend at least one prayer meeting, although you are welcome to join as many as you would like.
Webex is secure and can easily be accessed through your phone, iPad, or computer. (Alternatively, you can join each meeting by calling in and typing in the correct access code. See below.)
For your computer, simply go to the website https://www.webex.com
For iPhones, Androids, iPads, or Tablets, go to your native App store, search for ‘Webex,’ and then download/install the app.
How to sign in to each prayer meeting
Meeting #1 (7:30am) - CLICK HERE - Password is ‘FastingPrayer001’
Meeting #2 (10:30am) - CLICK HERE - Password is “FastingPrayer002’
Meeting #3 (4:30pm) - CLICK HERE - Password is ‘FastingPrayer003’
Meeting #4 (7:30pm) - CLICK HERE - Password is ‘FastingPrayer004’
You can also choose to join a prayer group by calling the following number
Meeting #1 (7:30am) - Call: 408-418-9388 - Access Code: 623 912 797
Meeting #2 (10:30am) - Call: 408-418-9388 - Access Code: 626 429 504
Meeting #3 (4:30pm) - Call 408-418-9388 - Access Code: 622 196 792
Meeting #4 (7:30pm) - Call: 408-418-9388 - Access Code: 628 396 144
For any questions, please reach out to Taylor at 713.817.6355