Weekly Times
August 7, 2022
Prayer / Fasting
Scripture: Isaiah 50: 3 – 9
… is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”…
Fasting is the intentional choice to deprive oneself of something, most often food, for a period of a time. But fasting also a spiritual discipline that can easily become corrupted and self-serving. The Israelites had fasted in times of National calamity and as a regular part of their liturgical calendar.
While true fasting is done to heighten one’s awareness of the things of God and move one toward holiness, the fasting Isaiah wrote about was largely hypocritical. It was focused on self – righteousness and not on the kind of justice for others that God desired. Ironically the self – righteous were busy depriving themselves of food while others in their community and their Nation went hungry because of their poverty this said the prophet Isaiah, was not the fast that God desired. Similarly, Jesus condemned the fasting He witnessed in His day. Fasting had become a way to publicly demonstrate one’s righteousness, but Jesus pointed people back to the heart of the matted.
This discipline was meant to be a private matter between the individual and God (read Matthew 6: 16 – 18), with goal of fostering greater commitment to God and a greater commitment to help those in need. As we enter into our week of Prayer / Fasting please take the time and draw close to God. Then on Sunday August 14th we will celebrate with communion.
Be blessed
Pastor Ron & Darlene
Upcoming Events
Prayer / Fasting week – August 7 – 13th
Celebration of Life – Matthew Smith on Saturday August 13.
Prayer Gathering Sunday Night at 7:00 pm
Daily Mana
Sunday – Psalm 66
Monday – Isaiah 28
Tuesday – 2 Corinthians 9
Wednesday – 1 Corinthians 6
Thursday – Genesis 18
Friday – Psalm 119
Saturday – Isaiah 54
