2012 Winter Fast

A Call to Fasting, January 10-31, 2012

Jesus taught that fasting is a normal part of being a disciple, a follower and learner of Jesus. In Matthew 6 he taught some cautions about giving and praying and fasting, but with each of these teachings, he said “When you give, pray and fast,” not, “If you give, pray and fast.”

Fasting normally means to give up some measure of food for a selected period or periods of time for the purpose of demonstrating sincerity in seeking God for a spiritual breakthrough in your life.

A person may do an individual fast anytime. However, in this case, I am calling as many as are willing in the entire congregation to participate in a fast. When many of us fast together it is the Church seeking God for spiritual breakthrough.

For example, it may mean that some of us give up a meal per day. Or we give up eating for a whole day each week; or every other day. Or, for two or three or seven days in a row. Or, that we give up eating all comfort foods; all sugar, etc. Some may participate in what is called a Daniel fast (taken from the example of Daniel in the Old Testament)—no meat, no sweet, no leaven bread. Some may include giving up caffeine.

The point is this: We place these things aside and by doing so, we say to God, “We are more hungry for you!” We are expressing that we are desperate for God to breakthrough into our lives; to help us identify anything that is hindering our faith or contaminating our love for him or others. We may be asking him for financial breakthroughs, for healing in relationships, for healing of our bodies. We may be praying for our marriages and families. But, most of all, we are saying that we are hungry to know God and to live more fully in our faith in Jesus Christ.

Join with us.  Set the tone for the year.  Check out the resources in the lobby.

Let’s see what God will do as we seek to know him more fully! Great days are ahead for PNC and for you!

~David Rodes, PNC Lead Pastor


Reflections on Fasting

January 27, 2012 - Our All-Church Fast concludes on Tuesday, the 31st.  Way to go!  Keep it up!

We are toward the end of the all-church fast! Just a few more days! In this fast we are setting the tone for the New Year. What spiritual breakthrough are you pursuing? Has there been any indication of God’s work in your own heart or in your situation? Keep on the alert! Keep looking for signs of God’s work. Keep praying and pursuing, even after the official fast is over. Keep obeying God’s word. Continue to increase in your hunger for God. God has so much more that he wants to accomplish in us and through us!

I invite you to send your testimonies of your experience in this fast to info@pnconline.org. In the subject line place the word ‘Fast.’ ~Pastor Dave

January 20, 2012 - What a challenging week! The snow, ice, wind and rain; breaking trees and power outages. And in the midst of this an all-church fast! I encourage you to keep your eye on the goal of pressing in toward knowing God more intimately. Fasting for spiritual breakthrough, confronting what stands in the way of your all-out devotion to the Lord Jesus; laying hold of the vision of the Father working in your life situation to bring particular relationships into alignment with his will.

When faced with our physical hunger, we cry out to God that we want him more! We kick passivity to the curb and let the cry of our souls resound over the whining of our stomachs, appetites and habits.

Strengthen your hearts in the promise of God that if we seek him we will find him. ~Pastor Dave

January 14, 2012 - I'm thankful that many of PNC are participating in the all-church fast.  If we pray, we get to see what God can do.  When we fast we are saying to God that our relationship with him and what he can do matters more to us than the food or activities we enjoy.  We are declaring our hunger for him.  In fasting we even intensify our hunger for him.  In the fast it is revealed to us how dependent we are on good things for comfort and solace.  So the fast turns our hearts to cry out to God that he would matter above all.   In this we become even more hungry for spiritual breakthrough.

The words of Jesus are appropriate for us to memorize:  "But seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

Let's go for it and encourage one another! ~Pastor Dave

January 12, 2012 - Here's the verse we can memorize together this week. "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things shall be given to you as well."  Jesus in Matthew 6:33

Let's go for it… experiment… learn together… and see what God can teach us. Let's see what God can do as we seek his face and his will above all things.

You may ask, "Why are we doing this?"

We are doing this because we need God.  Individually, as well as in our community of faith, we need God's presence upon our lives.  We are fasting for spiritual breakthroughs.  We know that there is so much that God wants to do in us and among us, so we are setting aside food (in some measure) or other patterns of activity, in order to seek God above all else.    Second, we are doing this because Jesus expected his followers to have times and seasons of fasting.  In fasting, we move 'fast' toward God.  In fasting, we put aside food (for a meal per day or in any other rhythm or eat differently as in the 'Daniel Fast) or put aside other activities that we are accustomed to (such as television, etc.)   We set these things aside in order to pray and mediate on God's Word.  When we become aware of our hunger (for example), we tell God that we are hungrier for him than for the food we crave.  Third, as we do this together, there is a spiritual momentum that is gained as our prayers are compounded and we are together seeking to know God more deeply and obey him more fully. ~Pastor Dave


Resources:  Jentezen Franklin has written and spoken extensively on the subject of fasting in the life of the follower of Jesus.  His two books are available in the lobby at PNC or online - Fasting and The Fasting Edge.  Also, check out this website for more helpful information! http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting/typesoffasts.php