Throughout Christian history, followers of Jesus have practiced prayer & fasting as a way to declare their trust in Jesus during difficult times and to present their requests to him. As a church family, we are invited into this practice on Monday March 30.
Practically, I am suggesting that we each abstain from lunch and that we use the hunger pangs as a prompt to pray, expressing to God our trust that he is the one who sustains us and is present with us in the midst of our current circumstances.
If you are looking for some guidance in prayer, here are two prayers from Richard Foster:
Searching for Faith
God, today I resonate with the desperate cry in the Gospel, “I believe, help my unbelief.” Sometimes I think I operate my life out of more doubt than faith. And yet I want to believe…and I do believe.
I am a complex creature. At times I can believe with my head, while my body is still locked into patterns of skepticism and doubt. Faith is not yet in my muscles, my bones, my glands.
Increase faith within me, O Lord. I’m sure that for faith to grow you will put me in situations where I’ll need resources beyond myself. I submit to this process.
Will this mean moving out on behalf of others, praying for them and trusting you to work in them? If so, then show me who, what, when and where, and I will seek to act at your bidding. Throughout I am trusting you to take me from faith to faith – from the faith I do have to the faith I am in the process of receiving.
Thank you for hearing my prayer.
Amen.
Let Your Healing Light Shine
Let your healing light shine, O God.
Give doctors unusual skill in the healing arts.
Give researchers success in curing diseases.
Give counselors insight and healing love.
Give pastors discernment and tender compassion.
Give social workers courage and boundless hope.
Let your healing light shine, O God.
Amen.