Church-Wide Fast: Seeking God's Healing We will embark on a time of fasting on Sunday, October 5, at 12:00 p.m. (EST) and end on Sunday, October 12, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). Background: Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ at South Potomac Church are facing life-threatening illnesses. Many of us have family members and friends who are also battling various health issues. For over five years, since May 2020, our SPC Prayer Team has committed to daily corporate prayer. We are a church that intercedes and believes in the power of prayer, and because of that, we have decided to fast as a local congregation to seek God’s will and request healing through prayer. SPC seeks to operate in the spirit of advising and not control; so this fast is NOT mandatory; however, we encourage everyone’s participation because fasing is another weapon to battle spiritual warfare. Every Sunday, we not only share our concerns on the connection cards, but also after Sunday’s service in the prayer corner, during weekly meetings, and elsewhere, and at other times, emphasizing that only God can heal. Therefore, this fast is for those who feel called to join us in this time of consecration. Definition: Spiritual fasting is the discipline of setting aside activities and reducing food intake, replacing them with prayer and focus on spiritual matters. Model: We will model this fast after David. The story of what led him to fast can be found in 2 Samuel, chapter 12. David was in mourning over the imminent death of his son and pleaded with God by fasting and praying that the child would live, even though the prophet Nathan was clear with David that the word of the Lord had declared that he would surely die. David could have accepted the prophecy, but he pleaded with God for the life of his son. So, it is with many of us; we may be in mourning about our own health matters. We may be in mourning about the health of our loved ones and also mourning about the state of our fellow believers, and the condition of our nation. Timeframe: David mourned for seven days. During that time, David sought God and fasted until the condition changed. The amount of time wasn’t as important as was the heartfelt and intentional plea to God. While David’s sinful behavior was the precedent that brought about his son’s death, he remained committed to the submission of fasting, and with the hope that God could change the outcome. Although the answer to David’s plea was still death for his son, David trusted God. While we have no desire for anyone participating, including their loved ones, to physically die during this time of fasting, we do desire for God to heal those in need and to kill off sinful desires that we may carry. For this season of prayer and fasting, we will fast for seven days. It will start on October 5, at 12:00 p.m. (EST) and end on October 12, at 10:00 a.m. (EST), essentially starting after service on October 5th and ending at the beginning of service on October 12. We will end the fast by preparing ourselves and going to the house of the Lord at SPC to worship: So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 2 Samuel 12:20 Prayer Focus: 1. Daily confession of our personal sin. (2 Samuel 12:13) 2. Daily request for healing of those who have been afflicted. (2 Samuel 12:15) 3. Daily request for God to help us be modest and humble. (2 Samuel 12:16) 4. Daily request for God to surround us by godly people to help us in our time of need. (2 Samuel 12:17) Fasting Approach: • Eliminating social eating. (2 Samuel 12:17) • Eliminating choice food. • Get things off your chest by talking or weeping to help with healing. (2 Samuel 12:22) Note: The Bible implies David didn’t eat or at least didn’t eat around other people. During this time, there is an expectation to eat food in moderation. Other Encouraged, Yet Optional Focuses: • Engaging in daily reading of Scripture. • Joining the prayer team every night at 6:00 pm. (Phone: 224-501-3412; Access code: 826-352- 621) • Eliminating unnecessary social activity. (such as spending time on social media) • Eliminating unnecessary mobile phone usage and internet time. • Eliminating unnecessary purchases. • Avoiding situations that can cause you to be distracted from God or act ungodly towards others.