Week of Prayer and Fasting

Week of prayer and fasting // August 1-7

Twice a year, Traders Point engages in a week of prayer and fasting. During these weeks, we intentionally humble ourselves in God's presence, seek God's will, and call on God's power.

From August 1-7, we will pray for God's power to be evident in our lives, families, communities, and church. Our anchor verse will come from 1 Corinthians 4:20.

"For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power." Our desire is to be a church that continually lives by the power that only comes from God! 1 Corinthians 4:20

Check back here for daily prayer prompts.

What
From August 1-7, we will pray for God's power to be evident in our lives, families, communities, and church.

When
Thursday, August 1, 2024 @ 12:00 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I need to pray?

There is no time requirement. You may only have a few minutes during your lunch break or the majority of that hour to pray, worship, and read God’s Word. What matters is intentionally setting that time aside to be with Jesus.

Can I fast from something besides food?

The short answer is yes. In fasting, we’re surrendering a habit for a period of time to connect and pray with God. For some, this might be social media or other forms of entertainment. However, what we see in Scripture is that the particular habit that followers of God abstained from while fasting is eating. If you’re able to, we recommend fasting from a meal (consider lunch) and replacing that time with prayer. If you’re new to fasting, start small or consider something else. If it’s medically unsafe for you, see the next FAQ.

What if I have a medical condition or disordered relationship with food?

We do not recommend fasting from food if it is medically unsafe or unwise for you to do so. There are a number of reasons why this could be the case. If it is unsafe or unwise for you, please choose something other than food to abstain from.

For those who have recovered from an eating disorder or actively have a disordered relationship with food, we encourage you not to fast from food and to consult your medical provider. The eating disorder part of someone in recovery's brain can take something good—fasting, which is an important spiritual discipline—and distort it into something harmful. Recovery can be slow and relapses can happen, so if that is you, we encourage you to fast from something other than food.

What we've learned is that for individuals who have or who are currently struggling with eating disorders, fasting from food fuels the problem which has its roots in control. The person in recovery or maintaining recovery has to depend on the Lord to eat—the opposite of those who fast. Eating is the choice to trust in God and the way he designed our bodies. When we fuel our bodies, we choose to trust in God as creator, not in ourselves and what we want our bodies to be like.

Here is a very helpful podcast episode on all of this.

Can I drink water during the fast? What about other drinks (tea, coffee, etc.)?

Yes, please drink water! Everyone will have their own convictions regarding other drinks. This is not a rules-based endeavor. What’s important is using the time you’d normally spend doing one thing and replacing it with time with God.