Awake

Our church here in Lima is participating in Awake 21 a worldwide multi church fasting campaign. If you would like more information or to join in go to http://www.awake21.org/

Most churches begin the year with a fast of some sort. At least the churches I've been a part of for most of my life. There was a time when I saw church wide fasts as a sort of ritual with no real power. But the past several years I have changed my mind. I've learned that there is a beautiful unity that comes from fasting as a church. Psalm 133:1 says "Behold! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity." Unity is a beautiful thing and it's an important thing. If as men and women of God we can bring ourselves together with the same purpose. We can accomplish great things.
 As I write that I'm reminded of a passage of scripture in Genesis where the people are united and they begin to talk about becoming great, so they decide to build a tower that reaches into the heavens. We often quote that verse (Genesis 11:6) that nothing they purpose to do will be impossible because they are united. I've heard people say that God confused the people's language because he did not want them to be working together. But that is not the point at all. The whole problem with their unity in this story is found in verse 4 they say "Come lets build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. In that way we will make ourselves famous..." The reasoning behind their unity is wrong. They wanted to make themselves famous. (I guess you could say they got their wish. The tower of babel was never completed but the fact that we know about it now makes it seem pretty famous to me.)
So why is it important for Christians to have unity? the answer can be found in John 17:20-24
 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

So I set out to blog about fasting and ended up talking about unity. Maybe someone needed to see this. Whatever it is, if you are like I used to be and don't see the point of fasting as a church, I hope this will help you reconsider. I have seen God move in my life in powerful ways through fasting as a church.