Michelle Brooks-Young | Lebanon, Tennessee “Whatever you do, don’t stand up for that!” My then five-year-old daughter was astounded. A few moments before, our pastor had asked each family to commit to a two-week fast. Bethany had leaned in close, cupped her tiny hand around my ear, and whispered, “What does that mean?” I attempted …
Dr. Fred A. Lawson | Cleveland, Tennessee The Scriptures seem to suggest that God honors fasting when performed as a token of deep and sincere dedication. It is a biblical way to truly humble ourselves in the sight of God. Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the “first love” for our Lord and …
Darren Schalk | Cleveland, Tennessee While my wife Kristi and I were serving as associate pastors at a church in Georgia, we had a special service with a very well-known and respected minister. The man was much older but still very vibrant and highly sought after. I was excited to have him at our church …
Janice Miller | Gallatin, Tennessee Matthew 17:14–21 gives us a glimpse into a teachable moment between Christ and His disciples concerning prayer and fasting. We see the picture of a father who no doubt was weary, beaten down, and at the end of his rope. His demoniac boy had to be watched closely because at …
Dr. Fred A. Lawson | Cleveland, Tennessee Is fasting necessary for today’s Christian church? What does the Bible teach about fasting? What is it, in the biblical sense? Fasting is the abstaining from food and drink for a spiritual reason. In the Old Testament era, the Jews fasted frequently, though there was only one fast …
Melody Cates Kinzer | Lewisburg, Tennessee Fasting is voluntarily going without food, even when the refrigerator and cupboards are full. We fast from food because we have a stronger desire for God, a deep longing to be closer to Him, to be more like Him. It is an expression of discontent with our sinful self. …
Department of Leadership Development and Discipleship Samuel Chadwick was a Wesleyan minister, theologian, and professor immersed in the movement of Methodism and an authority on spirit-filled prayer. Toward the end of his life he wrote, “I wish I had prayed more, even if I had worked less; and from the bottom of my heart I …
Lilly Feliz When we pray, we are communicating more than just the desires, worries, and gratitude we have to offer God. We are practicing the belief that He is sovereign. When we pray, we are saying, “I have come here with not just something to say, but I came to the only person that knows …
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