Will You Join Our National Effort?
By Chuck Hetzler, Director of CU Day and Night
Many Christians are familiar with the first condition God sets before His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves…” However, not many Christians are aware that fasting is the primary way to humble oneself according to Scripture.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
The linkage between fasting and humbling oneself is apparent; here are just a few verses:
Ezra 8:21, “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.”
If a Christian isn’t involved in fasting, then it is hard to make a biblical case that such a person is considered humble before God. Furthermore, such a person or people would also forfeit the incredible promises in the second half of 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Given this connection between fasting and humbling oneself, it is no wonder that fasting has played a role in mighty moves of God’s Spirit. Almost anywhere a Christian revival and awakening has come, fasting came first.
Jonathan Edwards noted that much prayer and fasting instrumentally preceded America’s First Great Awakening. In his piece, Some Thought concerning the Revival, he wrote:
I suppose there is scarcely a minister in this land, but from Sabbath to Sabbath used to pray that God would pour out his Spirit, and work a reformation and revival of religion in the country, and turn us from our intemperance, profaneness, uncleanness, worldliness and other sins; and we have kept from year to year days of public fasting and prayer to God, to acknowledge our backslidings, and humble ourselves for our sins, and to seek of God forgiveness and reformation: and now when so great and extensive a reformation is so suddenly and wonderfully accomplished, in those very things that we have sought to God for, shall we not acknowledge it?
Days of prayer and fasting spurred on the Azusa Street Revival, which led to the greatest global move of God to date. Friend of Christian Union, Pastor John Mulinde testified that Uganda’s nationwide revival in the 1990s came about after weeks of prayer and fasting. The present-day Healing the Land team of Fiji has seen God transform over 100 villages in response to prayer, fasting, and repentance. Examples in church history and the international church today seem innumerable.
Sadly, there is very little fasting in the Christian West today. Thus, it is no surprise that there is also little Chrisitan revival and awakening here. But that can change, and Christian Union Day and Night is helping to foster that change.
Every January and August, CU Day and Night sponsors a national period of fasting and prayer. All American Christians are encouraged to join these times of consecration and humility by signing up at CU Day and Night’s website.
Signed-up participants will join themselves to a united front of Christians humbling themselves before God, meeting His primary condition to hearing our prayers, forgiving our sins, and healing our land. All signed-up participants also receive an email daily devotional written by a Christian Union associate to provide guidance during the days of fasting and prayer.
The next CU Day and Night fast runs 14 days: Monday, January 3 - Sunday, January 16, 2022. Plan now to join this movement to seek God for transformation in our nation according to His prescribed method of fasting. Sign up today and spread the word!
Dr. Chuck Hetzler is the executive director of Christian Union Day and Night, a ministry that promotes spiritual strengthening in Christians across America, helping them thrive in order to make an impact in an increasingly secular culture by covenanting together for successive spiritual initiatives.
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