A Nationwide Fast from August 1-14 Calls Believers to Concerted Prayer
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
Christian Union’s next extended period of prayer and fasting begins Monday, August 1, and runs for two weeks through Sunday, August 14, 2022. The spiritual condition of our day demands a serious and wholehearted response from the Church; The nation and the people of God in America need a fresh work of the Spirit of God. Please sign up today for our fourteen-day fast and join thousands of other Christians as we draw near to God for ourselves, for the Body of Christ, and for the lost.
Each Christian Union extended fast is a time of renewed devotion, self-humbling, and unity. Our current fast also centers on the theme of Christian Unity. Unity in any human organization is powerful, but Christian Unity comes with supernatural power. As we at Christian Union like to say, “Unity of the Spirit precedes filling of the Spirit.”
We see the power of unity on a human level in the story of Babel in Genesis 11. One of the reasons why God scattered the peoples of the earth and introduced multiple languages was because of the power of unity, although in this case it gave them a greater ability to rebel against God. Genesis 11:6 reads, “And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.”
Whenever there is deep partnership among people on a sports team, at a workplace, in a family, or within a military unit, great success follows. The word synergy captures the multiplied force of a united corp. Unity in a group allows for its output to be greater than the sum of its parts.
But there’s another dimension of energy and productivity that follows Christian unity. When Christians share one mind and heart, we not only experience the natural multiplication of our efforts, but we experience the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual power of Christian Unity can be seen in the early chapters of the book of Acts.
Three times Luke – the human author of Acts – draws attention to the exceptional oneness of the early disciples. Luke describes the disciples’ unity after Jesus ascended to the Father in Acts 1:14, “All these [the apostles] with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” As the disciples waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit, they committed themselves to prayer and to staying together. After ten days of united prayer, the Father sent the Holy Spirit on this group that remained in Christian unity. Unity of the Spirit preceded the first filling of the Spirit.
Luke again describes the church’s oneness in chapters 2 and 4 in Acts, and uses the same word as in chapter 1. In Acts 2:46, we read, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts…” The word “together” in this verse is the exact same Greek word that appeared in Acts 1:14 – homothumadon, or “one accord.” Once more, Luke emphasizes the Christian unity that was present after Pentecost in Acts 4:24, “And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together (homothumadon, “one accord”) to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them…’” Immediately, the Lord responded by pouring out His Spirit on them again; Acts 4:31 recounts, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Once again, Unity of the Spirit preceded another filling of the Spirit.
Christian leaders throughout history have recognized the supernatural power of Christian Unity. Jonathan Edwards, pastor and a leader of America’s First Great Awakening, wrote a book by this (long) title: An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in extraordinary prayer for the revival of religion and the advancement of Christ's Kingdom on earth, pursuant to Scripture-promises and prophecies concerning the last time. A. T. Pierson, an eighteenth-century pastor, author, and church leader, wrote, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.” And William Seymour, leader of the Azusa Street Revival, echoed, “I can say, through the power of the Spirit, that wherever God can get a people that will come together in one accord and one mind in the Word of God, the baptism of the Holy Ghost will fall upon them, like as at Cornelius’ house.”
We invite and encourage you to unite together with Christians from all backgrounds during these fourteen days to pray, fast, and seek God's face. Each person will fast as God leads, whether that is more or less extensive. You can find out more and sign up here. All who are signed up will receive a devotional each day by email. May believers across our nation be of one accord and experience a great filling of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God and His purposes in the earth.
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. 