Christian Union's National Fast Concludes
By chuck Hetlzer
Christian Union America’s most recent national fast came to an end Monday, August 14, 2023. 5,175 Christians across the nation signed up to seek God in prayer, fasting, and repentance, along with a special emphasis on taking in massive amounts of Scripture.
The theme of this fast was “Reviving the Soul” based on Psalm 19:7, which says “The word of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” In addition to abstaining from food for some or all of the 14-day fast, participants were encouraged to read the entire New Testament over the two-week time period. Here are some of their experiences:
For the first time, Christian Union utilized its mobile app to foster community and support and encourage one another during the fast. Many participants shared their prayer requests, their struggles, and their victories by the grace of God via the CU Online Community on the CU app, as seen in the following quotes:
One of the purposes of CU National Fasts is to cultivate a culture in our nation of seeking God through prayer, fasting, and repentance. These kinds of efforts were ordinary among early Christians, in strong times of church history, and in the international church today where Christianity is expanding rapidly. CU National Fasts serve to change the status quo in the US, so that it would be common once again among western Christians to seek God in these ways.
Two more testimonies from the fast illustrate the significance, in part, of joining this movement:
"This was the longest fast I have ever done. The fast showed me the danger of having so much comfort and material prosperity. It can cause us to forget God and live our lives apart from seeking Him."
"I’m so thankful for CU and have been so blessed by all the CU ministry events I’ve participated in. For the first part of the fast I did a dry fast, which really broke me in a good way spiritually and physically. The fast took me to a deep place of crying out for God and brought me to a depth of need for God that I’ve never experienced before. I thank God for this opportunity to join in this fast."
The next CU National Fast is scheduled to take place in January 2024. Further information about how to join the January 2024 fast will be available at CUAmerica.org.
