Brothers and Sisters of All Saints,

The Session has called Monday, March 23, as a day of prayer and fasting for All Saints Presbyterian Church. More details can be found in the FAQ below. This is a practice that the Church has largely fallen out of in the past 50 years. This is in part because we have been so blessed as a society, and there have been few occasions that have impressed upon the Church the need. It is also a result of a more and more secularized society. However, it is a rich part of our heritage and a practice that we find exemplified for us in Scripture.

From 7am to 7pm Monday, March 23, we will also host a virtual prayer room. Details for this are in the FAQ as well. This prayer room is open to anyone—not just our members. The room will be hosted by a pastor or elder of our church throughout the day. Anyone may visit and pray with us or share prayer needs that we will then pray for. We hope you will join us as we seek the Lord's face together as a congregation, thank him for preserving us, petition him to end this crisis, and pray that in the meantime, we will conduct ourselves as those who are being saved by Christ and belong to the household of the King.

FAQ

  1. Why do we do this? The purpose of a day of prayer and fasting is to turn our attention to prayer in a more focused way. We do not fast to get the Lord's attention or make ourselves worthy of being heard. We are his children! He delights to hear our prayers! But in our weakness, we too seldom pray. We know our need of food and seldom miss the opportunity to provide for our bodies. On this day, we turn that attention from our bodies to our souls and the spiritual need we have of communion with God in prayer.
  2. How do we do this? Too often the question of how to fast ends up in complicated discussions of when to start and end and what may be consumed in the meantime. The Session's intention is that you will fast from waking up to going to bed. During that time you may drink water, but not eat. As much of that time as your vocation allows should be spent in prayer.
  3. What will be our prayer focus for the day? We plan to focus on thanksgiving; petition with respect to this crisis and all the hardship it creates; and petition that the Spirit would guide us into joy and peace despite our circumstances and give us wisdom with respect to how we should live in the midst of these circumstances. We will pray for specific individuals and families as well as whole communities and nations. We will pray for our own congregation but also the Church in the world. I think you get the idea.
  4. What if it isn't safe for me to fast this way? We are certainly not asking anyone to do anything that will endanger their health. If you must eat in order to maintain your health—diabetics, for example, or those who are currently ill—then by all means do so. But please join us in prayer nonetheless.
  5. How do I join the virtual prayer room, or invite others to join? The virtual prayer room will open Monday morning, March 23, at 7am. Follow this link to join us!
  6. Who do I contact with additional questions? For questions about fasting and prayer, reach out to Pastor Matt. For technical questions about the virtual prayer room, reach out to Krista.

We look forward to beseeching him in prayer with you,
Pastor Matt