Jesus talked a lot about the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God. He said the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven. He said those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. He said the first will be last and the last will be first. As followers of Jesus in the upside-down kingdom of God, we will think different and live different. We will say things and do things that do not make sense. But we believe what Jesus taught about inverse relationships. When we use the Sabbath for worship and rest, we our work is more fruitful. When we are generous to those in need, we are more content. When we express our anxiety to God in prayer, we feel peace. When we mourn, we are comforted. When we are weak, we are strong. When we fast, we are filled. When we do good in secret, we will be rewarded in heaven. And when we humble ourselves, we will be exalted.
God's Answer to Our Cry for Help
October 22, 2023 • Andrew Cullen • Isaiah 58
Wanderlust is wanting to be anywhere but here. These are the people Isaiah is describing. They didn’t want to be in Egypt. They didn’t want to be in the wilderness. They wanted a king they could see to lead them. They wanted more and more from God. Because they were focused on themselves, they were discontent with where they were and what they had. How does the Lord answer our cries for help? How does God intervene when we are in trouble? How does He respond when we are in pain? When we want to be anywhere but here, God says, “Here I am.” Prayer and fasting takes place where we are. It is about drawing near to God in the wilderness of life and finding a God who will never leave us or forsake us.
The Prayer of Daniel
October 15, 2023 • Jason Hilgeman • Daniel 9
Do our prayers reflect an interest in God's glory? Do our prayers reflect a dependance and hunger for God's grace? Do our prayers reflect an understanding of who God is and who we are? Daniel understands and bases his prayer in Daniel 9 on who God is, what Israel has done, who they are, and God's Word.
In the Wilderness
October 1, 2023 • Andrew Cullen • Matthew 4:1–4, Matthew 7:7–8
The wilderness is a place of paradox. It is a place of desolation, and yet, we experience growth in the wilderness. It is a place of uncertainty, and yet, we learn to see that we can trust God. It is a place of need, and yet, we shall not want even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We do not expect to find God in the wilderness, and yet, He is there. When we are in need, there is a gap we want filled. We pray because we want to close the gap. Fasting from food does not close the gap. Fasting widens the gap. It literally creates more needs. It probably will make us more irritable. It probably will make us more impatient. Why widen the gap by fasting when we are trying to close the gap by prayer? Because prayer and fasting are not about closing the gap. Prayer and fasting are about waiting in the gap. Prayer and fasting start with need and end in relationship.
Rediscovering Prayer and Fasting
September 24, 2023 • Andrew Cullen • Luke 2:36–40
Prayer and fasting are connected throughout the biblical story. Moses, David, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jesus, and the apostles prayed and fasted. Fasting with prayer communicates a sense of need and dependence on God, especially in the face of actual or anticipated difficulty. The biblical story continues today through disciple making movements fueled by prayer and fasting. As a church, we want to raise the sails to catch the wind of the Spirit because the power to move us toward our destination is in the wind. This means the most important thing for our church is to determine the direction the wind is blowing.
