Churches in Uganda have announced and committed to beginning the new year with several days or months of prayer and fasting. This spiritual practice helps many Christians begin the new year with a focus on God and what he wants then to do individually and as a church.
The desire for many is to end 2018 better than they did 2017. As such, this may call for alignment of one’s will with God’s, through not only prayer, but fasting.
During this time, Church leaders – or concerned parties send daily encouragement, instruction and Biblical insight in the days leading up to and every day during the fast. This can be via social media, at the church or other related platforms.
“By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying the soul learns to command the body,” Christians at Gaba Community Church were told on 5. Their fast started today, 8 January and will end on the 12 January.
At Watoto Church, 8 January has been committed to thanksgiving and dedication. Christians here are in a week long fast too.
“Thank God for your life, family, church, city and nation, dedicate your personal goals for 2018 to God, commit your family, the church, city and nation to God,” believers were told. They will have morning, lunch and evening prayers at the celebration points.
Praise Cathedral – Ntinda will kick off its fast on 9 January and end it in twenty one days.
At Light the World Church – Nansana, soon to become Worship House, they announced 40 days of prayer and fasting earlier this month. Evening Prayers are held from 5pm-9pm everyday in the ‘Miracle Tent.’
“We are set to go into fasting and prayer from 1st January for 14 days. We will continue dedicating people’s visions that they will being before God on Vision Night,” House of Prayer Ministries International lead Pastor, Aloysious Bugingo announced during the cross over night on 31 December.
Should I get involved too?
It is not uncommon for many believers to sense a leading of the Spirit to begin the New Year with a time of fasting and prayer. In fact, I believe every Christian should set some time aside during the month of January, (but not just in the month of January, mind you), for some time to fast and pray, and hear from the Lord.
The first thing you must understand is that fasting and prayer go together. If there is no prayer accompanying your fasting, then you are merely on a hunger strike. One of the greatest mistakes I see today is that people put way too much focus on the food, and miss out on the powerful spiritual benefits of the fasting experience.
Jesus spent time in fasting and prayer. If He did, then we know that we must do the same, but it shouldn’t be a bandwagon thing.
How and when should I start?
The fast that God calls is a fast where you must do it the way He tells you to do it – fast what he tells you to fast, and fast as long as He tells you to fast – This can be as a church or individually. There is power in a unity – Remember Esther 4:16, she pronounced a 3-day-crisis fast to pray against the plot of Haman. The results were undeniable.
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:16-18 KJV.
By Paul W Dennis.
