dwell: a three day fastGROWING AS A CHURCH THAT LOVES & LONGS FOR JESUS

WRITTEN BY BRANDON STEELE

DATES & EVENTS • 2

OUR HISTORY • 3

DEFINING FASTING • 4–5

DETAILS OF OUR FAST • 7

INTRODUCTION • 8–9

DAY 1 · MONDAY • 10–13

DAY 2 · TUESDAY • 14–17

DAY 3 · WEDNESDAY • 18–22

FINISHING THE FAST • 23

GOING DEEPER • 24

dates

events

DWELL: A THREE DAY FAST Starting on Monday, November 15 Ending on Wednesday, November 17

PRAYER GATHERINGSunday, November 14 @ 5pm Ethos Office, 2301 8th Avenue South

Join us as we pray together leading into the 3 day fast.

FEAST WITH YOUR HOUSE CHURCHWednesday, November 17 Times to be set by your House Church Leader.

As important as fasting is...concluding the fast by celebrating and testifying is just as valuable.

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our history PRAYER & FASTING AT ETHOS CHURCH

A little over five years ago, our church family started setting aside a portion of the year to seek the LORD through prayer and fasting. We took Jesus’ words seriously in Matthew 6 where he said “when you fast.” His phrasing wasn’t “if” you fast, but “when you do,” meaning that fasting was something he knew would be a part of the way of life for his followers.

We also saw what GOD was doing in the global church and in particular, what He was doing through movements of prayer and fasting in Africa. All over the continent, from Kenya to Sierra Leone, many were turning to Jesus as Savior and LORD as the church sought the LORD through prayer and fasting. We decided to establish some times throughout the year for our church family to do this as well. We set aside the month of February, the first Wednesday of each month and a time in the fall for us to communally deny and humble ourselves, as we seek Him through prayer and fasting.

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DEFINING FASTINGFasting is something that GOD’s people have participated in for thousands of years. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had one day each year, called Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, where the whole community would fast (Leviticus 16:29). Besides this prescribed day, there were many other instances in the Bible where fasting was clearly something the ancients knew about and participated in (Exodus 34:28, Nehemiah 1, Esther 4:16, Daniel 9:3, Matthew 4:2, Acts 13:2, to name a few).

From a biblical perspective we encounter fasting on many occasions, but it’s also worth mentioning that in our day, intermediate fasting is something that has become more popular in diets and generally in people’s lifestyles. I don’t mention this as an endorsement for or against it, but rather to help us understand that fasting has been defined in many ways and has been used for many reasons throughout history.

prayer & fasting

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Today, there are four common ways of fasting among Christians:

1. Major Fast — Refraining from eating and/or drinking for 24 or more hours.

2. Minor Fast — Refraining from eating and/or drinking for set times during the day. An example of this is a sun-up to sun-down fast, where no food or sometimes no food and water is consumed from the time the sun rises to the time the sun sets. Most people will drink water throughout the day while participating in this fast and enjoy dinner at night after the sun has set.

3. Partial Fast — Refraining from eating certain foods, such as sweets, meat, alcohol or other things that one enjoys. During this fast, one continues to eat, but chooses to give up specific items throughout the fast.

4. Soul Fast — Setting aside things other than food, such as social media, Netflix, video games, movies and other sources of entertainment.

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DETAILS OF OUR FASTIf you are able, we encourage you to engage in a three day Minor & Soul Fast with us. What this means is that during the daylight hours, you refrain from eating. We also encourage you to unplug from social media, Netflix, video games and other things we often turn to when we are bored, tired, etc. During the time that you would normally eat, watch a show, or scroll through social media, use that time rather to read scripture, pray, engage the prayer guide, or get with others to pray, etc. There will most likely be moments when you are really hungry. When you become aware of that, pray, reach out to a friend. Don’t simply endure the fast, counting down to the moment the sun sets so you can eat. We’re fasting from food in order to be filled by GOD. It will be challenging at times. But it’s worth it. It’s worth it to see how GOD sustains you, how He’ll come near to you, and to receive what He has to reveal to you.

If you’re not able to engage in a Minor fast, that’s completely okay. We recognize that there are many reasons and seasons where engaging in a Minor fast isn’t a wise choice — this might be moms who are pregnant or nursing, those who have medical conditions, those who experience eating disorders, just to name a few. Consider participating by doing a Partial fast and/or a Soul fast. GOD ultimately wants to be our first and greatest love. While food fasting can help facilitate that, it is not an essential component.

prayer & fasting

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Several years ago I was with two other staff members visiting our church partners in Kolkata, India. Once a year, the leaders from their eight churches get together for a time of learning, encouragement, and equipping for the year ahead. Right on the heels of that retreat, people from all of their churches come together for a multi-day retreat to worship, spend time together, and to celebrate as people give their lives to Jesus in baptism. We were able to be a part of both retreats. They were full of teaching, celebrating, and enjoying our Indian brothers and sisters. At the end of the week, we arrived back at the hotel and as I walked into the lobby, I was caught off guard by the music that was playing. There were no lyrics being sung, just the melody being played. It took me a minute to recognize that it was the song from Beauty and the Beast.

That song struck a nerve in my heart in that moment. It stirred up this deep desire in me to be home. At the time, my oldest daughter, Finley, loved to pretend play Beauty and the Beast. She would pretend that she was Belle, my son would be the beast, and, unfortunately, I was Gaston, That day in the hotel, when I heard the song, it made me think of my family. It reminded me how much I loved them, how much I missed them and it stirred up this deep desire in me to be home with them.

Although I loved being in India, my heart ached to be home with the ones I loved most.

introduction

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My hope is that GOD would use these three days like the song I heard in the lobby in India to remind us of the one we love most. My prayer is that GOD would awaken an ache in us to know him more fully and to be with him forever.

David said in Psalm 27, “This one thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple.”

May we become a people that truly live into these words.

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AN HONEST RESPONSE

“This one thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek…”

PSALM 27:4

In Psalm 27, David, the beloved King of Israel wrote this, “This one thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple.”

If you had to finish that sentence, what would you say? This one thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek, ___________.

I know that GOD doesn’t just give us one prayer, so this exercise isn’t completely sturdy. But think about it, what is it that you really desire right now in life? What are the things you want, the things you find yourself praying about and asking for from the LORD?

David, as King over a large number of people and a large plot of land, had the ability to go and do whatever he wanted in his kingdom. He could build his house wherever he wanted, spend his weekends however he wanted. He could travel and see what he wanted to see, spend time with whomever he wanted to spend time with. And yet, in his song we discover this truth, that the place He most wanted to be, even with the world at his fingertips, was in the LORD’s presence.

day 1: monday

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David had experienced the LORD. He didn’t just know about him, he knew him. He knew that GOD saw him, knew his name and chose him to be King. He wrote in Psalm 16, “in your presence there is fullness of joy.”

Being in GOD’s presence was a delight for David, something that resonated and awoke the deep places in his heart like nothing else did or could. David was married, had children, had fame, and possessed musical talent. He was skilled in battle, had lots of money and nice things — yet nothing could quite satisfy his soul like being in the LORD’s presence.

Today, may we come to experience and enjoy the LORD like David did as we seek him through prayer and fasting.

Take some time today to answer the questions on the following page, pray through the prayers, and read the scriptures. These are meant to help guide and get you started (not limit you) as you seek the LORD. I encourage you to write down your answers in a journal or on the Reflections page in this section so you can look back on them and see your growth in the LORD.

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AN HONEST RESPONSE

QUESTIONS

+ David had only to look back at his life experiences to know that GOD saw him, knew him and chose him. Think back over your life. What are moments that help you know that GOD sees and knows you?

+ Are there things you are currently desiring more than GOD? What are they?

PRAYERS

+ Father, help me to desire you more than anything. I confess and repent from desiring _________ more than I desire you.

+ Father, let each person in our church family experience you and your grace today. Today, I want to pray for_______(Pray for people in our church family that you know by name. Pray that they would desire GOD like David did.)

+ Father, draw my friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to you. (Pray for these people by name.)

SCRIPTURES

+ Psalm 16

+ Psalm 42

+ 1 Samuel 16

+ John 6

day 1: monday

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reflections

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A HUNGER FOR GOD

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face LORD, I will seek.”

PSALM 27:8

When I moved to Nashville as a college student, one of the best parts of moving here and starting the next phase of my life was the friends I made. I met some incredible people that year, many that I’m still friends with to this day. My friends and I lived for getting to spend time together. We would hang out on nights and weekends, in between and after class — we'd even travel to each other’s hometowns. There was always something new to learn about them or something to experience that was better when I was with them.

There is a big difference in knowing facts about GOD and living in relationship with Him. Have you ever noticed that sometimes it’s easier to settle for a life where you know facts about GOD rather than actually being in relationship with Him? You get to be in control of your life and do as you please when we live this way. The problem is eventually you realize how empty that way of living is. David said in this psalm, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’” I believe what David expressed is true for each of us, that deep down, our hearts long to actually know GOD. There is a deep hunger in us to hear him, make him happy, and be in relationship with him.

As is true in every healthy relationship, good communication is essential. The scriptures reveal that GOD has been

day 2: tuesday

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speaking to his people all throughout history. He spoke to Moses, giving him the assignment to lead GOD’s people out from under Egypt’s tyrannical rule (Exodus 3). He spoke to Mary, telling her what He thought of her and giving her the assignment of carrying in her womb and giving birth to Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). He spoke to Peter, James and John in Mark 9, saying this in regards to Jesus, “He is my son, whom I love. Listen to him.” He spoke to Philip (Acts 8:29), Peter (Acts 10), the church at Antioch (Acts 13:2), the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 and many, many others. And He still speaks today.

So often, when GOD speaks to us, just like the examples above, he either speaks identity or instruction. He wants us to understand who He is and who we are (identity) and He wants us to know and do His will (instruction).

David knew the voice of the LORD. He wanted to hear from GOD because He knew GOD had a perspective that he didn’t. While David certainly enjoyed being in GOD’s presence because of the joy that is found there, he also knew how helpful the LORD was to give direction, clarity and insight.

GOD has things to say to each of us, both words of identity and instruction. Today, may we not settle for simply knowing facts about GOD, but may we be stirred to seek him and to hear his voice.

We have provided a video at the link below to help you hear the LORD and to walk in confidence that you are hearing him. The video is of Jen Barnett, one of our beloved leaders and Ethos family members — she is also the director of an international ministry called Freedom Prayer. The video is intended to give you a taste of what Freedom Prayer is like and to help you connect with the LORD in a deeper way.

See the video at ethoschurch.org/dwell.

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A HUNGER FOR GOD

PRAYERS

+ Father, please stir up a deeper hunger in me to hear you and obey you.

+ Father, please stir up a deeper hunger in my family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to know you.

+ Father, please stir up a deeper hunger in our church family and in every church in our city and beyond.

+ Take some time today to ask the LORD and listen on behalf of our church family as you pray the next prayer point: Is there anything specifically that you want us as a church family to know or do?

SHARE

Part of the way we walk in confidence that the LORD has spoken is through bringing what we receive from the LORD to community to let them discern with us. Take some time to share what the LORD spoke with a trusted friend, spouse or someone in your House Church.

If the LORD spoke anything about our church family, our leaders would love to hear. Please share with our pastoral team at ethoschurch.org/dwell.

SCRIPTURES

+ 1 Samuel 23

+ Acts 9 & 10

day 2: tuesday

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reflections

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ANCHORED IN HOPE

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

PSALM 27:13

It doesn’t take long for us to recognize that something isn’t right, that something is off, that things in this world aren’t as they should be. We can look at the news feed on our phones or into our own personal story and see pain, brokenness, suffering and injustice. People we love pass away. Prayers aren’t answered the way we wanted. Dreams and desires that are in our hearts don’t come to pass.

What we do with this disappointment is important.

The scriptures have much to say about how we are to see, process, and understand the brokenness in the world.

First, we are to look to Jesus who experienced suffering not as a spectator from a distance, but personally, as he was rejected and killed in the most humiliating way. Have you ever noticed how you bond with and trust people who have been through similar pain and struggles as you have? It’s why Alcoholics Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, and grief groups work so well, because the people there get you. Jesus gets you. He wept in John 11 at his friend’s funeral. He knew what it was like to want something and pray for it and not get it (Luke 22:41-44). We find solidarity with Jesus in places of suffering. He is personally familiar with and aware of all that is off in the world.

day 3: wednesday

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We also are to look at what Jesus taught. In John 16, before he was crucified, he spoke these words, “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” He didn’t teach that things would get better for us as we follow him. In fact, he taught the opposite — that life would be more difficult should we choose to follow him.

What Jesus embodied and taught was that pain, disappointment, and heartache were to be expected. We shouldn’t be caught off guard when they come. But he also taught us, through many other biblical writers, that the pain and brokenness we experience are meant to stir up a longing for Jesus to fulfill what he promised and to fix what is broken. He said that he would return and raise every person who has died (1 Thessalonians 4), and that those who love and trust him will rise to live with him forever. He said that one day, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain and that he will make all things new (Revelation 21).

What this means is that every time we experience heartache in this world, it’s suppose to be a sign, a reminder that this world isn’t what it should be and isn’t what it will be. When we lose someone who has loved Jesus, we grieve because we miss them and yet we groan for Christ to return and to raise them. When we see injustice and poverty and pain,

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we don’t stand at a distance — we enter into them, giving ourselves to meet the needs, just like Jesus did and we earnestly pray for Jesus to come and heal all the brokenness.

David knew that his ultimate destiny was to live in the fullness of the presence of the LORD. He knew that resurrection awaited him, where he would fully see and enjoy the Father and the Son and all those who trust in Jesus. And the same is true for us. We’ll spend time with Mary, Peter, and Paul. We’ll spend time with Esther, Hannah, and Noah. Think about that. Think about the questions you’ll ask them. We’ll see our children that were miscarried or lost, our siblings and parents that left us too soon, and at the center will be the King who left heaven and laid down his life so we could live in the land of the living with Him.

In the midst of the pain in the world, we have hope because of what Jesus has spoken. And so we wait in the pain and we pray Maranatha...Come, Lord Jesus. Come and do what you said you would do.

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ANCHORED IN HOPE

QUESTIONS

+ What do you see that is broken in our world?

+ What are the places of pain, brokenness and disappointment in your own life?

+ Who are people that you know that are in need of help, healing and hope that Jesus brings?

PRAYERS

+ Father, here are the places of brokenness that are close to me and my heart. (List out what has burdened you and ask the LORD to come and bring healing.)

+ Father, reveal the truth of who you are and what you will do in restoring all things to those in my life who don’t know you. (Spend some time praying by name for people who need help, healing and hope.)

+ Is there a specific way that you want to use me to meet a need? Please show me.

SCRIPTURES

+ Revelations 21 & 22

day 3: wednesday

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reflections

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finishing the fastWe set out a few days ago with our sights set on having our hearts stirred to live for and with Jesus more fully. Some of you may have had real breakthrough this week, where the grip this world had on your heart was loosened and your desire for Jesus was rekindled. Praise the LORD if that is so. If you didn’t though, it’s okay. I’ve had many moments of seeking the LORD in prayer and fasting where nothing seemingly changed or happened in the moment. However, days or weeks or even seasons later, I realized how valuable that time of prayer and fasting was.

Pay attention to the prayers you prayed throughout the past few days and look for GOD to answer them. Seeds that are planted don’t typically bear fruit immediately. Don’t be surprised when down the road you see them answered and see fruit.

Take some time to reflect on and share the things you heard with your House Church or friends and family, felt and experienced during the fast. And if you can, finish by sharing a meal together. You fasted well, now finish well by enjoying the great gift of good food together. Celebrate how GOD sustained you and share about your experience over the past three days.

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If you are looking for ways to keep leaning into prayer and fasting, here are two opportunities:

1. Prayer Gathering— Every Sunday night at 5pm, at the Ethos office, we pray for GOD to move in our church, city and all over the world. Come and learn the beauty and importance of praying communally.

2. First Wednesday — We Fast and Pray-on the first Wednesday of every month. A guide is written to provide prayer prompts throughout the day, as well as a communal opportunity from 12-12:45 either in person at the office or on Zoom to pray.

going deeper

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ethoschurch.org/dwell