"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

In these anxious times we want to continually turn to the Lord in prayer as we acknowledge our dependence upon him, and bring our requests to the throne of grace. In an effort to do this, our denomination, the Evangelical Free Church of America, is calling for a day of prayer and fasting on Friday, April 10 (Good Friday). We are going to join one another, and many other churches, in this day of prayer. Even though we cannot gather in person, I am providing you with resources for this day that will culminate in the evening with a virtual prayer gathering on Zoom. 

What will we be doing?

1. Set aside Friday, April 10, as a day of prayer and fasting.

Certain conditions may prohibit you from fasting, but do what you can. You may fast for the whole day, part of the day, a single meal, or whatever you are physically (and medically) capable of doing.

2. Use the guide to pray in the morning and afternoon.

Here is a guide to help you. Set aside some time in the morning and the afternoon on Friday, April 10, to use this guide to inform your times of prayer. Of course, this document is only a guide. 

3. Join us on Zoom in the evening for a time of prayer together.

Join us on Zoom at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10, for an online prayer meeting. The invitation and link for this meeting will be emailed to the church. I know that not everybody will be able to join this online gathering, but feel free to structure your own time of prayer in the evening, if you can't join the online meeting.

Why are we doing this?

1. We are dependent upon the Lord.

Fasting expresses our dependence and hunger for the Lord and his will, and focuses our attention on the task of prayer. This is a good and fitting action for us in these times of uncertainty. We are all in need of the Lord's grace, mercy, and wisdom as we live in this world.

2. We want to be unified.

While we cannot gather in person during this season, we want to maintain our unity in the Gospel. A day we all set aside to pray and fast will help to unify us as a church as we humbly bring our requests to the Lord. 

It is indeed a great privilege that we can bring our requests to the God of all creation. May we all draw near to the throne in order to receive mercy and grace in this time of need (Heb. 4:16)!