For a portion of John Welsey’s ministry, he advocated fasting on both Wednesday and Friday each week as a regular spiritual discipline. Most Anglicans fasted on Fridays, and in 1739 John Wesley advocated Friday fasting for Methodists. He would begin fasting on Thursday night and ended the fast at 3 p.m. on Friday.
In a season of focusing on feasting, this week is a prayer practice of fasting. Choose a meal to intentionally fast from or try Friday fasting the way Wesley instructed the early Methodists. In the time of abstaining from food, pray for our Methodist church. Check out www.methodistprayer.org/wesleyfast.
If you would like to read a prayer during your fast, try this one by Steve Rogers of First United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kansas:
In this time of listening,
Let us be open to your word and grace.
In this time of learning,
Let us grow in understanding together as a body.
In this time of discerning,
Guide our vision & renew our hearts.
In this time of holy conferencing,
Fill us with a spirit of charity & humility,
Let us be bonded in peace.
Open our eyes,
Open our hearts,
Hold us in your love,
Let us be gathered under your wing
That we might embrace your way forward.
One in Spirit
One in faith
One in hope
As you call us to love
the imperfect & the unloved.
In Christ's name & glory
We pray.
Amen.
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