"I am the bread of life...the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." 

(John 6:48, 51) 

As we enter a new year, we also enter a season of feasting on Jesus, allowing his life to be our true and only source of living as we commit to twenty-one (21) days of prayer and fasting with others. 

Beginning the afternoon of January 4th and concluding on the evening of January 25th, we are committing to pray daily for Christ's life to be the life of the Church, our church, and our individual lives for our city and to fast weekly together. 

Fasting, for many of us, may carry a somber tone. And, there are certainly seasons and types of fast in which soberness is appropriate. Still, as we consider this fast, we are not abstaining from food (and other things, as you'll see below) for the purpose of examination or grief, but rather, we are fasting in expected provision. We see such a fast from the One whom we are fasting for. Jesus, after his identity and purpose had been confirmed at his baptism (see Matthew 3:13-4:11), is led by the Spirit into a fast. A fast through which he would come to know and live on "every word that comes from the mouth of God." In the fast, the man Jesus showed us the true source of our living. That is why we fast together and with others: so that our lives might be lived through his life, that we might live by the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who is our living bread. 

Here is what our twenty-one days of prayer and fasting will look like: 

WHAT: The Commitment

  • Praying daily for the life of Christ to be the true source of life for the Church in Dallas, our faith family, and our individual lives so that we will be ready to witness to Jesus when the Spirit is poured out on our city.

  • Fast from food twice a week with...

    • Our Faith Family | Start your fast after lunch on Saturday until communion at the Gathering on Sunday morning.

    • Your Gospel Community | Choose a day and time frame that works for your GC/spiritual companions to fast and share in the breaking of the fast. 

    • (Consider) Fast daily from Social Media. Food isn't our only source of life; social media, too, has become a required consumption for many of us. Use this season to learn you can live without it by consuming something better. 

WITH WHOM: More Than Just Us 

We'll be participating in this prayer and fast at the invitation of ClearPath Church. ClearPath, an Anchored Collective church, has organized us, Wellspring Church (another Anchored Collective church), and Grace Hill Church to conduct simultaneous seasons of prayer and fasting, concluding with all four churches worshiping together on Saturday, January 25th. 

While each church will have different times of collective prayer throughout the three weeks, the leadership of each church will meet weekly to pray together, and each church will share ways the other churches can corporately be praying for/with them in this season. 

HOW: For Christ City

COMMITMENT CARD | We are asking each of us to commit to participating this season by filling out the attached Commitment Card (we'll also have copies at the Gathering). From that card, we will create a GroupMe through which we'll send prayer reminders and where you can share prayers and ways Christ is becoming fully and, ultimately, for you, the source of life. Click here to be added to the group.

PRE-GATHERING PRAYER | Each Sunday during the fast (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th), Wes Hejl will lead a collective prayer time before the Gathering, starting at 9:30 am. We will also include a specific time during the Gathering to pray for the other churches participating, our church, and our city. 

Attend the final COLLECTIVE WORSHIP on January 25th | More details to come. 

May our chosen fast and persistent prayer bring glory to our Father and life to our neighbors as we make the True Bread our daily bread.