As we come to the close of Lent, we want to encourage ACC to spend some concerted time together in prayer and fasting. Our Maundy Thursday service will begin at 7 PM. Let’s set aside 18 hours that day to fast and pray, each in our own places, as we prepare to come together Thursday evening for worship. God’s people have long observed times of prayer and fasting, recognizing these practices as powerful ways to seek God’s guidance and align their hearts with His will (Daniel 9:3; Esther 4:16; Acts 13:3). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father, who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18). Similarly, the Westminster Directory of Public Worship encourages congregations to observe fasting on special occasions as God's providence directs, and it also suggests that families may do the same.

We find ourselves in a moment of God’s providence, a “special occasion” in which He is teaching us and working for His glory. Prayer is our way of seeking His direction and submitting to His will, and fasting is a way to deepen and direct our prayers. Through fasting, we humble ourselves and express repentance before God. By setting aside our need for food, we declare the priority of seeking God’s will over our own desires. Each time we experience hunger, we are reminded to turn to God in prayer and worship. As a congregation, we will observe two days of prayer and fasting on April 17-18, 2025. During this time, we will intentionally focus our hearts and minds on God and on the spiritual opportunities that lie before Astoria Community Church

DETAILS 

• Abstain from food from midnight until 6 p.m. on April 17, 2025.

• If you can’t join us on Maundy Thursday, then fast from midnight April 18, 2025, until 6pm on Good Friday. Or feel free to fast both days.

• Drink water to hydrate

• If you have health concerns or obligations, please maintain a healthy diet while joining the congregation in prayer

• Pray throughout the morning and afternoon

• Set apart a particular time for prayer during lunch (12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.)

PRAYER GUIDE

• Praise God for his goodness and faithfulness to ACC in this time of transition

• Repent of our sin, and ask God to expose our idolatry, self-reliance and complacency

• Ask God for revival - personally, within the church, and among our community.

• Ask God for spiritual fruit, wisdom, and lives marked by obedience to His word.

• Pray for the singles, marriages and children in our church.

• Pray for the salvation of the lost among our family, friends, and neighbors