Ring in the New Year With Prayer, Fasting

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

       Did you do anything special to bring in the New Year? Two days ago, I visited my friend Pam to meet with two of her friends, so we could dedicate the morning to fasting and prayer. Pam and I have done this before, and it has yielded powerful results.

       We worshiped the Lord in song while holding hands in a circle; we prayed; we read scripture, and we shared how the Lord had worked and was presently working in our lives.

       An hour or so into our time of fellowship, another friend of Pam’s stopped by who was in need of prayer for her mother-in-law and a family relationship. Her prayer group was on hiatus for the holiday, so we prayed for her and encouraged her. We were amazed at how God met her needs despite the fact her prayer group didn’t meet this past week.

Sharing in God’s Presence 

       I truly felt God’s presence, which made our time together in the Lord powerful — and precious. We shared certain aspects of our lives with one another as if we knew each other for years. It was a different kind of sharing because we talked about how the Lord spoke to us personally from His Word in our specific circumstances that helped us get through those difficult times. God got the glory.

       After our prayer time, Pam served a delicious Caesar salad, collard greens, and a spinach pasta dish made with shrimp and chicken. We had lemon cake and ginger bread cookies. It was delish!

Continued Prayer

       When her girlfriends left, Pam and I continued to pray for our husbands, marriages, children, parents, careers, our relationship with God, our ability to hear God more clearly, more of a hunger and thirst for Him, to get to know Him better, and for guidance and direction in 2011. We made sure we covered everything.

Enjoying His Creation

       Afterward, we headed to a nearby park that had wooded trails and a beautiful pond running alongside of it. We walked along the snow-covered trail, flanked by tall trees and flocks of Canadian geese, which swooped down from the sky to rest in the pond. It was an amazing sight. (Visit http://judysphotogallery.blogspot.com to view photos of the park.)

       The day was incredibly blessed by the Lord. I’ve always wanted to bring in the New Year in prayer. Of course praying together with other women of God surely beats praying alone. It’s a powerful experience like none other. I look forward to what the Lord is going to do in our lives and in the lives of our families and friends this year. He promises to untie the bonds of wickedness holding us and our families from serving Him, lift our burdens that worry us, save the lost, draw us closer to Him, speak to us in more exciting ways, give us fresh, new encounters with Him, and lead us down paths of righteousness. We thank you, Lord for all of these promises that we pray will come to pass in the new year. In Jesus’ name, amen!