HOW TO START THE YEAR IN PRAYER & FASTING

I have been a Christian for 30 years and have served in full-time pastoral ministry for over 20 years.

Along the way, I have found that my spiritual life benefits from occasional resets.

These resets are opportunities for me to take inventory of my life, relationships, and priorities. They are also opportunities to breathe new life into my spiritual beliefs, commitments, and intimacy with Jesus.

The most strategic opportunity for a spiritual reset is at the start of each new year. For that reason, I now set aside seven days every January for prayer and fasting.

During these times, I rearrange my life so that I can deepen my relationship with God, listen to his voice, and reflect on the direction of my life in the coming year. This annual routine has been a catalyst for a series of incredible breakthroughs in my relationship with Jesus.

The church I pastor (shoutout to Anthem Church!) has caught a vision for starting the year in prayer and fasting, and it has led to countless life-changing decisions.

We call this “Seek Week” because it is our chance to put God first and take hold of the promise of Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Starting my year in prayer and fasting has profoundly impacted my life, and it can have the same impact on yours as well.

I have written a guide you can return to year after year as you develop your own holy practice of prayer and fasting. While it is written with the intention of starting the year, you can use it any week of the year.

I encourage you to download it for yourself, print it off, and get started today.

*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know. And please help me by sharing this post with others who could benefit from it. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you.

To sign up for my free newsletter about life, leadership, and the Bible, subscribe at www.bradjenkins.me/subscribe. To read previous newsletters, visit www.bradjenkins.me/blog.