21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

We are living in unprecedented and unparalleled times. I truly believe that we are witnessing the unfolding of the last days just before the end times. The enemy of our soul, Satan himself, has ramped up his attack against the church and against the people of God with frightening tactics at a feverish pace.

Make no mistake, all that we are witnessing these days; the pandemic, the violence, rebellion, and lawlessness, the wars and rumors of more wars…these are all the signs that we are living in what Scripture calls “the last days”, the days just before the “end times”. And make no mistake, behind all of this is the devil and his demons.

In recent days, I have been reminded of the time when a man brought his demon possessed son to Jesus for deliverance. He had brought the boy to the disciples, but they were not able to help him. After Jesus cast the demon out of the boy, the disciples came to Jesus asking why it was that they were unable to help the boy. Jesus responded in Matthew 17:21 with these words: “But this kind does not go out, except by prayer and fasting.”

I believe what we are dealing with right now is “this kind”, the kind that will only be handled with prayer and fasting. That is why I am calling on all who will, to join me at the beginning of the New Year for twenty one days of prayer and fasting. Three questions:

First question, why fasting? Why not just pray? Here’s several reasons. We fast because fasting draws us closer to God. It’s a form of self denial, of saying to the Lord, “I want you more than the very food that sustains me.” And we fast because fasting gets God’s attention, it moves God to action like nothing else.

Second question, why twenty-one days? Christians and Christian organizations often engage in twenty one days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of a New Year because of the example set by Daniel in the Old Testament. In Daniel chapter ten we read that he fasted and prayed for three weeks, twenty one days, eating only certain foods. And so, at the beginning of the year, many Christians set aside twenty one days to fast and pray. Some have even suggested that any practice, faithfully followed for twenty one days, becomes a habit. And fasting and prayer would certainly be a good habit for all of us to develop moving forward!

Third question, why now? Because now more than ever, we are facing “this kind”, the kind that does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Like never before in our lifetime, the church is under attack. Our religious freedoms are in jeopardy. If the Lord tarries the rapture of His church, we could very possibly find churches that do not bow to the woke agendas and the perverted LGBTQ agenda of our time losing more and more of our privileges and freedoms. Now more than ever, we find ourselves face to face with “this kind”. And so, we fast and we pray.

Join me on Saturday, January 7th for a morning of prayer to kick off the New Year. And then call your churches to fast and pray from Sunday, January 8th – Saturday,  January 28th.”

Randy Carter
General Superintendent, PFWB