06/09/2026
Hi Everyone - Our church is commencing tomorrow - 7 Days of Prayer and Fasting - 7th Sep to 13th Sep as we join with our Destiny Family in Scotland. We invite you to join us in this special time of prayer and fasting. We also have a Daily Devotional to encourage and lift our spirits during this week and this can be found on the YouVersion Bible App listed as "Fully Following Jesus" under Destiny Church. We will also post the daily devotional here on Facebook as well. We will meet every evening in our church from 6pm to 7pm for our Power Hour so do join us. To prepare us here is some further information on Fasting etc.
Fully Following Jesus: 7 Days of Prayer & Fasting
Dear Friends and Church Family,
We are beyond grateful for all that God has done for us over the past year, and for all that He is doing and will do in the rest of this year. We are getting ready to start our 7 days of prayer and fasting from tomorrow Monday, 7th Sepember, through to Sunday, 13th September.
Please find below all the information you will need to help you as you prepare to start this fast:
What is Fasting?
Getting Started
Goal Setting
Share Your Journey
What is Spiritual Maturity?
How to connect with the Bible Reading Plan
Ending the Fast
If you are experienced in fasting, don't forget to look at the bottom of this email for more info on this fast.
WHAT IS FASTING?
Fasting is a spiritual discipline in which we intentionally abstain from food (and sometimes liquids) for a period of time. We are suppressing our natural desires, humbling ourselves before God, and taking time to focus on Him and listen to what He wants to say to us. Fasting should always be accompanied by dedicated times of prayer and study of God’s Word, as we seek to align ourselves with His will. Fasting is not an attempt to change God or gain His approval, but it often precedes a move of God or significant breakthroughs, as it increases our sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
GETTING STARTED
Before beginning this journey, take time to prepare yourself and decide how you will fast. Write down the results you are believing God for. The more prepared you are as you enter these twenty-one days, the more you can expect God to do. Fasting has health benefits and is safe for most people, but exercise caution if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or breastfeeding. You may also choose to fast liquids, but not for more than three days. If in doubt, seek medical advice. Decide on the fast you feel God leading you to take, and stick to it. Some people may also wish to abstain from certain things over these seven days. While fasting primarily relates to food (see the booklet “Fasting” by Ps Andrew Owen), abstaining includes going without other things like TV or social media.
GOAL SETTING
Write down what you are believing God for over the next seven days. Begin with the goal of knowing God more intimately and hearing His voice more clearly. If there are areas in your life where you need a breakthrough, commit them to God and believe that He can work in your life as you fast and pray. Most importantly, remain open to whatever God wants to speak and do as you seek Him!
SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH SOMEONE
As we embark on the next seven days as a Church, we are doing this together! Find someone - your spouse, a close friend, or someone from your small group - and walk through your devotional journey together. Commit to sharing with each other what you sense God is speaking to you or doing in your life over the next three weeks. Sharing your fast with others will also help you persevere when you might feel like giving up. We have found that these seven days always have a profound effect, both individually and as a Church.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Spiritual maturity is not:
About age - Like the bumper sticker that says, “I might be getting older, but I will never grow up”, spiritual maturity takes time, energy, and effort. It is possible to be a fifty- or sixty-year-old spiritual baby, yet also likely to be a very young, mature person.
About achievements - Paul makes this very clear: he was a high achiever, yet he counted it all as nothing in comparison to knowing Christ. Those accomplishments were impressive, but they were not necessarily marks of a spiritually mature person. Remember, the Pharisees knew a lot of Scripture and had a trophy room full of achievements, yet lacked intimacy with God, godly maturity, and spiritual discernment. God was walking amongst them in the person of Jesus, and they didn’t even know it.
About appearance - Some people may “look the part.” In football, this is called “passing the eye test.” Yet many who pass the eye test are not necessarily good football players. Similarly, there are Christians who “pass the eye test,” but this does not indicate spiritual maturity.
Here are some definitions of Christian maturity:
It is an ongoing, intentional process of growth rather than a finished product, aiming toward Christlikeness and effective living in accordance with God’s will.
Spiritual maturity is a state of advanced development in one’s spiritual life, characterised by a deep understanding and integration of spiritual values and principles.
Spiritually mature people are fruitful. They focus on making a difference rather than merely gathering information.
Spiritually mature people are always strongly connected to others, actively making disciples every day.
The Bible often speaks about maturity, with verses such as these:
'But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.' Hebrews 5:14 (CSB)
'But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen' 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)
'Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ' Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being able to discern weather patterns but not the signs of the times. We read:
'He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘ It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘ It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 'Matthew 16:2-3 (NKJV)
Maturity always leads to good discernment; it helps us understand the urgency of the hour.
Maturity does not come accidentally but intentionally.
Over these next twenty-one days, we pray that we will all grow up into ALL that God has in mind for us.
We want to grow in:
IDENTITY - knowing who we are and who Jesus has made us to be.
FAITH - knowing how to appropriate all the benefits of the wonderful things Jesus has done for us.
PURPOSE - clearly recognising our part in the great plans and purposes for which He has called us and going on to bear much fruit for His glory.
Take time each day to read the daily Scriptures in the devotional, reflect on and answer the questions, write down your thoughts, and pray with us each day. Remember, you are not doing this alone; many others are journeying with you.
Get ready and enjoy the adventure!
Follow along using the ~YouVersion Bible App here
http://bible.us/r/Jh1
Be Blessed! 😀🙏🏴🏴 See less
To fully follow Jesus is to do more than admire His sacrifice from a distance. It is to allow the cross to shape our lives, our decisions, our relationships, and our devotion to God. During these seven days of prayer and fasting, we will focus on the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross, taking tim...
