10.19.25 Huddle
Opening Discussion
- What’s one of your favorite meals you’ve ever had?
Read and Discuss
Acts 13:1-3
1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
- Why was fasting important to the church at Antioch?
- What is the purpose of fasting?
- Why is fasting only abstaining from food and not other things?
- How are food and your spiritual life related?
- How could going without food help you focus more on the Lord and hearing from Him?
Ezra 8:21-23
21 I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions. 22 I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and he was receptive to our prayer.
- How is fasting a way to humble yourself before the Lord?
- In this passage and the Acts passage, fasting was something that a group of people did together. What would be the benefit of fasting with a group of people?
- How does fasting improve your prayer life?
Isaiah 58:3-7
3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
- What are some wrong motives for fasting?
- In the Acts and Ezra passage, the people fasted to get closer to God and hear from Him. How was what the people were doing in this passage different from the other two passages?
- Why does verse 6 talk about fasting, but then list things that aren’t fasting?
- What are ways that fasting should shape us?
- What are some barriers to fasting?
- How can you make sure your motives are in the right place when fasting?
Discipleship Questions
- What is one meal you could fast from this week?
- Are there some friends you could do this with?
- What can you do during that meal time to spend time with Jesus?
- Is there a specific thing you could pray for during the meal you fast from?
Memorize it!
Isaiah 58:4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
Prayer TACOS
Thanksgiving: What are some ways the Lord provided for you when you were spiritually hungry? Thank Him for those things and spend time dwelling on those things.
Adoration: How is the Lord working in the world? Worship Him for those things.
Confession: What are some ways you relied on the things of this world to fulfill you this week? Confess those things and ask the Lord to be your sustainer.
Others: Who are a few people that you could start regularly fasting with? Pray that the Lord would give you time and boldness to talk with them this week about starting this spiritual practice.
Self: How have you allowed food to shape your life and decisions (weird question, I know)? Pray that the Lord would show you the importance of fasting and finding your strength in Him.