CVC Family,

One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is 2 Corinthians 4. In verse 6, Paul writes:

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Pause for a moment. Breathe that in. The same God who spoke light into existence—who, with a word, shattered the darkness—has used that very power to awaken us, to pierce through our rebellion, to unveil His glory through Jesus.

That stuns me. But what Paul says next keeps me grounded:

“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

I feel that. Right now, as I sit in my office, I feel the fragility of this jar of clay. I carry the greatest treasure—this gospel of grace—but I carry it in a body that tires, in a heart that wavers, in a mind that gets overwhelmed. Some mornings, I wake up and whisper, “God, I need You. I need Your help.”

This is exactly what our weakness is meant to do—it is meant to drive us into dependence. Yet, so often, I resist. Maybe you do too. When I feel inadequate, my instinct is to push harder, to buckle down, to convince myself I should be stronger. But Jesus speaks a better word. He is gentle and lowly (Matt. 11:29-30), bidding me to bring my weariness to Him, to lay down the burden I was never meant to carry alone.

I want to live in that constant place of dependence—where weakness is no longer something to escape, but the very space where God meets me. I believe you do too.

And so, for centuries, the people of God have sought deeper intimacy with Him through fasting.

Now, maybe that word stirs up all kinds of reactions. Maybe fasting sounds intimidating—something for spiritual all-stars. Maybe you’ve tried it before and felt like it “didn’t work.” Maybe, like me, you’ve attempted it out of obligation rather than desperation and found yourself discouraged.

I recently came across these words from David Kakish, a pastor in Washington, that helped reframe my perspective:

“Fasting is not about creating personal suffering and loss in order to teach ourselves we need God. Fasting is harnessing the pain that’ll inevitably come as we try to obey God in a fallen world, and leveraging the opportunity to hide in Christ, run to him for strength, and throw ourselves at the foot of his throne.”

Yes. Every time I have fasted out of need, God has met me. But when I have fasted merely because I thought I was supposed to, I was left frustrated.

A Call to Fast Together

I sense a need—both in myself and in our church—for deeper God-dependence. A need to stop running from our weakness and instead embrace it, because it is there, at the end of ourselves, that God meets us.

So, I want to invite you into a seven-week fast leading up to Easter.

Before you panic—no, I’m not asking you to give up food for seven straight weeks. Breathe.

We will move slowly and intentionally.

For centuries, Christians have observed these 40 days of Lent, reflecting on Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, preparing for His ministry. Maybe you grew up in a tradition where you gave something up during Lent. Maybe you’ve abstained from chocolate, social media, or meat on Fridays. But often, these practices can become tests of self-discipline rather than invitations into deeper dependence on God.

The Bible gives us a different way to approach fasting. Fasting isn’t a duty—it’s an invitation to encounter God. Nowhere in Scripture is there a command to fast just for the sake of it. Instead, every fast is tied to a specific purpose—a hunger for something more than food.

Here are seven biblical reasons to fast:

1. To humble ourselves before God (Ezra 8:21) – Fasting reminds us of our need to be brought low before Him.
2. To seek direction and guidance (Acts 13:2-3) – The early church fasted, and God directed them to send Paul and Barnabas into the mission field.
3. To return to God (Joel 2:12) – Fasting is often an act of repentance, a turning of our whole hearts back to Him.
4. To seek God more deeply (Luke 2:37) – The prophetess Anna fasted as part of her lifelong worship.
5. To mourn (2 Samuel 1:12) – Fasting is a response to grief and deep sorrow.
6. To prepare for ministry (Matthew 4:2) – Jesus fasted before launching into public ministry.
7. To increase the effectiveness of our prayers (Ezra 8:23) – The people fasted and God listened.

Maybe one of these speaks to you. Maybe several. Maybe none—yet.

So here’s the plan:

1. We will begin with prayer. Over the next few days, ask the Lord why He may be calling you to fast. Your fast might look different from mine. That’s okay.
2. Each Wednesday, from March 5th to April 16th, we will fast together. You might fast one meal, two meals, or the entire day—whatever the Lord leads you to. (Learn more about how to prepare for a fast here)
3. We will provide a fasting guide to help you prepare, focus, and engage with God during the fast.
4. Each Wednesday morning, we’ll release a short video devotion with guided prayer—a touchpoint to guide you as you seek God. You can use it in the morning, with your family, or with your LifeGroup as you choose.
5. On the final week, we will extend our Wednesday fast through Good Friday, breaking the fast after the Good Friday service.

I don’t know exactly what God will do in us through this time, but I am expectant. Fasting is not about getting something from God—it is about getting more of God Himself.

So, will you join me?

Together, let’s lean into our weakness. Together, let’s embrace dependence. And together, let’s prepare our hearts for the Resurrected King.