This month we are launching a brand new resource to help us in our times of prayer and fasting: The YFCI Global Day of Prayer and Fasting: A practical guide. This resource is full of great ideas for both individual and corporate prayer and fasting which you can use with your team. It also gives a brief overview of why and how we fast and pray so you can equip your staff and volunteers and motivate them to join in this important time together. We are happy to announce it is available in all of Youth for Christ International’s official languages. To obtain your free downloadable copy, click here.
One of the main reasons we fast and pray on the first Monday of the month is to see more harvest workers arise. Here is an excerpt from the guide:
When Jesus ministered on earth, this is what He told his disciples after seeing how many were living without hope, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
It is a command of the Lord to pray for more workers in the gospel, and in our instance, to pray for more to join in reaching young people who are “harassed and helpless” (Matthew 9:36). The word for ‘pray earnestly’ in the Greek is deomai which literally means ‘to beg’. In fact, there are many other instances in the New Testament where it is translated ‘beg’. How desperate are we to see more people raised up to reach this generation? Let’s beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers to share the gospel with young people.
Youth for Christ is uniquely positioned to call for unified prayer and fasting the first Monday of the month. Whatever role we have within Youth for Christ, we are all called to pray. Join us as we take this opportunity to follow the Spirit’s leading in praying and fasting to see more young people come to know Christ.
Yours with thanks,
Lyndal Walker
International Prayer Director
Some suggestions for this month’s Global Day of Prayer and Fasting
- Watch this video which shares a little more about Global Day of Prayer and Fasting: A practical guide.
- Look up the Practical Guide and read the What?, Why? and How? sections. What stood out to you as you read?
- Read Matthew 9:35-38.
- You might like to join in with this song.
- Read through the different ideas for individual and corporate fasting. Write down ones you would like to try and plan a time to do it.
- Go on a prayer walk. As you do, pray for the lost youth in your area and for more harvest workers. ‘Beg’ God to send more gospel workers to the youth in your area and region. Listen to what He might be saying to you in terms of your role in the harvest.
Click the link below for a video transcript in that language: