What is the 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting?
Beginning February 18, our church family will enter a 40-day season of intentional prayer and fasting, from the beginning of Lent through Palm Sunday.
This is a deliberate turning of our attention toward God. A conscious humbling. A collective cry: “Lord, we want You more than comfort. More than routine. More than distraction.”
Fasting has always been a declaration that God is better.
Prayer has always been the posture of dependence.
Together, they become a powerful instrument of renewal.
We will not walk this season alone. In partnership with our sister churches across Montana and through resources provided by Renew MT, we are uniting our hearts in one shared desire — that Christ would be exalted, His Church awakened, and His gospel advanced in our state.
Over these 40 days, we will pursue:
Christ – that He would captivate our hearts
Christ’s Community – that He would purify and strengthen His Church
Christ’s Commission – that He would send us with boldness and love
This is not about doing more.
It is about wanting Him more.
Why We’re Doing This
We believe God is inviting us into a deeper season of renewal. Not only as a church family, but in our own hearts and lives.
Throughout Scripture, prayer and fasting have marked moments of repentance, clarity, breakthrough, and spiritual awakening. When the people of God humbled themselves and sought His face, He met them with mercy and power.
These 40 days are about more than gathering together. They are about personal surrender. We are asking the Lord to search us, expose what binds us, and free us from the strongholds that quietly shape our lives — fear, distraction, pride, bitterness, hidden sin, misplaced loves, spiritual apathy.
Fasting loosens the grip of lesser things so our hunger for God can grow stronger. Prayer realigns our hearts with His will. Together, they create space for real transformation.
As we join our sister churches across Montana through Renew MT, we are uniting in one shared desire: that Christ would be exalted in our lives, our homes, and our communities.
We are not seeking a program.
We are seeking renewal.
How It Works
This 40-day journey is designed to be simple and flexible. The guide provides daily Scripture, reflection, and prayer prompts to help you slow down and seek the Lord intentionally.
Each day includes:
A short Scripture passage
A reflection question
A call to respond in prayer
You may choose to journal, sit quietly, or spend time in worship-based prayer using the prompts provided. There is no required format — the goal is intentional time with God.
The guide also offers:
Ideas for connecting with a prayer partner (“Battle Buddy”)
Weekly discussion prompts for small groups
Practical ways to reflect and respond throughout the week
As you begin, pray about how the Lord may be leading you to fast. Fasting is meant to deepen your dependence on Him, not become a burden. Below, you’ll find a section called Fasting S.L.O.W. that explains how to approach fasting with wisdom and purpose. You can also review the FAQs for practical guidance on what to expect.
Start simply. Stay consistent. Let the Lord lead you.
How to Fast
Fasting is the intentional act of giving up food for a set period of time in order to seek the Lord more fully. It is temporary, purposeful, and deeply biblical. Throughout Scripture, God’s people fasted to humble themselves, seek direction, repent, and cry out for renewal.
Fasting is not about earning God’s favor. It is about expressing hunger for Him.
During these 40 days, we encourage you to prayerfully consider how the Lord may be leading you to fast. For some, that may mean skipping meals for one day. For others, fasting one full day each week. Some may choose a multi-day fast.
We encourage you to fast S.L.O.W.:
S — Seek the Lord
Begin with prayer. Ask God for clarity and direction. What is He inviting you into during this season?
L — Lay Down Lesser Loves
Fasting exposes the things we rely on for comfort. As you lay down food or another appetite, ask the Lord to reorder your desires.
O — Open Yourself to God
Use the hunger as a reminder to pray. When you feel the discomfort, turn your attention toward Him. Let the physical hunger awaken spiritual hunger.
W — Walk in Obedience
Fasting is not just about abstaining — it is about responding. As God reveals areas of surrender, take steps forward. Repent. Forgive. Act. Obey.
Fasting weakens the grip of lesser things so our hunger for God can grow stronger.
If you are new to fasting or unsure how to begin, check out the FAQs below for practical guidance on what to expect and how to prepare. Begin humbly. Fast wisely. Seek the Lord expectantly.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the purpose of the 40 Days of Prayer?
The purpose of these 40 days is spiritual renewal. We are setting aside intentional time to return to the Lord with all our hearts (Joel 2:12), seek renewal in our own lives and in our churches, strengthen unity among sister churches, and ask God to move in our homes, churches, and community. This is not a program. It is an invitation to posture ourselves before God.
2. Why 40 days?
In Scripture, 40 often represents a season of testing, preparation, and transformation (Israel in the wilderness, Jesus in the wilderness). We are asking God to use this 40-day season to refine our hearts, restore our joy, renew our dependence, and reignite our mission.
3. What is fasting?
Biblical fasting is the intentional abstaining from food for a set time in order to seek God more fully. Fasting is intentional, temporary, and focused on seeking Him. It is not about earning favor with God, but tuning our hearts toward Him.
4. Is fasting required to participate?
No. Participation in fasting is voluntary. We encourage it because Scripture connects returning to God with fasting (Joel 2:12), but fasting is a tool—not a rule.
5. What if I have medical reasons that prevent me from fasting from food?
If you have medical conditions, are pregnant, nursing, diabetic, or under medical supervision, consult your doctor before fasting from food. Consider alternative fasts such as media, social media, entertainment, coffee, sweets, or other comforts that create space for prayer.
6. What are different types of fasts?
Examples include:
• One-day fast
• One meal per week
• Three- to five-day fast
• Seven-day fast
• 21-day fast
• Partial fast (Daniel-style)
• Media fast
Choose something that stretches you beyond comfort but is sustainable and wise.
7. How do I fast well?
Fast S.L.O.W.:
Seek the Lord.
Lay down lesser loves.
Open yourself to God.
Walk in obedience.
Replace what you remove with prayer and Scripture, and let hunger prompt prayer.
8. What if I fail or break my fast?
Start again. This is not about performance. It is about pursuit. There is grace for weakness. Return to the Lord — “yet even now.”
9. What should I pray for during the 40 days?
We encourage praying through the four R’s:
Remember (God’s character and faithfulness)
Repent (of sin and drift)
Renew (hearts, homes, churches)
Rejoice (in the gospel and God’s grace)
The prayer guide provides daily prompts.
10. What outcomes are we hoping for?
We are asking God for renewed hunger for Christ, repentance and soft hearts, stronger marriages and families, unity among churches, bold gospel witness, salvations, and joy-filled obedience. Ultimately, we are asking God to move.
11. Is this about one church?
No. This is a collaborative effort among sister churches in our region. Different congregations. One Lord. One harvest.
12. How can my family participate?
Pray together using the daily guide, choose a simple family fast, use meal times as prayer times, and pray for other churches in our valley.
13. What if I’m new to church or to faith?
You are welcome. This is not for spiritual elites. It is for anyone who wants to draw near to God. “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful.”
14. How do I begin?
Decide what kind of fast you will undertake. Set clear start and end dates. Download or pick up the prayer guide. Begin with humility and expectancy.