40 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Click Here for Communal Fasting and Prayer Guide

Guia Comunitaria de Ayuno y Oracion 2022

Elul is the season traditionally spent reflecting on the previous year, and looking forward to the new year. Elul is also a month of Teshuva (return/repentance) – a corporate time of drawing closer to our King and Creator.

BHS will enter into a 40-day time of fasting and prayer leading up to Yom Kippur. The fast will begin at sundown on Friday, August 26 (30 Av). Together we will draw closer to ADONAI.

During the month of Elul, be aware of things you hunger and thirst after. Consider fasting from social media, media, and alcohol to see if they are affecting your relationship with ADONAI. Withdraw from anything that may inadvertently promote falseness, anxiety, contempt, unforgiveness, or a lack of self-control. Deny yourself and vigilantly place ADONAI first in your life. In doing so, you are resisting the adversary, and he will flee from you.  Prayer with fasting is a powerful tool against the one that “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” You may also consider fasting from food. How you fast from food is up to you. Fast from food for one or more days, or decide to fast from a particular food during the entire month of Elul.

The goal is to fast and remove all obstacles preventing our total dependence on G-d. We have prepared a Communal Prayer and Fasting Guide for you. If you want a hard copy, you can pick up a printed copy in the foyers.

Additional suggestions for your 40-day fast during Elul:

  • Use your time to serve others – don’t just volunteer. Serving is giving ourselves to benefit others. It elevates us more into the image of Messiah Yeshua. Serve in your neighborhood or at BHS – in a food pantry, BHS nursery, hospital visitation, or dropping off a meal. BHS has several partners if you also desire to be active in serving outside our community.
  • Establish a specific time and place to pray each day if you haven’t already.
  • Replace some of the time spent previously on yourself with time spent strengthening relationships. Instead of exercising alone, invite someone to join you, or use your phone to reconnect with a friend instead of checking social media.
  • Keep a daily journal during the 40-day fast to record your journey. Small steps are significant in our faith but not always noticed. Be aware of what the L-rd is doing in your life, and thank Him.