PCA calls for day of fasting, prayer for church renewal

The moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly on Wednesday urged the denomination’s regional groups to set aside a day for prayer and fasting. PCA members should ask God to revive and renew His church in America, Melton Duncan said. The PCA welcomed any other Christian church wishing to join in the day of prayer, including sister denominations in the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, he said.

The PCA denomination in June directed Duncan, a ruling elder at a Greenville, S.C. church, to spread the word about the day of fasting and prayer. According to the text of the passed overture, PCA presbyteries should choose a day in September for the event and conclude it with a prayer and worship service. Prayers should include repentance for personal and church-wide sins. Participants should also petition for the conversion of the lost, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the planting of faithful churches, as stated by the measure.

A PCA pastor and elder also released a guide, in coordination with Duncan, explaining Biblical references for the practice of fasting and prayer. They urged people to abstain from food for a day, if possible, and to let their physical hunger remind them of their spiritual hunger for God. Participants could use the time normally set aside for meals for focused prayer, they said. They also urged those fasting to watch out for temptations to pride.

People wishing to participate should also consult a physician beforehand if suffering from a health condition or a history of eating disorders, they cautioned. Participants should drink plenty of water and break the fast with a little bit of light food, like fruit or soup, before having a normal meal, according to the guide.

Dig deeper: Read my story on the PCA’s June vote to advance a report decrying some forms of Christian nationalism.