HOLY MONDAY - FASTING
Holy Monday - Fasting
March 30
As we begin Holy Week together, we invite our church family to participate in a day of fasting and prayer. Before we gather for the Messianic Seder, Journey to the Cross, Tenebrae services, and before we celebrate Easter Sunday – we want to prepare our hearts through intentional dependence on God.
Throughout Scripture, God’s people fast and pray when they desire to draw near to Him, repent, seek guidance, and prepare for important moments of His work.
Holy Week is the most sacred week in the Christian calendar. On this Monday, we pause, slow down, and intentionally seek the Lord so that our hearts are ready to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and celebrate His resurrection.
This is not about religious performance or checking a spiritual box. Fasting is about creating space for God—turning down the volume of our physical appetites so we can turn up our attentiveness to the voice of the Lord.
Whether you fast from food for the entire day, part of the day, or fast from other distractions, our prayer is that this day becomes a personal encounter with God that prepares your heart for everything that follows during Holy Week.
Why fast during Holy week?
Fasting is a biblical practice that expresses humility, repentance, dependence, and longing for God.
• God’s people seek repentance (Joel 2:12–13)
• People seek God’s direction (Acts 13:2–3)
• Individuals draw near to God in prayer (Daniel 9:3)
• God’s people prepare for significant spiritual moments
• Slow down spiritually
• Refocus our hearts on Christ
• Repent of sin and renew our devotion
• Pray more intentionally for our church, families, and community
How to participate
You can participate in this day in several different ways depending on your ability and experience with fasting.
1. Full Day Fast (Sunrise to Sunset)
Drink water and spend extra time in prayer throughout the day.
2. Partial Fast
Skip one or two meals and use that time to pray.
3. Daniel Fast (Food Restriction)
Eat simple foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains.
4. Alternative Fast
If fasting from food is not possible, consider fasting from:
• Social media
• Television or entertainment
• Coffee or another daily habit
• Non-essential technology
The goal is to remove something that normally occupies your attention so that you can give that time to God.
Rather than fasting passively, we encourage you to build several intentional prayer moments into your day.
Suggested rhythm:
Morning Prayer
Ask God to prepare your heart during Holy Week.
Midday Prayer
Pray for our church, our community, and those who do not yet know Christ.
Afternoon Prayer
Reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for you personally.
Evening Prayer
Ask God to renew your devotion and prepare you for the coming services.
You may want to use these themes throughout the day.
Personal Repentance
Ask God to reveal any sin or spiritual complacency.
Gratitude for the Cross
Thank Jesus for His sacrifice and forgiveness.
Spiritual Renewal
Pray for fresh passion for Christ.
Our Church Community
Pray that Holy Week services would deeply impact our church family.
Those Far From God
Pray for friends, family members, and neighbors who need Jesus.
Consider reading passages that reflect on the events of Holy Week.
Suggested passages:
• Isaiah 53
• Psalm 22
• Matthew 26–27
• John 13–19
• Philippians 2:5–11
Allow the Scriptures to guide your prayers and reflections.
If fasting is new to you, don’t worry about doing it perfectly.
The purpose of fasting is not spiritual achievement—it is spiritual attentiveness.
God honors a humble heart that seeks Him.
Even small steps toward intentional prayer can become powerful moments of encounter with the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While fasting from food is the traditional practice, you can participate by fasting from another distraction such as social media, entertainment, or technology.
If you have health concerns, do not fast from food. Instead choose another form of fasting and participate in the prayer focus.
Use hunger as a reminder to pray. Each time you feel the absence of food, turn your attention to God and spend a moment in prayer.
Absolutely. Families can pray together during meals or bedtime and talk about why we are preparing our hearts during Holy Week.
That’s okay. The goal is not perfection but intentionally seeking God.
Jump in whenever you can.
Holy Monday, the second day of Holy Week, commemorates Jesus’ return to Jerusalem from Bethany, when he cursed a barren fig tree and cleansed the Temple by driving out moneychangers. It highlights his authority, sorrow over hypocritical worship, and his preparation for his final sacrifice.
The day focuses on removing corruption and restoring true worship, encouraging Christians to reflect on their own lives
Prayer Prompts
Here are some helpful prayer prompts and Scripture references to help you throughout the day.
- Scripture: “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.” — Matthew 21:13
- Scripture: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” — Matthew 5:6
- Scripture: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” — John 15:5
- Scripture: “She has done a beautiful thing to me… she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.” — Mark 14:6, 8
- Scripture: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10
- Scripture: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you… You are not your own.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19
- Scripture: “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” — Mark 11:24
- Scripture: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” — John 11:16
- Scripture: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” — Luke 19:10