International Week of Prayer and Fasting begins Oct. 12
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An international coalition of prayer warriors is urging people across the world to join them in a week of prayer AND fasting.
The 32nd International Week of Prayer and Fasting (IWOPF), co-founded by Ted and Maureen Flynn, runs from Oct. 12-20.
"Right now, there is an escalating urgency to draw all faithful people to an intensified week of prayer and fasting," the co-founders say.
"Wars, civil unrest, crime, human trafficking, addictions, natural disasters and the killing of the innocent necessitate that people of God turn to Him, and make sacrifices through prayer and fasting to tear down demonic strongholds." – Ted and Maureen Flynn, IWOPF co-founders
Many people are awakening to the importance of adding fasting to their prayer regimens – a practice that has fallen by the wayside as secular activities take hold.
As one source puts it, "Fasting helps detach us from this world while prayer re-attaches us to God. Yet, most of us haven't participated in this sacred discipline or we've heard of it as intermittent fasting for weight loss."
"Jesus Himself has shown us by His own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil." – Saint Pope John Paul II
What is the International Week of Prayer and Fasting?
PARTICIPATING IN PERSON, ONLINE AND IN SPIRIT
All are invited to in-person events that begin at St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Eucharistic adoration, holy Mass offered by Bp. Emeritus Robert J. Baker of Birmingham, Alabama, and the recitation of the Rosary will be featured.
Online presentations from Oct. 14-16 will feature a number of prominent Catholic speakers, including Fr. Dan Reehil; Sr. Deirdre Byrne; Fr. Robert Altier; Fr. Jason Lewis, MIC; Fr. B. Thomas Celso; Dr. Antone Raymundo; Susan Brinkmann; Joan Maroney; and Maureen Flynn.
According to IWOFP's co-founders, these and other speakers will impart a renewed spirit of prayer and encourage fasting as a way to conquer darkness.
"People do not need to feel powerless in the face of the many grave evils we are witnessing around the world. Our incredible speakers are going to impart wisdom from their own witness in the world and practical application of prayer and fasting." — IWOPF organizers
A detailed schedule for in-person and online events can be found here. Online events are accessible to anyone and free of charge on the actual day of presentation.
One of the administrators of the event told Souls and Liberty that even if people cannot join in person in Virginia or online, they are encouraged to join in spirit. The important thing is that we are all "praying more intensely and fasting more intently" for the good of the world during the week, she observed.
She directed people to the IWOFP "Facts about Fasting" webpage for information about how to take up the discipline, adding that while fasting is of enormous spiritual benefit, beginners should exercise prudence based on their age, health and other critical circumstances.
FASTING: A RELIGIOUS AND NATIONAL TRADITION
Prayer and fasting is deeply embedded in Christian tradition. The Old Testament is full of references to prayer and fasting (Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16; 2 Samuel 12:16-18; Jonah 3:6-10; 1 Samuel 31:13; Joel 2:12-13; Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 18, etc.). Fasting in the Old Testament was a way to show dependence on God, especially during times of extreme circumstances. It was not merely an individual effort, but one of the entire community, aimed at making atonement and averting catastrophe.
According to the Gospels, Our Lord went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray after being baptized by St. John and before entering His ministry. It was at this time the devil tempted Him to give in to evil to gain political power (Matthew 4:1-11).
Past US presidents also called for national days of fasting. John Adams (1735-1826), for example, proclaimed two. The first, in 1798, was organized to encourage citizens to give thanks to God for protecting the United States and for the nation's progress. The second, in 1799, was aimed at calming religious persecution in Europe and securing US success in its naval war with France. President Adams urged citizens to devote time to religion in public and in private – and to confess their sins to God.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) followed Adams' lead, declaring a national day of prayer and fasting amid the ravages of the Civil War. In his proclamation, Lincoln wrote: "It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
For more information about IWOPF's Oct. 12-20 events, visit their website. Questions may be directed via email to info@iwopf.org or via phone at 888-478-PRAY.
Dr. Barbara Toth has a doctorate in rhetoric and composition from Bowling Green State University. She has taught at universities in the US, China and Saudi Arabia. Her work in setting up a writing center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahmen University, an all-women's university in Riyadh, has been cited in American journals. Toth has published academic and non-academic articles and poems internationally.
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