One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Locked In.
As we fast to make room for God, it’s not just about emptying ourselves. It’s about being filled with a clearer vision of Him and of our own redeemed story. This time of fasting brings a deepening understanding of our central theme: as we grow in Christlikeness, we are learning to display Christ in us.
We go now carrying a living testimony. Our lives are undeniable evidence of life transformation by grace. Your story, with its unique marks of shame, healing, failure, and redemption, is the one thing no one can dispute. It is yours. The very fears and battles you’ve faced are not proof of your unworthiness, but the very canvas on which God paints His faithfulness.
1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” That answer is found in the unfolding story of how God has met you in your chaos, sustained you in community, and is liberating you from your past. We share not because we have it all together, but because we know the perfect Savior who writes our story of redemption and restoration.
Have you ever shared your life testimony with your LIFE Group? It is in those vulnerable moments that walls break down. As we dare to share our real struggles and God’s faithful redemption, we go deeper in community. This is why we gather and grow together. It is where life-on-life happens, and transformation takes place. Now, we are called to go share our stories!
Look outward. See the people around you who may carry their own unseen battles. Look where God has placed you – your school or workplace, your family, or your neighborhood. See the very context you are in and the people you meet not as coincidence, but as the sovereign placement of a purposeful God. Go and share how your fasting develops your dependence on God, how community upholds you, and how your growth showcases Christ’s power.
Let’s continue to pray fervently for the lost and to reach out to them. In doing so, we do not just tell a story, but we declare Christ to them and invite them to see their own journey as part of His redemptive work. Go and share your story, for your story is your most powerful offering to a world God so loves!
Reflection and Application
- What part of your journey with God feels vulnerable to share, yet most clearly reveals His faithfulness? Who needs to hear that hope?
- Look at your daily life (your school or workplace, neighborhood, family, etc). Who around you is quietly struggling? What is one simple way you could offer them hope through your story or presence this week?
Prayer Requests – CityU
- For Pre-Christians to be planted in our community and experiencing the Gospel. We want to live out evangelism.
- For CityU LIFE Group members to grow deeper in their personal relationship with Jesus through discipleship relationships.
- For God to raise up & equip the next generation in CityU to be a part of God’s Mission.
Click here for full devotional link and other pre-fasting materials!