Fasting and Solemn Assembly

Fasting & Solemn Assembly for Members

As members of FBC Sevierville, we are instructed to hold ourselves accountable regularly to ensure that we, as individuals and as a corporate body, live in line with what God commands His followers in His Word.

The Bible says, “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”(Joel 1:14, ESV)

What is Fasting?
Fasting means going without food for a period of time for the purpose of humbling yourself before God and seeking Him with all your heart. Fasting is a spiritual discipline practiced by Moses, David, Esther, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles in the early church. Fasting is an external expression of an internal desire. It demonstrates that more than we need a meal, we need God’s mercy. More than our stomachs long for the pleasure of food, our souls long for the presence of God. There is a direct correlation between fasting and humbling yourself before the Lord.

A water-only fast is not medically advisable for some people (diabetics, those who take vital medicines that must be ingested with food, etc.). If for some medical reason you can’t give up all nourishment, consider giving up solid food, carbs, or something else meaningful. You can check with your doctor to see how you can safely participate. If you can’t alter your diet at all, you may want to do a “media fast” that day, giving up all television, computer, radio, and other forms of media.

What is a Solemn Assembly?
A Solemn Assembly is an urgent call for all the people to come together to humble ourselves before the Lord, to seek God’s face, to pray, to repent of our sins, to read God’s Word aloud, to worship God with all our hearts, and to make some important confessions together.