Thesis
Pastor Daniel opens the year by calling Echoes Church to a 21-day season of prayer and fasting, arguing that these two disciplines form a powerful, inseparable combination. Prayer is not about informing or influencing God but about experiencing genuine intimacy with Him, while fasting is the voluntary act of humbling ourselves so that God — who opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble — can move powerfully in and through us. Together, prayer and fasting align us with God's will, position us for breakthrough, and invite us into our God-given purpose in the middle of what he believes is a coming great spiritual awakening.
Key points
- 1
Prayer is not about informing or influencing God — it is about experiencing intimacy with Him.
- 2
God cannot bless the person you are pretending to be; the power source of the Christian life is your private relationship with God.
- 3
Jesus prayed for every believer to know unity and deep connection with the Father, modeling that even He prioritized time alone with God.
- 4
The promise of prayer is that God's will is accomplished through God's people as we call back into alignment what is out of order on earth.
- 5
The purpose of fasting is humility — voluntarily denying ourselves food to posture ourselves to receive God's grace and favor.
- 6
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble; fasting is the primary biblical mechanism for humbling ourselves before God.
- 7
The promise of fasting is breakthrough — when God's people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and repent, God promises to hear, forgive, and restore.
Outline
Introduction: The Power of Dynamic Duos
Using Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as an illustration, Pastor Daniel introduces the powerful combination of prayer and fasting, and announces a church-wide 21-day fast beginning the following Monday.
The Purpose of Prayer: Intimacy with God
Drawing from Matthew 6:5-6, Pastor Daniel argues that prayer is not a cosmic vending machine but a means of genuine connection with God, and that God rewards what is done privately, not for public approval.
Jesus as the Model of Prayer
Pastor Daniel shows from John 17 that Jesus Himself prayed for every believer, and that even as God in human form, Jesus regularly withdrew to be alone with the Father — modeling that prayer is as much about desire as discipline.
The Promise of Prayer: God's Will Accomplished Through Us
Using Matthew 6:10 and quotes from Augustine and John Wesley, Pastor Daniel establishes that through prayer, God downloads His purpose to His people and accomplishes His will on earth — 'without us, God will not.'
The Purpose of Fasting: Humility
Turning to Matthew 6:16-18 and Psalm 35:13, Pastor Daniel explains that fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose, and its core function is to humble us before God so He can move on our behalf.
The Promise of Fasting: Breakthrough
From 1 Peter 5:5-6 and 2 Chronicles 7:14, Pastor Daniel presents the four-part covenant — humble yourself, pray, seek God's face, and repent — and promises that God will hear, forgive, and restore those who fulfill it.
Call to Action and Closing Prayer
Pastor Daniel challenges the congregation to write down what they are believing God for, commit to a specific fast, and surrender 2026 to God, closing with a corporate prayer over the needs represented in the room.
Memorable moments
God cannot and will not bless the person that you're pretending to be
prayer is not about informing God. It's not about influencing God. It's about experiencing intimacy with God
Without God, we cannot but without us, God will not. John
the intensity of my problems will never outpace the intensity of my prayer
the invitation to the life that you want in 2026 is disguised in this thing called surrender
Prayer is how we connect with God. Fasting is how we disconnect from this world and we we need both
Application
Pastor Daniel calls every person to make two concrete decisions before the 21-day fast begins: write down the specific thing you are believing God to move in, and decide what you will fast from. The call is not merely to try a spiritual discipline but to make a year-long declaration — that no matter what problems arise, the intensity of your prayers will never be outpaced by the intensity of your problems. That posture is built through private prayer that seeks intimacy with God, not public approval, and through fasting that voluntarily humbles you so God's grace can flow freely. The promise from 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the anchor: humble yourself, pray, seek His face, and turn from what is wrong — and God will hear, forgive, and restore.
