Vineyard Canada National Fast 2023 January 15 & 16
National Focus '23: Engaging with the Mission of Jesus
Over the past 6 days, as a national family we have been creating space in our minds, hearts and schedules to thoughtfully consider our personal and communal life with God and what He may have for us as we look forward into this new year . We have welcomed the Holy Spirit's reorientation of our hearts' compass, we have allowed for deep reflection and repentance and we have created space for our hearts to respond back to God in worship and sincere gratitude. This journey has been part of the important process of readying our hearts for whatever our God may have in store for us in the days ahead. But like Moses in Exodus 33:15 we come to this place where we acknowledge that we need the empowering and filling of His Spirit in order to take the necessary steps of obedience from this place. For the next 2 days this will be our heart cry. Come Holy Spirit!!
The Journey Continues: Day Seven and Eight
1. The Invitation
Impartation: Filling, Refreshing, Making us Ready
Leader: Descend upon us O Lord, with your Holy presence. Revive our spirits and restore our souls.
Response: Your storehouse is always full of fresh oil and new wine. You never run out. Your oil spills over us pooling at our feet and we are renewed. Your wine fills us and our joy is replenished.
Leader: Your breath revives our souls like cool breezes in the desert. Sweet breath of heaven, we sway in your wind.
Response: Your fountains refresh our spirits like morning mist that waters the garden. Sweet fountain of life, we stand in your mist.
Leader: Holy Spirit, come to us with your fresh impartation. Prepare us to serve the Master. Make us ready for what is to come.
All: Descend upon us O Lord, with your Holy presence. Revive our spirits and restore our souls.
2. Anchoring Focus and Scripture
Like Jesus, many of us have spent some time in the wilderness these last few years. We've felt the battle, maybe been tempted to quit, have wrestled with demons. And yet here we are. Together. Praying. Expectant. Like the parched ground of the desert, we drink both the winter and spring rains. We see in a fresh way that if Jesus needed the filling of the Spirit to carry out the mission of God, how much more do we.
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry...Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. Luke 4:1-2,14
Ponder; Reflect; Listen
How is the time Jesus spent in the wilderness like Israel's? How is it different?
What might it look like for you to thirst after the Spirit's filling today?
"Most powerful Holy Spirit,
come down
upon us
and subdue us.
From heaven,
where the ordinary
is made glorious,
and glory seems
but ordinary,
Bathe us
with the brilliance
of your light
like dew."
Celtic Invocation of the Holy Spirit
3. Common Prayer
O Lord
In the name of Jesus Christ your Son our God,
give us that love which can never cease,
that will kindle our lamps but not extinguish them,
that they may burn in us and enlighten others.
O Christ, our dearest Savior, kindle our lamps,
that they may evermore shine in your temple,
that they may receive unquenchable light from you
that will enlighten our darkness, and lessen the darkness of the world.
Lord Jesus, we pray, give your light to our lamps, that in its light
the most holy place may be revealed to us in which you dwell as the Eternal Priest,
that we may always see you, desire you, look on you in love, and long after you;
for your sake.
Amen.
An Ancient Collect, sixth century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
Note: Throughout the fast we want to encourage you to send into the VC team what you are hearing/sensing that the Spirit may be speaking to us as a family. Please send your contributions to
