GOD WITH US—US WITH GOD
A 21 day of prayer & fasting journey.
01.05.26 — 01.25.26
Many of us, consciously or subconsciously, tend to plan our lives around the calendar year—with Christmas in December marking the end of one year, and January signaling the beginning of another. As such, there’s often times a disconnect between our Advent reflections, and our New Year’s resolutions.
But what if we learned to see Christmas not as a conclusion, but as a beginning? How might that reshape the way we step into a new year?
While we often look to a new calendar year as an opportunity for a fresh start—new beginnings filled with possibility—Christmas reminds us of something deeper: that true hope for renewal is not anchored to a date, but to a promise. The promise and reality of Emmanuel, God with us.
Over the next 21 days, we invite you to journey with us as we begin the new year holding this truth at the center. As we do, we will reflect not only on God’s action and initiative towards us, but also—just as importantly—on our response.
Together, we will move beyond seeing January as simply a time to set resolutions, intentions, goals, and visions. Instead, we will receive this season as a divine invitation to re-orient and re-order our lives and our resolutions around the promised reality of God with us—and us with God.
The following is a guide to help you get started.
”They will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”
— Matthew 1:23
How to participate.
Throughout our 21-Day Prayer & Fasting journey, we invite you to join us in the following ways:
Worship with us.
Join us in-person or online for our weekly Sunday worship gatherings at 10am on Sundays January 4th, 11th, and 18th at Overlake Park Presbyterian Church (1836 156th Ave NE, Bellevue). Each Sunday we’ll engage in conversation and explore our theme of ‘God with us, us with God’ through prayer, readings, scripture and participating in different spiritual practices
Pray with us.
We invite you to commit to praying daily and consecutively for 21 days, even if it's only 5 minutes a day. Below you'll find our Daily Prayer Guide that will help unify us in prayer as we seek God's heart together on a variety of topics starting on Monday, January 5th. You can also submit your prayer requests so that our leadership and prayer team can pray for you anytime here.
Fast with us.
The goal of fasting is to make space for God. Starting on Monday, January 5th, we invite you to fast with us as a spiritual next step that can bring clarity and revelation into your life as you pray and wait upon the Lord in this season. There are a variety of ways to fast. Below, we've provided some information and recommendations for you that will help you discern what type of fast might make most sense for you.
Vision with us.
Join us in-person on Sunday, January 25th at 10am as we break our fast together with breakfast and host an interactive vision board party! We’ll carve out time to reflect together around our 21 days of prayer and fasting journey and then set our intentions for the rest of the year by creating DIY vision boards—collages of images, quotes, and symbols representing our God-shaped goals and aspirations for the year.
Daily Prayer Guide.
Our daily prayer topics, which will be updated daily, are meant to unite us in prayer during our 21-Day journey. We have created a Daily Prayer Guide on our CG app to provide daily inspiration and help guide you in your prayer times.
Make sure to download our CG App to access the Daily Prayer Guide for your daily inspiration or you can view them online here. You can find a quick overview of what you can expect from the Daily Prayer Guide here.
How to pray.
Prayer is many things at once—both beautifully simple and richly layered. It’s often described as a conversation with God, and at times it is that. But prayer is also silence and listening, lament and gratitude, imagination and embodiment. Throughout scripture and history, prayer shows up as tears and songs, dreams and resistance, breath and movement—ways of opening ourselves to God when words are present and when they fall short.
Because of this, there is no single “right” way to pray. That truth can feel unsettling, but it can also be deeply freeing. It means God can meet us as we are now, not only as we once were. When language fails us, prayer might look like quiet, or grief, or shared breath. When life presses in through injustice or exhaustion, prayer may take shape as hope-filled action, communal solidarity, or the wisdom we carry in our bodies.
At the heart of all prayer is presence—becoming aware of God with us, and learning to be with God in return. As we enter these 21 days of prayer and fasting, the invitation isn’t to perform spirituality, but to open ourselves more fully to what is already true: God’s nearness. Together, we practice aligning our hearts and minds with the things of God, while also growing more attentive to our own inner lives. We trust that in showing up—honestly, imperfectly, and expectantly—we make space for transformation, discovering again that God is with us, and we are invited to live with God.
How to fast.
As we begin this 21-day journey of prayer and fasting, we do so grounded in the truth that God is already with us. Fasting is not a way to earn God’s presence or approval, but a practice that helps us become more aware of the God who has already drawn near. These days invite us to re-orient our lives—not around the calendar or resolutions, but around the living reality of Emmanuel, God with us.
Fasting is an ancient spiritual practice that creates space for attentiveness, clarity, and discernment. By intentionally setting aside distractions—whether certain foods, digital habits, or other patterns that crowd our attention—we make room for prayer and listening. When paired with prayer, fasting quiets the noise around us so that we can hear more clearly, align our hearts with God’s heart, and gain vision for how we are being invited to live. Fasting isn’t about losing weight; it’s about gaining perspective.
As you discern your fast, we encourage wisdom and care. Your practice should invite meaningful reflection without causing harm. Every body and circumstance is different, and honoring your health is itself a spiritual act. Your personal fast should present a level of challenge, but it is very important to know your body, your options, and most importantly, to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
This journey is not measured by what we give up, but by how present we become. God with us—Us with God.
Below we have provided a few suggestions of possible fasts:
+ 21 Day Liquid Fast — Give up solid foods, drinking only liquids
+ 21 Day Daniel Fast — Fruits and vegetables only
+ 21 Day Selective Fast — Remove certain elements from your diet
+ 21 Day Media Fast — Give up social media & television
+ 7 Day Fast — Fast with us for 7 days
+ Lunch Fast — Fast with us over lunch each day
+ Once A Week Fast — Fast one day of the week (ie: Wednesday)
+ Create Your Own Fast — Ask God what you can give up