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Seeking God Together!
We’re dedicating July 5-29 to prayer and fasting. We’ll gather for a variety of prayer events for all ages and we invite you to join us in fasting in some way!
We’re excited to share this time together—to refresh and to be refreshed in the Lord as we prepare for a new year of ministry!
Video: "Why Fasting?"
Pastor Brian Gingerich explains fasting.
About Fasting
There are different ways you might fast. You could give up caffeine, sweets, social media, or TV. Another way is to participate in a Daniel Fast (see info below). However you choose to fast, the goal is the same—to deepen your dependence on God!
"Fasting is a joyous desire to deprive yourself of something in a way that leads to a deeper relationship with God." — Pastor Brian Gingerich
Tips for Combining Prayer with Fasting
• Embrace fasting as a joy and not a burden. Demonstrate that you are honored to fast on behalf of others and God’s Kingdom.
• Use this as an opportunity to keep your heart and mind focused on Jesus.
• Keep your heart tuned to confession and repentance.
• Call upon the Lord for strength when you are weary of fasting.
• “Feast on God’s Word” by praying Scripture.
About the Daniel Fast
The Daniel Fast is patterned after the fasts that the prophet Daniel observed during critical junctures in his life. (See Daniel 1, 9, and 10.) Daniel chose vegetables and water over the king’s rich food and wine. He fasted for ten days, and then later for 21 days—and experienced both God’s favor and breakthrough in the spiritual realm.
Based on Daniel’s fasting experiences, we invite you to fast during July with these basic guidelines:
Foods to enjoy: fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, etc.), whole grains (brown rice, oats, etc.), nuts and seeds, tofu and soy products, cooking with quality oils (olive, etc.). Foods to avoid: meat and animal products, dairy, deep fried foods, sweets, refined and processed products, caffeine.
Please note this is not the “letter of the law.” There is grace in one’s heart intent. You may fast or abstain in other ways as the Lord leads you.
Weekly Prayer Guide
Prayer Prompts for Each Week of Refresh26
SEND ME: Our 2026 prayer theme is Send Me, from Isaiah 6:8: “’Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” Pray this week that we would each have willing, surrendered hearts before the Lord—ready to be sent into our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and beyond. Ask God to align Hillside with His mission and to raise up people who joyfully say “yes” to His call, especially as we prepare to plant a new church later this year!
CONSECRATION & SURRENDER: Before Isaiah was sent, he was cleansed (Isaiah 6:5–7). We, too, are called to lives of holiness and surrender. Pray that God would search our hearts and reveal anything that hinders obedience (Psalm 139:23–24). Ask Him to purify His Church, deepen our devotion, and set us apart for His purposes so that we can be effective witnesses for His Kingdom.
THE LOST AND THE HARVEST: Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37–38). Pray for a burden for the lost across our city, state, and world. Ask God to open spiritual eyes, soften hearts, and draw people to Himself. Specifically pray for Hillside to be a church that actively reaches the lost and for many to come to saving faith in Jesus through our witness.
CHURCH PLANT & MULTIPLICATION: Pray specifically for the new church plant launching this fall—that God would go before it and establish it for His glory (Isaiah 43:19). Ask Him to raise up leaders, provide resources, and build a strong core team. Pray that this new church would faithfully preach the gospel, make disciples, and become a light in its community.
Daily Prayer Guide
Prayer Prompts for Each Day of Refresh26
Begin this week of prayer and fasting by praising God for His holiness—His perfect character, His unmatched glory, and His sovereign rule over all creation. Isaiah 6:3: “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’”
Before we can be sent, we must be cleansed. Ask the Lord to search your heart, reveal sin, and purify your motives so that you can respond to Him with a willing and surrendered spirit. Psalm 139:23–24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Thank God for the grace that equips us—for our salvation, the indwelling Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and the daily strength needed to live on mission. 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Ask God to form Christlike character in you—obedience, humility, compassion, and courage—so that when He calls, you are ready to respond, “Here I am. Send me!” Colossians 1:10: “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Pray that Hillside would be united in purpose and mission—eager to serve, bold in witness, and faithful in loving one another as we go where God sends us. Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ… standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”
Ask the Lord to send us into our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and communities with the gospel—meeting needs, offering hope, and pointing many to Jesus. Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Pray for God to raise up workers for the global harvest—missionaries, pastors, church planters, intercessors, and bold disciples—and for His Word to advance to every nation. Matthew 9:37–38: “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”