The fast

Throughout Scripture, seasons of rebuilding are always preceded by seasons of returning. Before God restores what is broken, strengthens what is weak, or rebuilds what has fallen, He first calls His people back to Himself. Renewal never begins with effort—it begins with worship. It begins with repentance, humility, and a fresh devotion to the Lord. Only then does God empower His people to rebuild what has been neglected spiritually, forgotten relationally, or damaged over time. That same biblical pattern forms the heart of our 21-day fast: Rebuild & Renew.

This fast draws deeply from the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah—two books that do far more than record historical events. They offer prophetic imagery for the kind of spiritual work God desires to do in His people today. When God stirred the hearts of the exiles to return to Jerusalem, He did not begin with the walls or the city structures. He began with the altar.

Ezra 3:3 says, “Then they set the altar in its place… and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord morning and evening.”

The altar was the center of worship, sacrifice, repentance, and surrender. Under Ezra’s leadership, the people rebuilt the altar, restored daily worship, and re-established the authority of God’s Word in their lives. This was the foundational step, because every true move of God begins with a return to Him—His presence, His voice, His holiness, and His ways. Ezra’s ministry reminds us that before we rebuild anything on the outside, God must rebuild the altar of our hearts on the inside.

But the restoration in Jerusalem did not stop with the altar. A restored altar required protection, structure, and endurance. This is where Nehemiah’s calling emerges. Decades after Ezra’s reforms, God awakens Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and rehang the gates around Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:17 captures the urgency: “You see the trouble we are in… Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

The walls were not about comfort—they were about identity, security, and longevity. Nehemiah established systems, order, leadership, and watchmen so that worship could continue without interruption. If Ezra rebuilt the altar, Nehemiah built the structures that protected the altar. The altar represents worship; the walls represent the disciplines, boundaries, unity, and spiritual rhythms that safeguard worship. Together, they reveal the complete work of God:

Ezra rebuilt the heart.
Nehemiah rebuilt the house.
And God rebuilt the people.

This is the same spiritual picture before us at Calgary Full Gospel. God is inviting us—not just individually, but as families and as a church body—to join in a united work of rebuilding. Our call is both spiritual and practical: to re-establish a place where worship is central and protected, where families are strengthened, where the Word is honoured, where prayer is restored, and where the house of God is prepared for future growth and spiritual impact. This work requires every household, every believer, and every heart to engage.

Fasting positions us for this work. It is not merely abstaining from food; it is humbling ourselves so God can realign, restore, and rebuild us from the inside out. Joel 2:12 says, “Return to me with all your heart… with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Fasting exposes the places where the altar of our hearts needs repair—where worship has grown inconsistent, where distraction has replaced devotion, or where sin has weakened our spiritual fire. Fasting also strengthens the walls of our lives—discipline, spiritual vigilance, unity, holiness, and prayer rhythms that protect what God restores.

During these 21 days, we are asking God for two things:
Rebuild the Altar—restored hunger for Scripture, renewed worship, revived prayer, fresh reverence for God, and healing in the heart.
Rebuild the Walls—strengthened spiritual disciplines, rebuilt family unity, re-established boundaries that guard worship, renewed commitment to the house of God, and strengthened systems for future ministry.

Just as in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day, the work belongs to all of us. The people rebuilt side by side, each working on the part in front of their homes. What God builds at Calgary Full Gospel will require the same unified obedience—each believer contributing, each family building, each heart responding.

As you enter this fast, come with expectation, humility, and determination. God is not simply calling us to do without food. He is calling us to rebuild what truly matters.

This is our moment to return.
This is our moment to rebuild.
This is our moment to renew.

Grace, Grace
Pastor Dale