Season of fasting, prayer brings about spiritual renewal on the Liberty University campus

Many Liberty University students, faculty, and staff are nearing the end of a 40-day period of fasting and prayer this month, having drawn inspiration from the legacy left by the university’s founder, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, and its co-founder, Dr. Elmer Towns, who made fasting a priority during pivotal moments in Liberty’s history and led lives committed to purposeful prayer.

The campus-wide fast officially began at noon on Sept. 20 and will conclude at the same time on Saturday, Oct. 31, Reformation Day.

While some have been fasting from food, others have been taking a break from

technology, hobbies, or other regular activities that may shift their focus away from God. Students and staff were welcome to join for any amount of time within the 40-day period.

Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser first announced the fast in early September, during separate Convocations for the students and for the faculty and staff, as well as at a student Campus Community service. A prompting from the Holy Spirit, experienced by multiple staff members, led the Office of Spiritual Development to formally coordinate the fast.

“We’re fasting for a certain thing so that we can feast at the banqueting table of God,” Nasser told students at Campus Community on Sept. 16. He reminded students that fasting will quickly reveal sin in one’s own life.

“When you are fasting, you don’t think less of others,” he said. “When you’re fasting, you become aware of your own depravity more than you’ve ever been.”

He said that around 2,500 people committed to taking part in the fast.

The Office of Spiritual Development has made many resources available on its website, including guidelines on various types of fasts (Daniel fast, complete fast, soul fast) depending on participants’ health and wellness concerns, videos on what fasting is and why Christians should choose to take part, and sermons, podcasts, and articles on fasting.

“During the 40 days of fasting, I have starved my flesh in order to fill up on the things of God,” said Liberty student Seth Anderson. “As a result, I have come to realize that nothing truly satisfies me except for those very things.”

Doug Damon, a shepherd and instructor in Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development, said the time has reminded him of “the empowerment, boldness, and humility that comes as a result of fasting.”

“I don’t know that there is another spiritual discipline that allows me to go deeper with the Lord than fasting, ” he said.

The topic of fasting is nothing new for Liberty. Towns said he often joined Falwell in practicing this spiritual discipline in Liberty’s early days. A bestselling author of over 170 books, Towns has written multiple books discussing this beneficial yet often overlooked biblical practice.

In a video filmed for members of the Liberty community at the start of the fast, Towns sat down with Liberty President Jerry Prevo to discuss the subject of fasting.

“The very first year of Liberty, Jerry (Falwell Sr.) introduced me to fasting,” Towns said. “He said, ‘I want everyone in the whole school to fast for one day.’”

It was a remarkable time as Towns, Falwell, and Liberty’s student body were able to watch the Lord financially provide for the young Christian institution and was repeated time after time throughout the school’s early years.

Towns said that Falwell made fasting a regular habit in his personal life and would often abstain from meals especially when he was asking God for a miracle.

“When you fast, you give up your meal time for prayer,” Towns said. “It’s not about food, it’s about prayer and touching God.”

Towns and the Office of Spiritual Development made a 40-day daily devotional book available for students who chose to participate.

President Prevo, who recently retired as the senior pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served for 47 years, said that this fast is significant for many reasons.

“This 40-day season of praying and fasting is designed to help (faculty and students) add fasting to their prayer life,” Prevo said. “It was not intentional that this season of prayer and fasting would end just before our nation has an election, but since we need to humble ourselves before God more — to pray more, to seek God more, to turn from any wicked ways in our lives, to hear God more, and to pray for God’s healing — we will also be praying for the healing of our nation.”