Brian Boyd is not alone in his belief in the power of prayer. He’s taking things a step further, however, to combine prayer with the act of fasting and wants to invite others to join him. It’s an effort that Boyd says can have a positive impact on the community and the city.
To that end, Boyd has created a Henderson Vance Prayer and Fasting group and he challenges area churches to join him in his efforts with a focus on families, the community and the city.
Individuals can sign up for single day or multiple days to commit to fasting and praying for the community, Boyd said on Monday’s TownTalk.
“That fast is something I leave up to the individual – one meal, two meals, it can be a whole day,” he said. “Whatever you decide works for you.”
He did a little quick math and said of Vance County’s total population of 43,000 residents – about 21,000 – fall into the 18-64 age range.
Vance County also has more than 100 churches, he said, with 22,700 members altogether. Using that same age distribution, Boyd figures there are roughly 11,000 church members who are between the ages of 18 and 64.
Divide that 11,000 people by 365 (days in a year) and that’s about 31 people fasting and praying every single day of the year.
“Can you imagine the impact on our community?” Boyd mused.
“Fasting has multiple benefits,” he continued, adding that he is drawn closer to God through fasting and is more knowledgeable of the Word of God.
“Your strength increases and you’re able to pray powerful and fervent prayers,” he said.
He wants to put the power of prayer and fasting to work in the community, which he says is at a crossroads.
Too often Henderson is recognized for negative reasons, from teen pregnancy and drug addiction to violence and murders.
“I want to put that aside,” he said. “I want to bring that to a close.”
If you’d like to join Boyd in his effort, email him at
hendersonvanceprayer@gmail.com.
Here’s the link to a simple Google doc to sign up to join the prayer and fasting challenge:
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