Prayer & Fasting • September 2026

What If the Most Powerful Thing Happening at Bellevue Happens Off the Platform?

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret … But you, when you fast … your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret.”

Matthew 6:6, 17–18 NASB1995

We naturally notice what happens publicly in our church each week. We see the sermon being preached, the worship service, the baptism, the invitation, the class being taught, and the ministry being led. These things matter greatly, and God does use them.

But what if the most powerful thing happening in our church is something we never see?
What if it’s happening in prayer rooms before the sun rises, in cars during lunch breaks, in offices behind closed doors, and around kitchen tables? What if it’s happening when a believer quietly pushes away a plate of food and spends that time seeking God?

In Matthew 6, Jesus repeatedly draws our attention to what happens “in secret.” He speaks of secret giving, secret prayer, and secret fasting. And each time, there is One who sees what everyone else misses: our Father.

That gives an enormous significance to unseen prayer:

• When you pray for Ben before he steps in front of the pulpit, no one may know, but God does.
• When you fast and intercede for someone far from Christ, there may never be public recognition, but heaven knows.
• When you plead with God for revival, for marriages, for the next generation, or for the spiritual health of our church, you may never stand on a platform, but you are participating in the spiritual battle.

The victory may be seen publicly, but the battle is won privately, through prayer and fasting.

One of the reasons fasting is so powerful is because it intentionally removes something from our lives so that we can give ourselves more fully to seeking God. Your hunger becomes a reminder, “There is something I desire more than food. I want God to move.”

Jesus said, “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” Matthew 6:18 NASB1995

Think about that. God hears every prayer nobody else hears. He sees every meal quietly surrendered. He sees every tear. He knows every name on your prayer list and every burden you carry into His presence.

So this month, let’s embrace the hidden ministry of prayer and fasting.

Fast for a meal or for the entire day. Use that time to seek God for our church (for Ben, the other pastors and our staff), our Life Group leaders, deacons, the lost, our families, our nation, and spiritual awakening.

And don’t worry about whether anyone knows.

The most important things God does publicly begin with something His people do privately.