The Beauty of Fasting
Throughout scripture we are commissioned to be people that participate and practice the discipline of fasting. In the New Testament, prayer and fasting are often mentioned together. After Christ teaches His followers the Lord’s Prayer, He tells them what to do while fasting (Matt. 6:5–18). While the Apostles fasted and prayed, the Holy Spirit revealed that Saul and Barnabas would be missionaries (Acts 13:2–3). And when Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in the churches they planted, they did so “with prayer and fasting” (Acts 14:23). Prayer and fasting are utilized as an opportunity to discipline one’s flesh and provide dedicated times to prayer.
There are multiple things you can fast to “clear your plate” of life’s distractions and put your focus back on the things of God and connecting with His Spirit. Our heart’s desire is to provide you a devotional book to help you every day while you are seeking God with fasting and prayer!
Our corporate fast in 2022 will be from March 28, 2022 - April 17, 2022.
As a leadership team, we felt led of the Spirit to encourage a “progressive” fast, meaning it will build each week upon what was fasted the week before. These are our suggestions:
Week One we will be fasting lunch.
Week Two we will add a “Daniel Fast” (No breads, meats, or dairy).
Week Three will add a media fast (all non-work and non-emergency uses of media).
We are so excited to seek God together with you! Thank you for allowing God to bless you and to connect with you on a deeper level with this time of prayer and fasting. Let’s anticipate great things to come!
In Christ,
Pastor Jim Boyd
21-day devion on fasting and prayer
Introduction
From time to time, God will call each of us to a fast. It is our desire to provide daily encouragement for you during this time. Not every fast is twenty-one days, but this resource can be a valuable source of encouragement for you as you seek the Lord during a time of fasting and prayer.
Refuge City Church Leadership
Many of the pastoral leadership team from Refuge City Church have written and compiled these daily devotions for you. It is our hope that you are able to experience powerful growth in your walk with Jesus as you fast, pray, and study God’s Word!
Connection
Stay connected with the Body of Christ during your times of fasting and prayer. Make sure to add your voice to the corporate voice of the Church by worshiping together on Sundays, Wednesdays and our weekly prayer meeting. Following is our weekly schedule:
Sundays Wednesdays Thursday Prayer Meeting 9 & 11:15AM 7PM 6PM
Watch services online:
refugecity.church/watch
Day 1 - God Wants To Use You! Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
It totally overjoys me when I think that the God of Heaven can actually use me! We all should be very grateful to know that we can be an instrument to accomplish His will here on earth. To bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. He uses His followers as witnesses to the entire earth to tell everyone about Him and His love. When you stop to think about it, you and I can truly alter the course of history and the world. Unfortunately, there are way too many people not being used by God either because they feel they have nothing to offer, or they are continually clouded by their own guilt and shame. I can’t even imagine what God could do if everyone that claimed to love Him and wanted to be used by Him actually chose something and just dove into it with all their heart. Tell the Lord today that you want to faithfully serve Him. Who knows what wonderful things might happen when you are faithful to the Lord?
Reflection
Dear Lord, forgive me for not being available for Your use in the Kingdom. Lord, I want to be used by You to bring about change in my community. I yield myself to You Lord, to do whatever You want me to do. In Jesus name, Amen.
Day 2 - Jesus Fasted Matthew 4:1-2 ESV
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Jesus, the perfect Son of God, fasted. Let that sink in for a moment. When we question what motive we have for fasting, the fact that the One we follow did so should be reason enough. And yet, why did our Savior choose to deny Himself food? What was His motive? We know from the text that Jesus, as He begins his public ministry, is being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil – the adversary who wants to disqualify Him from the cross and derail God’s plan of salvation. A lot is riding on Jesus’ ability to withstand the onslaught of the evil one. It is clear that the devil has aimed his attack for a time when Jesus is physically weak and hungry. But here’s the beautiful irony: Satan comes to Jesus when he knows He has been fasting; but Jesus has been fasting because He knows that Satan is coming.
Fasting, for Jesus, was not an empty religious ritual, but a powerful weapon to lay hold of as He walked upon this earth. The self-denial that left Him physically weak was a means of being spiritually strong. His time spent suppressing the desires of the flesh and drawing near to the presence of His Father prepared Him to pursue the course that was set before Him. As we follow in His footsteps, may we view fasting as a means of denying the physical that we might focus on the spiritual, seeking the face of our Father and gaining strength to walk the path He has set before us.
Reflection
What steps are you currently taking to grow stronger in your walk with God?
Day 3 - The Word Feeds Us Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
We know what happens to the physical body when we don’t feed it. Hunger pangs are only the beginning. We lose energy. We lose focus. We begin to think only about the hunger until we get something to eat. But if we eat junk food, we know how that affects the body in a negative way. Junk food may taste good and feel good for a moment, but those hollow calories, sugars and extra fat are not healthy. We get weight gain, fatigue and negative mood swings instead of health.
Our spiritual person also needs food. Spiritual food. Specifically, the Word of God, the Bible. It starts with our own personal time reading the Bible. It gets even better with fellowship with other believers at church during worship and hearing the word through preaching and teaching. But there are spiritual junk foods as well. The movies we watch, the things on the internet we look at, the songs we listen to. We know the things Jesus wants us to say no to. Do you find yourself being angry, depressed, lost and not sure whereyourlifeisgoing? Ifso,maybeyoushouldaskyourselfhowmuchtimeyouare spending with the Lord.
Reflection
The Bible is spiritual health food. We need more time in it. More time in prayer. More time in fellowship at church. Do you want more of God? You will find him in His word.
Day 4 - Confession for the Culture Daniel 9:3-4a ESV
“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayers and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed and made confession to the Lord my God.”
If you were to turn to Daniel 9 and read the rest of the prayer that is recorded in this chapter, (and please do!), you would find that fasting is not only an opportunity for personal confession, but also for confessing the sins of the nation as a whole. In his prayer to God, Daniel acknowledges specific ways that the people have rejected God’s rule and fallen short of His righteousness, and then he humbly pleads for God’s merciful intervention. As you fast, may we follow Daniel’s example, confessing not only the sins of our own life that God brings to light, but also confessing before Him the waywardness of the culture in which we live. May our fasting lead us to be intercessors for the nation, going before God and pleading for mercy; asking Him to turn the hearts of the people back to Himself. Pray that the Gospel would go forth with power. Pray for those in positions of authority, that they would lead in righteousness. And pray for the Church - that we would be people who don’t merely profess God with our lips but who honor Him with our lives, being a light that shines in the midst of the darkness.
May your fasting be a time to not only reflect on the personal purity of your own heart, but to also bow before God and humbly pray for a mighty cleansing to take place in the land in which we live.
Reflection
Take a moment and truly lift up our nation to God. Get specific in your confession of the sins of the culture, not standing back as a self-righteous accuser, but as one who is also in need of cleansing.
Day 5 - Declaration of Dependence Ezra 8:21-24 ESV
“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ‘The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”
These verses were penned during a period in history when God’s people were returning to their homeland after having been exiled for the better part of a century. Their exile had been the result of their persistent rebellion against God and their refusal to turn from trusting in their idols. Now, God was bringing them back to their land and granting them the task of restoring His temple. Ezra, a scribe known for being one who both studied and obeyed the Law of the Lord, was sent to accompany the returning Israelites and to teach them God’s Word and God’s ways. Rather than asking the king to provide them with protection for their journey, Ezra proclaimed a fast, calling the people to humble themselves before God and to seek from his hand safety for their journey. In calling for a fast, Ezra reminds us that one purpose of this practice of fasting is to provide us with an opportunity to humbly acknowledge our own insufficiency and look instead to God’s all-sufficiency. Fasting gives us a chance to examine ourselves and confess where we are prone to look to other places or other people for help instead of turning to God and trusting in Him. Fasting gives us an occasion to declare our absolute dependence on God, and to exalt Him as being a good Father who faithfully takes care of the needs of His children. In fasting, we renounce our self-reliance and place our trust instead on our God who bids us to bring Him honor and glory by seeking our help from His hand.
Reflection
Where have you been seeking help from the world instead of from the hand of your Father?
Day 6 - Keep Your Eyes On Him 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 ESV
“Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”
In this passage, the king of Judah has just learned that three enemy nations have joined forces against him, and he is afraid. Rather than quickly coming up with some sort of plan or strategy of his own design, he calls the people of the land to humble themselves – to fast and seek help from the Lord. Jehoshaphat then goes before God in prayer, expressing his confidence in God’s character and his trust in God’s promises, concluding with these words: “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Jehoshaphat doesn’t come demanding or dictating to God what He should do, nor does he offer God advice on the best way to intervene. He simply presents himself before the Lord, declaring his dependence on Him and seeking help from Him.
As we walk though life, we will doubtless encounter circumstances that seem overwhelming to us; situations that are beyond our own wisdom to solve and our own strength to battle. Fasting is one way we can humble ourselves before God and express our need for Him. It is a time to recall God’s unchanging character and to remind ourselves of His unshakable promises. It is an opportunity to stop trying to take care of ourselves with our own resources and turn to the One who has pledged to be our Protector and Provider. Fasting is a time when we can set our face to seek help from the Lord our God.
Reflection
Is there a situation in your life that you have been trying to handle in your own strength? Use your time of fasting to give this concern over to God, echoing the words of the king of Judah: “I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.”
Day 7 - Specific Place and Time
Acts 11:4-5b
Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision...”
Peter’s account of his encounter with God is profound. He specifically made time to go up to a rooftop to seek God. In fact, he was even physically hungry because he was waiting for the meal to be prepared downstairs. Something about intentional seeking, and something about being physically hungry, positioned Peter to hear his instructions from God. He saw a vision in prayer that directed him to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to non-Jewish people. At first, he resisted the vision. He was certain this act of crossing over to the Gentile people couldn’t possibly be God’s will. But God revealed His instructions to Peter three times. At the conclusion of the third vision, a real knock on the door downstairs revealed it was, in fact, God’s will for Gentiles to receive the Gospel. Cornelius’ entourage had arrived from Caesarea begging for Peter to come share about Jesus to a non-Jewish gathering. It is this very vision and subsequent obedience that bridged the Good News from the Jewish people to the rest of the world - a leap that has made salvation available today to all of us who are of non-Jewish descent. Peter’s rooftop prayer meeting transformed the destiny of all of mankind, reaching even to us today.
Sometimes our own limited understanding of God’s will and His instructions can cloud what God actually wants us to do. Intentional prayer and fasting will help break through the tough veneer of our human reasoning so we can discern what God wants us to accomplish. If you’re needing direction for major decisions and clarity in the fog of everyday life, setting aside specific times to pray and fast will help penetrate the confusion.
Reflection
Take some time today, and in the days to come, to seek God for direction. And then listen for what He says!
Day 8 - Decisions Change Things
Esther 4:15-16
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you know you have to make a decision that could change everything? As believers, we make hard decisions about ourselves and our families everyday. In Esther 4:15-16, Esther sends a reply to Mordecai to gather together all the Jews and fast for her because she is needing to make a hard decision. She knows that either her people will be killed if she doesn’t do something, or she could be killed if she does. Esther is seeking the Lord for an answer. She knows that He is the only one who can help them.
Just as Esther did, we need to purposefully schedule a time to give up something in order to focus solely on God. This shows Him that we are earnestly seeking Him and His will. When we fast, we are not depending on ourselves and what we think we know, but we’re depending on Him. As we, the Church, join together in fasting and prayer, we seek the will of God during these uncertain times. And we trust, just like Esther did, that our Father God will come through for us, just like He always does.
Reflection
May your time of fasting lead you to linger in the presence of God so that you can say with certainty, “in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Day 9 - Alone Time
Matthew 14: 13-14
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
This verse is written as a description by Matthew regarding what Jesus did after learning of John the Baptist’s murder at the hands of Herod. One can surmise from this statement that Jesus wanted to get away for some alone time with His Father. Yet, in the moment when He gets away, He is met by more needy people. We must remember that Jesus was fully man at the same time as He was fully Divine. He must have felt sadness and needed time with the Father. Additionally, His outpouring on others must have, at times, felt like work. Jesushadarealneedforsolitude,butwhenHesawthecrowd,Matthewwrotethat He was “moved with compassion, and He healed their sick.” This tension between our need for solitude and getting involved in the needs around us always exists. We need time alone with the Lord and we are faced with needs around us. Additionally, we know that out of the overflow of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can be a river of Living Water to those around us. The question that naturally follows is this: how do we know when to get involved and when to seek the Lord in solitude and tranquility? How do we know when it is time to plunge in and get involved or time to retreat and be quiet before the Lord? The passage seems to convey the answer to the question. As the Holy Spirit moves within you to give you a heart of compassion and pour out an anointing upon you, you know that this is an indication that you are being led to get involved in the situation that is presenting itself to you. We must depend on the Holy Spirit for wisdom as we walk this out in our daily lives. We must depend on the Holy Spirit for His infilling as we pour ourselves out in both ministry and in time spent alone with God.
Reflection
Heavenly Father, I ask You today to give me wisdom to know when to stop and listen, seekingYouinprivate. Also,helpmetoknowwhenYouarecallingmetopourmyselfout being the hands and feet of Jesus, giving to others’ needs. I pray that as I am imperfect in my efforts, You preserve me as I go, and protect me from the snares of the evil one. I look to You, Heavenly Father, as the source of my life, my soul, my joy, my everything. I ask that You be near me as I wait on You and as I give to others. Thank You, Jesus, that You did not stop giving until You had given everything - Your very blood and breath of life - to give me the opportunity to walk in right relationship with You. I love you! Amen.
Day 10 - Motive Matters
It is not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by a man, much more than his activities, has the lasting influence. –Oswald Chambers
Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.
Did you know that Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn’t directly mention God? And yet Esther was able to save all of God’s people during a time when, like the Holocaust, they were about to be irradicated by an evil leader in a mass genocide. Just to give a quick recap of the story: Esther was an orphaned child who was adopted by her Uncle Mordecai during a time when the Jews were exiled and under the control of Persia. The king of Persia was purportedly an arrogant man whose first wife, Vashti, humiliated him in front of a large crowd of people he was trying to impress. He quickly disposed of his first wife and then went on a giant-sized quest to find another wife in what could be likened to the first ever “Bachelor.” He rounded up hundreds of the most beautiful women in the land and Esther was among that group. For some reason, undisclosed by the text itself, Esther seemed to win the approval of the individual in charge of her care. Then, when her big night with the king finally came, she won his heart and he took her as his wife and held a feast in her honor. Finally, because she not only won his heart but managed to keep it, she was able to convince the king to listen to her as she revealed the plot of Haman to destroy the Jews. Everywhere Esther went, she was given God-appointed favor, not only because she was beautiful, but because she was given the authority of the King of Heaven to shift the heart of the king of Persia. What circumstances are you in right now? Are you in a place where you don’t feel that you can speak the name of Jesus? Open your heart up to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within you and watch as Christ’s presence in you changes the atmosphere and environment of the place you are living or working.
Reflection
Dear Lord, you say in your word in Zechariah 4:6 “...that it is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit...” that we are to overcome the works of the enemy around us. Jesus, help me to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can be a living testimony of Jesus Christ. Lord, indwell me so that every environment I am in is radically different because I allowed you the opportunity to rule and reign in my life. Amen.
Day 11 - There’s A Reward
Matthew 6:17-18 ESV
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret will reward you.
We have already seen that when it comes to fasting (and anything else in life) our motives matter to our God. He cares not only that we do the right things, but that we do them with a right heart. The purpose of our fasting cannot be to gain the praise and approval of those around us, nor can it be performed as a means to manipulate God as if our fasting somehow obligates Him to bless us in whatever ways we think are best. God will not honor fasting that is done to impress people, nor will he be treated like a vending machine where we insert the coin of fasting and expect to be entitled to whatever blessing we choose.
When our fasting flows from a submitted heart and is carried out with the right motives, we can expect to receive reward from God. It might be that as we humble ourselves before our Father through times of fasting, that He rewards us with victory over a sin struggle in our lives. Or it may be that we experience an answer to prayer or are granted greater clarity and direction in an area where we need guidance. It could also be that we see God provide for us or open up new opportunities to us. Or it may be (and this would be the greatest reward of all) that God opens our eyes to see Him more clearly and gives us soul-satisfying glimpses of His glory. Ultimately, when we seek God through fasting, we can trust that God will reward us in the ways that He knows are best and we can be assured that the greatest reward He can give us is more of Himself.
Reflection
Rather than dictating to God how he should reward you, take a moment and pray that God would purify your motives in fasting and bless you in the ways that he knows are best.
Day 11 - God Has A Purpose For You
James 1:12 AMP
Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
God is a God of Amazing Purpose who loves you so much!
Our hearts as Kings’ kids isn’t to live in God's permissible will but His perfect will. In this journey of life we often feel the heat of being refined, the brokenness of being pruned and the pressures of being stretched beyond measure. In life we have disappointment, discouragement, acts of disobedience, the different griefs and hardships that come from a fallen world...and yet...
To abide in Christ means to intentionally remain in an ever-growing relationship with Him that transforms our character to be more like His. To live by remaining in Him is a choice of our free will. We are to choose to abide in Christ, which means not giving up, but continuing on despite our doubts or hardships. Abiding in Christ means allowing God to work through us and transform us so that flowthrough us. (Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Let’s join in prayer together as the Body of Christ...Kings’ kids. Let this be our heart’s prayer and activation: for God's will to be our will and to be His hands and feet. We pray for Heaven's extension here on earth. For our heart’s to be willing to be pliable, movable clay in the Potter's hands and for each of us to be refined and purified by the fire, the Holy Spirit. Our prayer is to remove impurities from our minds, wills and emotions, so we can be a functioning reflection of Jesus when we look at ourselves in the mirror. We want to see this in our homes, family, school, work, community, and world. May our intercession be that we be willing vessels - willing to be pruned in our brokenness, and to willfully choose to cut off that which ensnares, entangles and immobilizes us. We choose to let go of the unfruitful dead things in our lives, so we can become more fruitful. We want to bear and portray Christ. Let’s thank the Lord that He is the greatest teacher and we are His students. We want to continue to grow and continually from Him.
Reflection
Lord, thank You for being the Great Creator of ‘bounce back’, building elasticity in our skin to be ever stretchable, placing our trust in You. Thank You God for sending Your son Jesus and for the shedding of His blood for us so we can be saved, healed, delivered and set free. I believe in Your miraculous suddenlies; Your signs, wonders and miracles are alive in us. Your resurrection power of life dwells within our mortal beings to raise us up today. Thank You God for choosing us every time! May we continue to choose You, grow in You, gain wisdom, direction and insight of who we are in You and through You. May our lives
represent a life of saying yes, I do so love You, Abba Father! Today, and in moving forward, I say “Yes, Jesus, have Your way.” Amen.
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Day 12 - Following In His Footsteps Philippians 2:3-8 ESV
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We live in a “fill-me-up” kind of culture; one that encourages us to pursue our own interests, to satisfy our own ambitions, and to indulge in whatever we believe will bring us the most satisfaction in life. In this day and age, bucket lists are all the rage. Lists that are filled with the places we want to go, the goals we want to accomplish, and the things we want to experience before our days on earth are done. These bucket lists represent those things that we believe will somehow signify a life well lived.
But what if a life well-lived is one that follows in the footsteps of Jesus? What if true fulfillment is not found in consuming and accumulating things for ourselves, but in emptying ourselves and looking to the interests of others? Fasting is a practice that can help us nurture such a mindset. It is a chance to turn aside from our own self interests and consider instead the needs of those around us. Rather than focusing on when our next meal will be served, fasting provides us with the perfect opportunity to think about how we can bless and serve others. The self-denial that takes place as we purposely limit what we normally consume can be a tool in the hand of God to help conform us to the character of His Son. As we intentionally lift our eyes from our own appetites, we are more apt to notice the needs of those around us. Then, when our days on earth are done, perhaps we will not have a bucket filled with earthly pleasures and treasures to present to our Savior, but an empty bucket that has been poured out to enrich the lives of others.
Reflection
As you continue your fast, ask God to show you a practical way that you can be a blessing to someone else.
Day 13 - Where’s Your Focus Exodus 34:27-29 ESV
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ And so he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
For forty days Moses had been meeting with God – experiencing His presence, receiving instruction, and hearing Him speak. During this time, the prophet neither ate bread nor drank water. The Scripture doesn’t indicate that this fast was commanded by God Rather, it seems as if while on the mountain communicating with his Creator, the allure of the physical simply faded in the midst of such an intimate encounter. Moses wanted to hear from God more than he wanted to fill his stomach. And really, who stops to snack when God’s voice is speaking directly to you? And when the forty days were complete and Moses came back down from the mountain, he was a changed man. His very countenance was transformed, giving clear evidence that he had been in the presence of the Lord.
Although you likely don’t have the luxury of disappearing to the mountains for a month, your time of fasting is still an opportunity to intentionally give undivided attention to the God who created you and who called you into a relationship with Himself. Don’t waste your time of fasting by being preoccupied with trivial distractions and failing to truly carve out time to be with God. Just as God had words to share with Moses, He has words to share with you – words that if you trust them and take them to heart can change your very countenance.
Reflection
Is it easy or hard for you to believe that the same God who spoke to Moses is able and willing to speak to you?
Day 14 - Lips that Praise and Ears that Listen Acts 13:3-4 ESV
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Lips that praise and ears that listen – these are two things that should always accompany a time of fasting. In the verses above, we find a group of men from the church at Antioch worshiping God as they physically fast. These men aren’t sitting around complaining about how hungry they are or counting down the days until they can once again engage in a decadent dessert. Nor are they subtly boasting of the sacrifice they are making by denying themselves food. Instead, their time of fasting is spent pouring forth praises to the Lord, with their ears receptive to what He might have to say. And as they worship and pray and listen, God speaks to them and directs them in the way He would have them go.
Many Christians who have engaged in a time of personal fasting can testify to this same kind of experience occurring in their own lives. It’s not that fasting obligates God to show up, or that our praises are like some magic potion that compels Him to speak to us. Rather, worshiping and fasting places us in a posture where we are better positioned to hear from God. As we shift our focus away from the food that our body desires and instead declare to God that what we most desire is to walk with Him, we will find that we are much more in tune with what He might have to say to us. Fasting is an ideal time to worship God with the words of our mouth and then quiet our souls saying, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Reflection
Take some time to offer genuine praise to God, and then pray that He would give you a listening ear to hear Him speak.
Day 15 - Being Full Without Food John 4:31-34 ESV
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.’
What comes to mind when you think of food? Something simple like bread and cheese? Something hearty like steak and potatoes? Or perhaps something more refined like caviar? Whatever you think of first, odds are good it is something physical and tangible; something you can savor and sink your teeth into that would give you some measure of sustenance. Isn’t it interesting in the verses above (which are taken from the familiar passage where Jesus has been ministering to the Samaritan woman at the well) that when Jesus’ disciples bring up the topic of food and urge their Rabbi to eat, He takes that opportunity to teach them. He uses the moment to help them see the truth that feeding people spiritually matters more than filling their own stomachs and that accomplishing God’s purposes for their lives takes precedence over what their next meal would be. Jesus shows them that there is true nourishment to be gained from walking in God’s ways and accomplishing His work.
Now we know that Jesus was not opposed to eating and drinking. On the contrary, He enjoyed a good feast to the extent that He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard (Matthew 11:19). And we also know that He didn’t spend His days on earth imposing harsh restrictions on people, (one of the very activities He condemned in the religious leaders of the day). But He did want His followers to have a right perspective and to embrace the same priorities that He did – loving God and caring for the needs of those created in His image.
Fasting is a perfect time to purposely and prayerfully realign your life with God’s passions and priorities and to ask Him what He wants to accomplish in you and through you in this season of your life.
Reflection
During this time when you are denying yourself some measure of physical food, is there anyone God has placed in your path that you can intentionally share spiritual food with?
Day 16 - Going Deeper
Isaiah 55:1-3a ESV
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”
In the passage above, God calls out to hungry people and bids them to come and eat. He calls out to thirsty people and bids them to come and drink. He urges them, though they are poor and needy and have nothing to bring to the table, to come and satisfy their hunger and their thirst and to freely partake of a feast. But although God uses the imagery of bread, wine, and milk, the invitation He extends to them is not to a physical feast but to a spiritual feast. He invites them to come into His presence and listen to the words He speaks that they might find true soul satisfaction. Three times He bids them to listen diligently to Him, to incline their ear to Him, and to draw near and hear Him and in so doing, to delight themselves in life-giving, soul-nourishing food. God speaks and invites them to experience intimacy with Himself.
If we fast wisely, we will not merely turn away from the foods we typically eat, but we will turn toward God and listen to Him speak from His Word. We will forsake our pride and self-sufficiency and come before Him in all our neediness, ready to receive from all Jis fullness. We will come humbly yet boldly to the banquet He sets before us, knowing that we could never earn such a feast, but assured that our Savior has paid the full price so that we might partake freely. If we use our time of fasting wisely, it will become a time of feasting on the excellencies of God, who delights to reveals himself to us as the One who truly satisfies our hunger and quenches our thirst.
Reflection
When you look at your intake of God’s Word, would you say that you neglect it, nibble at it, or truly nourish your soul with it?
Day 17 - My Portion Forever Psalm 73:25-26 ESV
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
We live in a culture that continually turns to earthly pleasures and worldly treasures in search of satisfaction. The message that surrounds us is “more is better”, that “new is necessary”, and that we should pursue and indulge in whatever we believe will make us happy. But when we seek from created things what can only be found in the Creator, we are left empty and unsatisfied. The stuff on earth, though often enjoyable, was never meant to be the source of our true and lasting joy. Accumulating possessions and pursuing pleasurable experiences may dull our appetite, but will never satisfy our deepest hunger. God created us in such a way that He alone can fulfill us; anything less will ultimately fail us.
One of the benefits of fasting is that it provides us with a time to purposefully pause and remind ourselves not to get caught up in the current of the culture or to buy the lie that adding more “stuff” to our lives will somehow satisfy our longings. As we intentionally limit the types and portions of food that we eat, it is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the truth that God Himself is the only portion that will satisfy the true hunger of our souls. Fasting is a time to declare to our Creator that, whether we know it or not, there really is nothing on earth we desire besides Him.
Reflection
Take an honest look at your life. Would you say that you have an accumulation addiction? Do you routinely seek satisfaction from material things?
Day 18 - Digging For Joy Habakkuk 3:17-18 ESV
Though the fig trees should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
The prophet Habakkuk wrote when God’s people of the past were facing some bleak times. They were times marked by loss, lack, and adversity. These are words that we don’t like to have associated with our lives. Our preference is to live in a land of plenty and to spend our days in prosperity. It is human nature to crave comfort and to desire ease. And when difficulties do come and hard times hit, our tendency can be to complain about our circumstances and to grumble about our lot in life. Times of deprivation, if we are not careful, can lead us down a road of despair where we doubt God’s goodness and lose sight of God’s grace. Difficult times can easily rob us of the joy we so desperately desire. Yet, in the verses above, the prophet reminds us that it is possible to have unshakable joy even in the midst of undesirable circumstances, provided that joy is rooted and grounded in the unchanging character of a Sovereign, Saving God.
All of us will face “famine” of one sort or another in our lives. When we do, will we let our praise wither and our self-pity grow? Fasting is a spiritual discipline that can help prepare us for the battles that inevitably lie ahead. As we voluntarily deprive ourselves of something that we desire and willingly subject ourselves to a measure of lack, we remind ourselves that true joy is not found in a trial-free life, but rather in knowing and having relationship with the Living God. When our stomachs grumble, it is a chance to lift our eyes in gratefulness that although our circumstances may at times be difficult, our deepest desires are only satisfied by the grace and the goodness of our infinite God.
Reflection
Would you say that your joy is tied more to your circumstances or to your relationship with God?
Day 19 - He Satisfies My Soul Psalm 63:5-8 ESV
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
As our bodies are meant to be strengthened and satisfied by eating food, so our souls are meant to be strengthened and satisfied by knowing God. In our innermost being we know this to be true and would readily confess that God alone is the answer to our longing for fulfillment. But the question remains, how can this move from being an empty truth to which we give mere mental assent, to a genuine reality that we experience in our everyday lives? If we were to ask David, the author of Psalm 63, to offer us some advice, the words “contemplate” and “cultivate” might proceed from his mouth. You can see this in the verses above. If we purposefully take time to be still and contemplate the greatness and the goodness of God, meditating on His perfections and remembering the countless ways He has been our help, and if we cultivate closeness with Him, listening to Him speak to us and offering up our praises to Him, relinquishing our grip on worldly trinkets and holding tightly to the One who holds tightly to us, then we will find ourselves on the road to experiencing a satisfied soul.
In fasting, we abstain in order to obtain – denying the body the food it craves while feeding the soul what it was created to enjoy. As we restrain from indulging in our normal intake of food, it is with the hopes that we will take time to contemplate the glories of God and to cultivate closeness with the One Who intricately created us, Who intimately knows us, and Who alone is able to minister to our deepest longings.
Reflection
As you contemplate the greatness and the goodness of God, what is one nourishing truth you can meditate on to feed your soul?
Day 20 - Jesus Is The Bridegroom Mark 2:19-20 ESV
And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.”
When we become Christians we become united to Jesus and His Spirit now dwells within us. No longer separated from Him, we are now able to live our days walking in close relationship with Him, witnessing His power and experiencing His presence in real and meaningful ways. And yet, we know that what we experience now pales in comparison with what awaits. This side of heaven, we settle for tastes and glimpses that merely whet the appetite for what lies ahead. Jesus has promised us that there will be a day when we will be with Him, and that we will know a fullness of joy that we can’t even begin to fathom while our feet are still planted on this earth. Our Bridegroom has promised that He will either return for us or send for us so that we can receive the glorious inheritance that is being guarded for us.
There are many motives for fasting, but one that is often neglected is that we fast to declare our longing to be with our Bridegroom. In fasting, we confess our desire for our Savior to come and sweep away all sin and sadness, to obliterate the brokenness that permeates our lives, and to draw us into a relationship with Him that is rich beyond our imagination. In fasting, we proclaim that nothing this world offers us can satisfy the deepest places of our souls, and we express that we are eagerly awaiting the day when what is temporary is swallowed up by what is eternal. Fasting is a means of stirring up within us a holy hunger for the unhindered fellowship with God that we were created to enjoy and are promised that we will one day experience.
Reflection
As you prepare to end your 21 days of fasting, take some time for a little extra reflection. How has your life been blessed through this discipline? Are you more aware of your dependence on God, your desire for God, or your delight in God? Was it easy or difficult for you to fast with the right motives? Would you say that your time of fasting helped to stir within you a holy hunger for a deeper and closer walk with God?
Day 21 - You’re Looking at the New Me! Ephesians 4:22-24a
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self...
Putting off the old and putting on the new is the principle by which the possibilities that are in Christ can become evident in our experience. The admonition of the apostle is to be constantly recognizing and rejecting these false, underlying assumptions that come from the old self which is our old way of living. It is not merely deeds, but also our outlook and attitude. We must reject the basic assumptions that have caused our trouble—putting them off, rejecting them, and totally ridding ourselves of them. As you’ve been subjecting yourself to this time of fasting, you’ve created new habits and a new closeness with the Father that wasn’t there before. Protect this relationship and hold it dear.
We must put off the old self. That is our first step. The next step is to recognize the wonderful possibilities of our new life in Christ. When we have believed in Jesus Christ and received Him as our Lord and Savior, we are renewed in the attitudes of our minds. The new self is in the likeness of God. This is the life of God: the image of Jesus Christ in us because of His life in You! So put on that kind of life today, because it is available to you.
Reflection
Father, help me to grasp and put into practice this great principle of putting off the old self and putting on the new. I want to put You first in everything. You are above it all, always!