So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Daniel 9:3
I feel as though God is calling me to a season of fasting. I have been praying about different things I can remove from my life so that I can better hear the voice of God. In fasting we remove things from our lives and use that time to spend with God. Fasting removes distractions so that we can better hear His voice. Fasting will change your life and draw you close to God. I know that when I fast I feel closer to God than any other time in my life.
Our culture has a popular way to fast. It’s secular, but it’s a fast none the less. It’s called rehab. We hear about so many celebrities entering rehab to break the addictions in their life. They go to a place to remove the distractions so that they can heal their lives. They are trying to break a cycle and begin a new life. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
When we partake in a spiritual fast we are seeking a breakthrough as well. We are not, however, doing something simply on our own; rather, we are tapping into the supernatural power of God that will change us. Here are some things you can do if you feel God is calling you to a fast.- Identify what you are seeking from God. Tell God specifically what you are seeking from Him alone.
- Make your commitment. Remember we grow from our commitments. What are you going to give up (food, TV, etc.) and for how long.
- Identify what you are going to add during your time of fasting. Fasting is not only about removing things from our lives it’s also about adding. For example: What are you going to do with the time that you would spend eating or watching TV? What are you going to do with the money you would save on food and eating out?
Times of fasting are important seasons in our life. Pray for me and I’ll pray for you as we draw near to Him through fasting.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
This past week I was in Maryland with Leslie teaching at our sister college. Leslie and I were going to spend a couple of extra days at our nation’s capitol to do some sight seeing before we came home. Through a couple of random yet divine events Leslie and I were able to meet Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life” and the “40 Days of Purpose,” and attend a private meeting he was having with select pastors from the Washington DC area. I could tell you the whole story, but you wouldn’t believe it.
When he first arrived Rick jokingly apologized about unimpressive he was up close. But nothing could be further from the truth. What an amazing guy. So real, so genuine, so deep. He shared from his heart recent truths that God had been revealing to him. One thing he said that impacted me was that he would "rather die than embarrass Jesus.” God has entrusted Rick Warren with tremendous influence in the world and he doesn’t want to become another fallen minister. Another statistic. Another reason for unbelievers to doubt the reality of a life-changing relationship with God.
How does Rick stay on track with God? How can we? We must defeat the schemes of the enemy in our lives. The devil has three attacks: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These are the temptations: to feel good (hedonism), to have (materialism), and to simply be selfish. The devil uses these things to destroy our lives and render our testimonies useless. God has antidotes for each of these temptations. We need three things in our lives: integrity, generosity, and humility.
How do we resist the devil and become the children of God we were created to be? Fight the temptations with the integrity, humility, and generosity of the purpose driven life.
