Emptying our stomachs to fill our hearts

Will you fast this Thursday?

Jesus did not say, “If you fast...” but “When you fast...” (Matthew 6:16). Jesus doesn’t say “they might fast, if they get around to it,” but “they will fast.”  (Matthew 9:14-15)  Will you fast?  Could you join the church wide fasting day on Thursday?

How?

Plan!  Plan which day. Plan which meal (or whatever it is).  Tell God why you are doing this and what you long for.  Let the gnawing of hunger remind you of your need for God.  Let the anticipation of the meal to come remind you that God will provide infinitely more greatly than the meal you are so looking forward to.

Why?

Fasting is designed to channel and express our desire for God.  John Piper in his great 1997 book Hunger says “If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great."  Fasting makes room in our soul for God.

According to Don Whitney in his classic book Spiritual Disciplines fasting’s spiritual purposes include:

·         strengthening prayer (Ezra 8:23; Joel 2:13; Acts 13:3)

·         seeking God’s guidance (Judges 20:26; Acts 14:23)

·         expressing grief (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:11–12)

·         seeking deliverance or protection (2 Chronicles 20:3–4; Ezra 8:21–23)

·         expressing repentance and returning to God (1 Samuel 7:6; Jonah 3:5–8)

·         humbling oneself before God (1 Kings 21:27–29; Psalm 35:13)

·         expressing concern for the work of God (Nehemiah 1:3–4; Daniel 9:3)

·         ministering to the needs of others (Isaiah 58:3–7)

·         overcoming temptation and dedicating yourself to God (Matthew 4:1–11)

·         expressing love and worship to God (Luke 2:37)

At its most basic we empty our stomachs of food so our hearts might be filled with Christ.

Will You Fast?

More could be said (e.g.: include your doctor if you have any health concerns), but fasting really is very simple (in practice) and very profound (in effect).  Will you fast?

SMART fasting fits every life.

Specific – I am fasting for…. (who/what?)

Measurable - I am fasting from…

Achievable – I can fast for…(how long)

Real – I am fasting for God to…

Together – I am fasting with…