Fasting

I am not in the habit of fasting. I see it as a discipline that when I take a break from something (like food, or social media), I should replace that time with prayer and time spent with the Lord. I definitely don’t think this should be announced or a big deal made of it. To me, fasting is super personal and deeply spiritual between the Lord and me.

Isaiah makes it abundantly clear that fasting by itself is a waste. The Lord is examining my heart, not my eating habits. I can fast and “act” spiritual, but the Lord KNOWS my heart. He wants my heart deeply devoted to His heart so that He can move and work through me. Check this out….

⁶ “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
    lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
    and remove the chains that bind people.
⁷ Share your food with the hungry,
    and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
    and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

⁸ “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
    and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
    and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.

¹⁰ Feed the hungry,
    and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
    and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring. (Isaiah 58:6-8, 10-11 NLT)

I want to keep all the activities of my life in proper perspective. I want to live and move with the very Spirit of God directing my moves and controlling where I invest my time. I can often become “over booked” with my schedule and then the stress sets in. I am still learning that He desires to be the “Keeper of my schedule/life” and He will direct my path to where He needs me most.

I want to pay close attention to the appetites of my life and soul. I want to make sure that I’m surrendering control of all of these to the Lord. If He has my heart, He has everything I have to give. I believe that my behavior, choices and activities of my day flow from my heart. I want to do the “heart work” first and the behavior, choices and activities will follow and actually honor Him.

Pressing On!

Dwayne