Take Action!
I hope that this devotional has started to grow an increasing desire and hunger for more of God’s presence in your life.
Rather than just reading about it I thought it would be a good idea to do something practical, to take some action!
Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline that basically strips away physical distractions and focuses attention on God. It is not a sneaky way of trying to ‘twist God’s arm’ to make Him do something for us. It is a way to help us connect to God and hear from Him more clearly.
I also believe having a short fast will also highlight the concept of hunger for more of God, creating a very real link between the concepts we have been talking about and the physical reality.
There are many types of fast: not having one meal a day; cut out all meals and only drink fruit juice; cutting out meat from the diet; abstaining from using the computer for a few days etc. The idea is to find something that will fit you and your lifestyle. It needs to be something that will be a challenge for you and it would be beneficial to substitute the time you would have spent eating or checking Facebook (or whatever you are fasting) by spending more time alone with God, focusing on Him, asking for an increased hunger for his Spirit in our lives, seeking for more of Him!
When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:16 (NIV)
I would encourage you to find a notebook, a journal or simply a piece of paper to write down what God is saying to you during your time of fasting. You may also want to write down how you found this time (was it easy / difficult?). What did you learn from it?