The first full week of May will begin a church-wide fast. “The ultimate aim of fasting is to get in touch with our hunger for God. Hunger is the state of wanting or needing something you do not have. When we fast, we awaken our body and soul to its deep yearning for life with the Father. We become able to say with Jesus, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” (John 4:32)” (John Mark Comer, Fasting).
In order to have a “successful” fast, we first need to come to a place of surrender. Our goal is not to control our spiritual formation but to surrender our spiritual formation to Jesus. In order to do that it might be helpful to first examine some different approaches to fasting.
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- Offer yourself to Jesus. Regardless of the type of fast you choose (food, social media, entertainment, etc) do so with the intent to allow Jesus to reign supreme over an area that consumes your time, thoughts, and energy.
- Grow in Holiness. Fasting has a way of revealing what is in our heart. As we determine the area of life that we will fast, we come face to face with where we need to reorder our desires. Fasting also challenges whether or not we will only do things that bring us instant gratification or if we will willingly sacrifice for the greater good of drawing closer to God and His power to overcome sin.
- To amplify your prayers. John Mark Comer said, “When prayer and fasting link arms, it’s often the tipping point in the struggle to release God’s kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.”
- To stand with the poor. What would it look like to use the resources you normally would spend feeding or entertaining yourself to bless others?
In all of these ways, our relationship with God can grow. Our hope is that you will take time now to consider how this season of fasting can deepen your relationship with God. Fasting might also help you discover areas of your life that have been held back from God until now. I know I am excited to kick off this season of fasting with you! Let’s be an encouragement to one another!
