Tauren Wells “When We Pray” (Devotional #7)
Spoiler alert: IΓÇÖm not really a foodie. I know, I know, itΓÇÖs disappointing. I apparently have the taste buds of a picky 4th grader. On the flip side, I need to eat, and I have a tendency to get hangry if I donΓÇÖt (hangry = hungry + angry)! With that info, you can probably deduce that fasting isnΓÇÖt exactly my favorite part of the Christian life. However, I think that God intended fasting to be just thatΓÇöa denial of our temporal pleasure to reset our appetite for what is most satisfying: God.
Fasting is a necessity in the life of a believer, but many Christians have a misunderstanding about what fasting is and what it accomplishes. ItΓÇÖs actually a very simple concept that can profoundly affect our lives.
Many view it as some kind of devotional currency they can use to get what they want from God. ThatΓÇÖs fake news. At its core, fasting is about bringing the prayer of ΓÇ£less of me and more of youΓÇ¥ to life. Fasting is about the denial of self, the shifting of priorities, and the acknowledgment of what it means to hunger not just for mere morsels of food but for the life-changing presence God. It is a resolute course of action anointed by His Spirit, not by our will.
When was the last time you fasted? Could God be calling you to the next step of regular fasting?
