Monday, September 4, 2017 The Fasted Life (The Discipline of Fasting, Part 1) (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Monday, September 4, 2017

The Fasted Life (The Discipline of Fasting, Part 1)

(Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Devotional:

As I continue to study Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster in preparation for our time of encouragement and prayer, I was surprised to struggle for inspiration to share about fasting. As a reborn believer who returned to Jesus about 17 years ago, in some ways I tend toward a young perspective on the Christian walk.

In my early days fasting was slightly foreign to me. As a child I would witness my mom taking part in occasional, quiet fasts. She would sip Constant Comment tea and bouillon, and in her discreet way set a gentle example for the now-me of ways to honor the Lord in fasting, but I didn’t really understand then.

I did have many examples of fasting believers when I returned to the Lord, but as with much of what I ingested early on, my inner perfectionist was a bit fixated on the “rules,” and I feel I lost the heart and purpose of it.

As Pastor Foster shares in his introduction to the section on fasting, we as the Body of Christ have the tendency to swing the pendulum from this rules-based focus to the total absence of fasting in our day. I can certainly relate to that, and have prayed and pondered this question for some time.

I’ve felt the Lord whisper to me on many occasions that yes, planned and purposeful fasting is certainly a call on the believer; however, as with Jesus and Paul and many other pillars of our faith, the leading I perceive from the Holy Spirit is to focus more on living a fasted life. The concept is that we would live a life dedicated to healthy pursuits of the mind, body and spirit, denying ourselves the things that would lead to excess or distraction.

In the arena of the planned and purposeful, there are many popular modern fasts.

Fasting from food is not only a wonderful spiritual discipline, but the health benefits are embraced by most medical and nutritional experts.

Another popular choice is a fast from social media. While I make the effort not to jump on bandwagons or follow the popular opinion without careful analysis, I love this option. Over time, the Lord has led me into a variety of fasts along these lines: having a Facebook curfew, turning my phone off whenever I am with my family and friends, and full social media breaks. This is almost never to my detriment! And certainly, this sort of fast would certainly do no harm to our kids.

Another modern day fast is one from spending. To deny oneself the instant gratification of treats, desired trinkets, or luxuries – and even to go one step further and redirect those funds to be a blessing to others – is a wonderful way to deny ourselves and focus our hearts and minds on the Cross.

I want to encourage you that this special piece of the Christian pie is certainly a luscious one for us to enter. Shall we sit at the table together to partake?

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Father, today I thank You for Who You are. You are matchless, majestic, wonderful. I lift my heart, life, and day to You. Thank You for Your great love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness.

Confession:

God, I open my heart to You. Search me and know me. Show me if I have a place in my heart or life that needs to be surrendered to You. I release it to You now for healing, ask forgiveness of sin, and receive Your grace and mercy.

Supplication:

I ask today that You change my heart and attitude toward fasting to match Your heart. Inspire me afresh and anew to incorporate this discipline into my life and the life of our family. I open myself to Your guidance in this area.

Intercession:

I lift my children to You today. I ask that You will guide me in training them in the area of fasting. I pray that as we together walk the fasted life, we would see breakthrough in the challenges we face as parent and child. I lift up (area of need, concern, or stronghold). (Journal requests, make note of progress and victories, record Scripture the Lord brings to mind.)

Thanksgiving:

Father, You are Good and Your lovingkindness endures to all generations, and I praise You for Your great work in our home.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.