Spiritual Discipline #1 - Fasting
Fasting… “Giving up something good in order to obtain something better.”
Let’s have some fun with fasting this coming Tuesday. I propose that we join together in doing a 24 hour juice fast, starting this coming Monday night at 8pm. Then at 8pm Tuesday, we will start Kairos with a meal! We will provide salad and drinks, but please bring some money to chip in for pizza.
The guidelines for the fast are as follows, if you would like to participate. You can drink as much juice as you would like. It needs to be labeled 100% juice. Or you can stop by Jamba juice and get a carrot juice! Also, make sure that you are drinking lots of water throughout the day.
It helps a lot to have a reason for the fast. If you don’t have anything else to pray about, please focus your prayers in on Lisamarie or Kelley (see below).
Also - for those Kairos members who are scattered far and wide - please join us in this fast!
Please share any thoughts or ideas about fasting that you have....
posted by Wade at 8/24/2005 09:21:00 PM
1 Comments:
Rend your heart...
When disaster strikes, when we find our sin separating us from our Savior, God tells us to respond with fasting:
12 'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.'13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing-- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?''
18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. ~Joel 2:12-18
It’s not just about giving up food, either. Giving up the food is just to prepare your heart to be humbled and broken for your sin, and for the sins of others. It’s so cool that our fasting, our brokenness, can help in interceding for others. Under the New Covenant, we have all become priests to God Most High. As such, we are called to weep and pray for others. So maybe I am interpreting this a little loosely, but the idea that we are to intercede for the lost around us is very valid.
And look at the end result! “God will take pity on his people!” It’s worth it – so very worth it.
Thanks so much to everyone that participated in the fast! It was awesome to eat dinner with everyone and share our stories. May God continue to bless each step you take in growing closer to His heart.
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