Week 4 – Encountering God through Fasting

Theme
I can encounter God through fasting.

Prayer
God, let me experience your loving presence and power through fasting.


The word “fast”, as used in the Bible, implies the practice of self-denial. Through this practice, many people have found a way out from underneath the bonds of this world and its worries, and into the presence of Jesus Christ. At the foot of the cross we find freedom from our bondage and strength in our new life with God. One goal of any spiritual practice is freedom from bondage and fasting is no exception. This freedom is accomplished through actively engaging in the presence of Christ. Fasting is simply a means to incline us toward Him.

Through fasting, we bring ourselves into God’s presence. While fasting, the urge to eat reminds us why we are denying ourselves. As the reason for our fast, to grow closer with Christ, continuously comes to mind, we will be thrust into a Christ consciousness that is rarely attained. The effects of this practice are felt well beyond the act itself. During a fast, we force our desire to eat into submission, thus training ourselves to resist temptation. This ability to resist temptation can then be used when faced with the enticement of sin.

Fasting is not an end in itself. Abstaining from food does not release us from our bondage. Rather, it is simply a tool to bring us into the presence of Christ, where real freedom and transformation take place.


Daily
Review:  In your journal, review how you have experienced God since your last journal entry.

Read:  After repeating the theme several times, use the prayer to initiate your time with the passage. Consider reading the passage several times, pausing between each reading. After reading and meditating on the passage, record your summary in Section 2 of your journal.

Respond:  Take time to respond to God. Write your response in Section 3 of your journal.


Day 1
Before any consideration of fasting one must learn what fast would be acceptable to the Lord, consider:
Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 6:16-18 and ask for God’s guidance.

Day 2
Galatians 5:1
Meditate upon the reason for Christ’s sacrifice for you.

Day 3
Romans 6:11-18; John 8:31-36
First dwell for a moment on the ramifications of the Romans passage and then bask in the enjoyment of the promise found in the Gospel of John passage.

Day 4
Leviticus 26:9-13
Consider how this passage relates to your own experience.

Day 5
Matthew 11:28-30 
Reflect upon how this promise has changed or will change your spiritual journey.

Day 6
Romans 8:12-18
Consider the ramifications of this passage as it relates to you now, and as it corresponds to you in regards to eternity.

Day 7
Review all six days by reading your journal. How have you encountered God this week? Write a summary of your experience. Consider sharing your insights with someone else.