by Grace Member, Martha Sanderford-Smith
We have been called as a church family to a month of fasting. A call for corporate fasting is not uncommon in the Bible or the history of the church. But in our 21 st century American culture, fasting stands in stark contrast to the message of self-indulgence, quest for comfort and avoidance of pain. So why should we engage in this call to fasting?
In Practicing the Power, Sam Storms lovingly challenges and reminds followers of Jesus: Fasting opens our spiritual ears to discern God’s voice and sensitizes our hearts to enjoy God’s presence. My heart longs for this! While my flesh screams “no!” Denying our physical appetite awakens a sensitivity to the spiritual realm. It brings to light, often more quickly than any other way, how the Spirit-led life I long to lead is instead more characterized by my own will, desires and selfishness. I get so easily swept up in the mundane busyness of life, relying on my own strengths or giftings – lulled into the sinful pattern of self- reliance.
Fasting confronts self-reliance like a freight train, drawing my heart to what it truly yearns for: Utter dependance and fulfillment in my loving Father.
Denial of food, an activity or a habit reorients my hearing to His voice. It highlights how much my heart is subtly or overtly consumed with the temporal pleasures of this world. Sam Storms states, “Fasting tenderizes our hearts.” It draws us deeper into His presence as we focus on the Holy Spirit to sustain us. Fasting fine tunes our hearing by doing a spiritual cleanse so we may more clearly hear the Father’s voice which has never ceased speaking.
We do not fast to entreat God to do what we want. We fast so that He will draw our hearts closer to Him. The spiritual transformation and empowerment that often results propels us in living the Spirit-filled life of utter dependence on His power so we can be Christ’s hands and feet to sinners and sufferers.
So, with every hunger pain or yearning for social media, when the urge to say yes to that which you’ve committed to say no feels so strong – let us instead draw closer to our loving Father. May His voice and His presence meet every longing, fill every void and empower us daily to follow Him.