This post is my attempt of combining prayer and fasting. First thoughts on prayer.....LISTENING! I don't care how many times I have read this - that always seems to blow me up. The discipline of being disciplined to LISTEN has been my journey. Just this morning on my way to bible study at Panera I purposed in my mind and heart to LISTEN to God while driving the 8 minutes it takes to get to Panera. Well, twice without me knowing it I turned on the radio in that 8 minute span. AHHHHH! So weak am I at being disciplined to listen in prayer. The past week was not so much of a success story of intimate prayer times but a wake up call of how lacking of intimacy my times with the Lord really are!!!
Fasting from food has always been a real easy/fun discipline for me. Maybe top 3 disciplines that I practice with some regularity. However.....the past 2 weeks I have been on a steroid medication for an allergic reaction in where I have to eat! The steroid demands I eat!!! (By the way, so hitting Chipotle on the way down to socal today) anyways.......Fasting from other things besides food has been a new adventure. My favorite scripture on fasting is easily Psalm 69:10 - "I humbled my soul with fasting" - Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear - if they are within us will surface during fasting!
Come Lord Jesus come and reveal whatever it is you want to reveal. May I be sustained by every word that proceeds from your mouth and that alone!
-Reid
I definitely hear you on the discipline to listen. I already struggle with being disciplined in prayer in general, and then it seems like even when I manage to be somewhat disciplined in presenting my requests before God, I have so much trouble to shut that off for a bit and just listen.
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