When You Fast

In the last couple of posts, I shared what I believe are three major things we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. I explained that they are things that we should do often, and if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know that we’re doing it. First I talked about reading our Bible, then prayer, and in this segment, I thought I’d highlight a practice that I believe is the most powerful; and that is fasting. Very few people enjoy fasting, but it is something that Jesus calls us to do, and he wants us to do it in secret. In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus says: 

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

This is probably a practice that American believers do the least. Some have never attempted it. But Jesus tells us that we are to fast. Fasting, is simply denying ourselves food, for a period of time, as we focus with pin-point precision on our Lord and Savior. Some might fast their lunch during the day. Others might fast distractions like watching television, accessing cell phones or playing video games for a time. But I believe when Jesus refers to fasting he’s talking about denying ourselves all food, and drinking only water, for a period of time. I believe the longer we choose to fast in this way, the more God can use that time to do an amazing work in us, through us and for us. I’ve read, and heard stories, of unexplainable things happening during extended fasts; things like hearing the audible voice of God, literally feeling the hand of God, and even witnessing physical things moving by themselves in the room. If that sounds too wild for you, I challenge you not to put God in a box. His power is incredible, and I believe that fasting is the best way to fast-track an answer to our most pressing issues. I challenge you, if something is going on in your life that seems impossible to overcome, fast. Spend time alone with God as much as you can, abstain from eating any food, and poor out your heart to him until you hear an answer. Fasting was a way of life for Jesus and his disciples, and it should be for us as well.

---

Fasting is a practice that many Christians ignore, but the Bible encourages us to do it. I believe that it is a concentrated time of deep connection with our God. When fasting, every hunger pang reminds us of why we are denying ourselves. Our minds are continually on God and the reason for our fast. I usually fast when I really need to hear from God or see him move on my behalf. Sometimes I fast for a day, and others times I fast for several. But each time, I feel a closeness to God that can only come from fasting. I encourage you, if you haven’t fasted before, to make it a practice in your life. It is a directive from God, and it makes a difference in our relationship with him and whatever we’re going through in life.

When You Pray

In the Wednesday’s post, I shared what I believe are the three major things we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. I explained that they are things that we should do often, and if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know that we’re doing it. In that segment, I focused on reading our Bible, but this time I wanted to encourage you to pray consistently. Think about it. How can we build a relationship with someone if we don’t talk to them? Prayer doesn’t have to always involve us asking for something. We could simply praise and worship God with our words. We could thank him for what he has given us. And yes, we could plead with him on behalf of ourselves or someone else. But I believe the most powerful prayers are ones done in isolation, with no distractions, providing the perfect atmosphere for an open dialogue between you and God. In Matthew chapter 6, verses 5 through 8 Jesus says this about prayer:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Isn’t it encouraging to know that God knows what we need before we even ask? If you kneel to pray and don’t know what to say, I encourage you to just sit silently in his presence and listen with your spiritual ears. You may hear God revealing something to you. Many people believe that prayer is one way communication from us to God. Though I believe that is the way the majority of our prayers happen, I think that he speaks to us as well, if we take the time to be quiet, to be patient and to listen.

---

Prayer is essential to the health of any Christian walk. The Bible tells us to pray constantly – or without ceasing. We should be in conversation with God as often as possible. That is one of the best ways to maintain a strong relationship with him. In the Bible we read about times when God tells others, “I never knew you”. This is after they’ve cast out demons and performed amazing miracles in his name. I encourage you to make sure that God knows you by talking to him often. And when you come to him with something heavy on your heart; so heavy that you don’t even know how to express yourself, remember that Romans 8:26 says:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

So, I encourage you to pray often even when you don’t know what to say. If you find prayer difficult, start small. Pray in private for only a few minutes. If you make it a habit, over time, I think you’ll even look forward to time alone with God.

Word of God

I believe there are three major things that we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. These are things that we should do often, and they are things that if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know they are occurring. The things I’m referring to are prayer, Bible reading and fasting. Each one is important, and I would argue that most Christians don’t practice them enough. Let’s take Bible reading as an example. How can we learn about the character of God, his commands, Jesus’ life, and how we are to live without becoming intimately aware of what the Bible says? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 describes the Bible like this:

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 

And Hebrews 4:12 says this about the Bible:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

I encourage you, if you’re not reading the Bible on a regular basis, to begin doing so. Carve out time each day to read a couple of chapters. Don’t like to read? Invest in the spoken Bible as an app on your smartphone or as a CD collection. Is the Bible a little over your head? Invest in a study Bible, or get a devotional series that will walk you through principles of the Bible. Any way you engage the Bible, the Lord can use that time to teach, rebuke, correct and train you, as it says in Second Timothy. It is also the best way we can grow in our faith because the Bible teaches us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. In all honesty, I can think of no better way to get to know God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit apart from reading the word of God.

---

I can’t express how important it is for every believer to become familiar with what the Bible says directly from the Bible itself. If we do, not only can we learn how to live, but we can teach others to do the same. The Bible is the purest written directive to us from the God of all creation. Jesus used the words of the Bible to battle Satan in the desert, and if we know what the Bible says, we can as well because as Hebrews reminds us; the word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword. I’ve read the Bible several times, and even still, each time I read it, God reveals something new to me. The more I read it, the deeper I understand him. And I’m sure any believer reading the word can testify to the same. If you’re new to the Bible, I would encourage you to begin with the New Testament. And if you already know your Bible pretty well, I would challenge you to become a scholar.

God So Loved

Every once in a while, I like to reflect on the core message of the Bible; the fact that over 2000 years ago, God sent his son, Jesus, to be born of a virgin, to teach us how to live and to ultimately die so that sinners like us might live for eternity in heaven. And of course, three days later he rose from the grave, as only the true Son of God could, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. The entire Christian faith rests on these truths, and if we don’t believe, we will go to hell - not heaven - when we die. It doesn’t matter how good we think we are, we will go to hell without Jesus’ blood. And it doesn’t matter how bad we’ve been, with the blood of Jesus we can enter heaven. John 3:16-17 says this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Many believers have committed that scripture to memory. It is that important. I encourage you to memorize it as well and think on it often. It is this truth that saves us. If you are reading this and have not committed your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do it today. I’ll always remember the simple ABCs of committing one’s life to Christ. A: Admit that you are a sinner. B: Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross. And C: Confess your sins to him and repent from them. Yes, when boiled down it is that simple. But it is also more complicated. If it weren’t, the Bible would be a pamphlet, not a book. If you don’t know Jesus, I encourage you not to go to bed tonight before giving serious thought to this decision which will ultimately decide your eternity.

---

Christianity comes down to faith. Do you believe that God sent his son to die for your sins? Do you believe that there is a place called heaven and hell, and without Jesus’ blood to cover your sin you will not find entrance into heaven? None of us are righteous enough to get into heaven on our own; absolutely no one. We all need Jesus. If we don’t choose him, by default, we’re choosing hell. I pray that you choose him if you haven’t already. This is no joke. When you die, and we all will die, you’ll realize that heaven and hell are more real than this earthly life that we’re experiencing right now. I hope to see you in heaven. I have every intention of having my name written in the book of life, and I hope you do too.

Pass it Down

In Bible times, the Israelites didn’t have smartphones, tablet computers and laptops to take video, pictures or to write down important things that they would save for their children and grandchildren. Instead, they would usually pass knowledge and sentiments down through songs that they would teach their children. Other times, stories would be told and passed down through the generations. They might’ve also decorated their houses by writing important information and posting it on their doors or, even literally, wearing scripture on their wrists and foreheads as if it were a form of jewelry. Whatever the case, if something were important enough for one generation, it would be passed down to those who would be born after them. That is the way it was with the commandments that God gave them, so that future generations would continue to follow them. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 the Bible says:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Like the Israelites, God wants us to pass down our faith to our children. We need to talk about it when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up, as the Bible says. It should be so important to us, that we should make it a part of our daily conversation. Our children shouldn’t have to wait for Sunday school to learn about God. And we shouldn’t have to attend a Bible study to get our weekly dose of Bible knowledge. Families should talk about God on a daily basis. Do you? If not, I’d encourage you to find ways to make your faith a greater part of who you are. Just as important, we need to pass our faith down to our children so that they can pass it down to theirs and so on. We’re not just talking about a neat tradition here, we’re talking about generations of souls that need to be taught the truth.

---

It is our responsibility to pass what we know about God to the next generation. It could be our kids, nephews, nieces, grandkids, or even our brothers and sisters. In a world where the gospel is being silenced and treated as irrelevant, those of us who know that eternity hangs in the balance should treat it as the most precious thing we can pass down to another. It is literally more important than anything you could ever give someone. And when God is talked about consistently, the truth can be planted so deep that when they grow old, they will not depart from it. God’s command to the Israelites is his command to us as well. God should be a daily conversation within our families, because if they don’t see us valuing the gospel, they may not either.