Anyone who reads the title of this post who has any experience with fasting should immediately say “LIAR!”
I don’t really love fasting and I don’t know anyone who does. Fasting is nothing to love. Everything about fasting makes us weak, tired, cranky and miserable, but the same could be said of prayer.
I’ve heard lots of people say well-intentioned things like, “prayer changes things,” or even “I love prayer.” That sounds good but they’re also probably lying–at least to themselves. If someone truly loves prayer, what they mean is they truly love to sit alone in quiet with their thoughts.
But I Really Do Love It!
If you haven’t bailed on me as a heretic yet, let me explain what I mean. The act of prayer and fasting are nothing to love. They’re often boring, painful and hard. They’re disciplines that are hard, if not truly impossible, to love. But the divine paradox is that I truly love them and so do many many people. I don’t so much love the act of fasting or prayer, but I love what comes out of them.
When I pray, I ask the God of creation and all eternity to speak or act on my behalf. And you know what’s truly amazing? He actually does it.
There’s nothing more empowering than to hear God’s voice or to recognize Him acting on your behalf. There’s nothing that energizes prayer more than feeling the God or the universe reach down and touch you. That transforms prayer from a boring, monotonous activity into an exhilaration like no other.
Fasting is the same way. There’s few things in life that I can think of that I willingly partake in that are less pleasant than fasting, but the outcome of fasting in my past has solidified my desire for it in the future. I don’t love fasting, but I love what it produces in me and I love how clearly the Lord has spoken every time I fast. Through experience God has made me hungry enough to fast.
Next time I’ll share about one of the first fasts I did and how the Lord changed my life through it.
What has encouraged you to fast? What discourages you?
I am a writer, author and purveyor of ink on paper. I also preach, teach and create Excel spreadsheets.