This past Sunday we talked about fasting. That's something we don't generally make a big deal about at CrossRoads, but I thought in light of the Easter season, it was worth spending some time talking about. During the 40 days leading up to Easter, the church celebrates Lent. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and self-denial that leads up to our remembrance of Jesus' death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday.
So really, what's the deal with fasting? One of the best resources I've found on the spiritual side of fasting is a book by John Piper: A Hunger for God. Piper explains that fasting is not about trying to earn God's favor. (We can never earn God's favor. Instead, we receive God's favor as a gift through faith in Jesus.) He also points out that fasting is not about trying to manipulate God to get him to do what we want. Fasting is about increasing our hunger for God. Piper points out that in a world full of good things--many of which are God's gifts--it's easy to become satisfied with God's gifts and lose our hunger to know him. We have all been guilty of neglecting to pray or read our Bibles regularly when things are good, haven't we?
My prayer for you this week is that you would be reminded of your hunger for God. I would encourage you to take some time this week to refuse to be satisfied with the stuff around you--maybe even food for a day--to really focus on your hunger for God.
Psalm 63:1 NIV
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
www.crossroadsfortoworth.orgContact Us
So really, what's the deal with fasting? One of the best resources I've found on the spiritual side of fasting is a book by John Piper: A Hunger for God. Piper explains that fasting is not about trying to earn God's favor. (We can never earn God's favor. Instead, we receive God's favor as a gift through faith in Jesus.) He also points out that fasting is not about trying to manipulate God to get him to do what we want. Fasting is about increasing our hunger for God. Piper points out that in a world full of good things--many of which are God's gifts--it's easy to become satisfied with God's gifts and lose our hunger to know him. We have all been guilty of neglecting to pray or read our Bibles regularly when things are good, haven't we?
My prayer for you this week is that you would be reminded of your hunger for God. I would encourage you to take some time this week to refuse to be satisfied with the stuff around you--maybe even food for a day--to really focus on your hunger for God.
Psalm 63:1 NIV
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
www.crossroadsfortoworth.orgContact Us
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