Hi everyone,

For those of you who were not in Verb this past Sunday we talked about fasting. You may think that fasting means not eating. However, it is a lot more than that. Before we go further, let me ask you a few questions:

• What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without eating?

• Why did you go without eating for that long?

• How did it feel when you ate again?

Fasting is a spiritual habit. One that is considered somewhat extreme by some. But I want you to see why it is important to do. Let’s discover what fasting is first, and then talk about ways you can try it.

Fasting is not about the amount of food eaten, it is about the attitude you have while fasting. Fasting has a biblical purpose. Not eating does not. Not eating means you skip a meal. Maybe you want to lose weight, you’re not hungry, or you don’t have any money. Fasting is depriving yourself of something so that you can rely and focus on God instead. There is a hunger for something greater than food that motivates us to ignore the basic human need for sustenance.

At this point you may be wondering why fasting magically helps you focus on God. Well let's look back at one of the questions I asked you before. How did it feel when you stopped eating? I bet your stomach growled, you day dreamed about jelly donuts and pizza, and each minute seemed to take an hour. Now let's pretend you were fasting for that time you went without food instead of whatever else the reason was. Now, each time your stomach growls you remember why you are going hungry and you thank God for all the blessings in your life. Every day dream of food you have you switch your thinking to the cross and your dedication to Christian living. This is one of the reasons why fasting will help you focus on Jesus. Pretty simple.

Do you think that fasting only works with food? Remember, it is about your attitude, not the actual action. So let's say you normally play video games for a few hours everyday. How about instead of video games you read your Bible or pray. You can fast from anything that you normally would spend time doing or would miss if it wasn't there. So what could You fast from?

My challenge for you is to fast from something this week.

Thanks. I'm praying for you!

-Blaine-

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