Realignment: Three Days With Godનમૂનો

Day 4: Strength in Weakness

You’ve got this! Fasting is not an easy exercise, but you are on the final day of your fast. This is where your body is weakest, but fortunately, there are many encouraging and supporting passages we can turn to in God’s word that will navigate us through difficulty. This is true during normal circumstances as well as during fasting.

When we are in a fast, Paul’s words about God’s strength being perfected in weakness have a new meaning. As we deny ourselves physical sustenance, we’re often confronted with our limitations and vulnerabilities. Yet, God’s strength can shine most clearly in these moments of bodily weakness. Fasting is a way of embracing our dependency on God, allowing Him to be our source of strength.

Today, let your weakness remind you of God’s strength. If you feel tempted to quit or if the physical effects of fasting become overwhelming, remember that God’s grace is sufficient. We can make it through this together! Each pang of hunger, each moment of weakness, is an opportunity to lean into God’s grace.

As you continue fasting today, meditate on what it means for God’s power to be made perfect in weakness. Instead of resisting or feeling discouraged by moments of frailty, see them as moments of surrender when God invites you to lean on His strength.

Our culture often values self-sufficiency, yet fasting is a beautiful reminder that our greatest strength comes when we rely on God. Paul embraced his weakness because it magnified God’s power; in the same way, allow your fasting experience to draw you closer to the reality of God’s sustaining power.

Use this as a moment to propel you further and then encourage your accountability partner. Together, you can reflect on how you can carry this sense of dependency beyond fasting. In your day-to-day life, there are countless areas where you could be relying more on God’s strength rather than your own. Fasting gives you a heightened awareness of this need, but it’s a lesson that can profoundly transform your faith journey if carried forward. Today, thank God for His sufficiency and ask Him to help you continue walking in His strength, even after the fast ends.

Spiritual Preparation

If you were to continue on past this day, it would get easier, but the third day of the fast is the most difficult. This is where you have to be mentally tough to continue pressing forward. Rather than counting down the minutes until you can eat again, celebrate every moment you have with the Lord. This mentality shift starts with you saying to the Lord, “We have 24 hours left, God; what do you want to work on in me?”

Practical Preparation

Drink a lot of water and continue to rest. Don’t spend any time thinking about what you’ll eat tomorrow; the mind will activate saliva glands, and your stomach will ache with anticipation. Instead, prepare yourself to be satisfied with water. Before breaking your fast, make sure you read tomorrow’s directions.

Ask Yourself:

1. Where am I tempted to rely on my strength instead of God’s?

2. How does it feel to embrace weakness as a doorway to God’s power?

3. How can I rely more on God in everyday situations beyond this fast?

Prayer Focus:

Thank God for His strength in your weakness, and ask for a heart that continually depends on His grace. Pray for the courage to embrace your limitations, knowing God is glorified in them.