Start Your Fast WellSample

Fasting for More than a Day

When we fast and redirect our minds toward God, we are given clarity by the Holy Spirit to recognize our need for God.

It is easy to think of fasting as a time when the body is weaker from lack of food. The truth is that extended periods of fasting make you stronger. As your body adjusts, you become more spiritually focused. When we focus on God, the battle between your flesh and the Spirit comes to light. As King Ezra saw, when we commit to a fast and seek God, He responds in big ways that we can only credit to Him (Ezra 8). Patty Lawson discovered increased insight and humbleness through fasting.

Patty's story should inspire us. When we fast and focus on God's direction, we gain constant clarity from the Holy Spirit. This increased awareness of our continual need for God to help us navigate life is humbling. But it also gives us a freedom beyond compare. With the Spirit's power, we can resist the flesh and lead a fulfilling life. Fasting is one way to claim this higher level of awareness and the Spirit's power. God offers us all many opportunities for both.

Application

• How can you live knowing that, because of the Holy Spirit, you can resist the temptations of the flesh?
• Take some time this week to discuss starting an extended fast with God.