Life By The Spirit Scripture And PracticesSample

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Fasting is an opportunity to lay down an appetite (usually for food), that brings us face to face with the hunger at the core of our being. “Through self-denial we begin to recognize what controls us. Our small denials of the self show us just how little taste we actually have for sacrifice or time with God. This truth is not meant to discourage us. It’s simply the first step in realizing that we have to lay down our life in order to find it again in God.” (Adele Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook) 

Daily Prayer: Lord, give me a hunger for more of you. 

Daily Practice: Often we try to satisfy our hunger for God with substitutes. We try all kinds of things: food, sex, social media, career success, even religious activities. There is nothing wrong with these things when they find their proper place in our lives. However, the more we focus on and feed our appetites for these other things, the more they consume and control us. Jesus teaches us that none of these substitutes can fulfill our deep hunger for God. Get honest with yourself and with God about the substitutes you turn to. Perhaps write them down. Ask the Lord to begin to change your relationship to these other things. Pray the daily prayer as you close your time.