Lent: A Season of Drawing Closer to GodSample

Week 2 Filling

Filling with the Holy Spirit

Read: Luke 4:1–15; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:26

SOAP: 2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.

Into the Text

One of the most famous examples of fasting in the New Testament is when Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness. According to multiple Gospel accounts, Jesus went to the wilderness to fast soon after He was baptized in the Jordan River by John. Jesus’ baptism was a significant moment in His ministry, a moment where His ministry became public and many began to follow Him.

Immediately after this significant event, Jesus went into the wilderness alone. He fasted for forty days and experienced hunger—He was even famished. But this physical hunger Jesus experienced made Him acutely aware of the schemes of the enemy. It made Him able to recall God’s Word, God’s promises, and God’s instruction.

Luke’s account tells us that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit as He went into the wilderness. Because of the strength of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to endure this season of fasting. Because of the strength of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to endure temptation and testing from Satan. And, because of the strength of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to return and continue His ministry.

Fasting is meant to be difficult. It is meant to drive us to depend on the Lord for strength and sustenance. But fasting is an opportunity to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As we trust God to meet our needs, and through prayer and meditating on Scripture, we are filled more and more with the Spirit. When we are not filled with food, we can depend on God’s Spirit to provide what we need to sustain us, give us energy, and keep our minds clear.

When we fast, we give the Holy Spirit room to fill us. Instead of focusing on what we are giving up, let’s focus on what we’re filling ourselves with. When we fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit, we find life, strength, and encouragement.