In the Beginning: How to Start the Year StrongSample

Day 3

Matthew 4:1-2 (AMP) "Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry."

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, began His ministry with a fast. He went without food for 40 days and nights. Apostle Paul also began his ministry with a 3-day fast (Acts 9:9). Fasting is a spiritual discipline for initiating new transitions and awakening our consciousness of the spiritual realities available to us in Christ Jesus. It is a proven spiritual technology for taming the flesh and humbling the soul to gain mastery over temptations (Psalm 35:13). Fasting is a necessary part of Christian living, and it involves giving up all or specific foods for a duration of time to seek God. I invite you to explore another reading plan I wrote, "When You Fast," to gain more insight into fasting.

Start the new year with a fast, fast monthly, fast weekly, fast before starting a new job, fast when you need clarity of direction, fast to gain new insight into God’s Word, and fast with your family.

Meditate by declaring the following slowly and intentionally for 10 minutes; then practice being still for 4 minutes listening for what God is saying:

The Holy Spirit quickens my desire to fast. I humble my soul with fasting. God rewards my fast.

To jumpstart your fasting journey, I invite you to read the When You Fast Devotional. For community support and guided meditation, download the Christian Mommas App.