In the beginning of Matthew 4 Jesus was led by The Holy Spirit into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. The tempter tested Jesus by saying he has the power to turn even the stones of the ground into some delicious bread to eat. Jesus knew that the devil was trying to make him succumb to the weakness of the flesh and give in to sin. Since he was perfect, Jesus declined his offer and Satan eventually fled.
Jesus fed on more than food. He fed on the very Word of his Father. To us it seems impossible to fast and compare ourselves to Jesus in this way when he was perfect and we are not. The truth is that it’s so much more than just giving up food for a extended period of time. The definition of sacrifice is an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. Look at the definition one more time and think to yourself what would you be willing to give up to be closer to God. If something comes to mind that would be hard for you to give up, chances are that it is the thing that you need to give up the most.
When you hear that someone is fasting your first thought is probably that they are not eating food. This is the most common and traditional form of fasting, but you can fast from many different things. People will sometimes fast from food because they want to acknowledge their dependence on God. They want to remind themselves that they survive on God alone and that through prayer and faith God will provide for them. The same goes with other ideas such as make up, video games, T.V., etc. People want to break their addiction or dependence on what they are fasting from and to realize they don’t need that thing to survive.
I want to fast. I want to show myself that I can rely on God for my earthly needs and grow closer to Him. I have already put my trust in the Lord for food because I only have 5 dollars a day for food and he certainly provides through that. Also, I couldn’t fast from food completely because I wouldn’t even make it 2 days without my mom or my Nene coming to Africa and shoving a spoon of food down my throat. What is something that is blocking me from furthering my relationship with God? I have prayed about this and the idea that reappears over and over again is technology and I need to give it up.
Forgive me if I get too personal, but technology and the internet is my biggest stumbling block. It enables me to lust, envy, and waste time that could be spent serving and worshipping God. The large amount of time I spend on Twitter, Facebook, and random funny image websites could be used to spend time with my Lord.
I am doing this for 40 days and 40 nights. The purpose of this fast is not to brag about what I can do, but to take advantage of the time I have on this trip and use it to the best of my ability. I also want to encourage you to take a look at your own lives. If anything is hindering your relationship with God, think about setting aside some time to pray and fast with the right intentions. God often reveals himself amidst the fast and gives light and comfort to whatever is troubling you or holding you back in your walk with him. This specific fast from technology with start March 10th and end April 19th. My lap top and phone will remain off for the duration of this period. There is about 2 weeks before I begin this fast for the purpose of answering any questions you may have about what I’m doing or where I will be in Africa. These 40 days and nights will be a time of trial and hardships, as it is in any fast, in which I will be tempted by Satan with whispered, sweet lies that will end in a bitter fashion if I answer his lies. Prayers and words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
