While the most common thing to fast is food (most of the examples in the Bible we see are those fasting from food completely), I have personally included other things to fast from. Daniel tells us he fasted (Daniel 9, 10), Nehemiah fasted (Nehemiah 1), and we know Jesus fasted for 40 days (Matthew 4); and there are many verses in the Bible on the etiquette of fasting and the spiritual benefits of fasting.
Fasting is setting out a time where you deprive yourself in sacrifice to God something (most commonly food) to commit your focus and prayer-life to the Lord. Each year I like to do a 40-day fast challenge and choose something to give up for 40 days. I find that this helps me realign myself mentally and spiritually.
My challenge to you
This year, I would like to invite you to join me in a 40-day fast challenge. When was the last time you fasted for 40-days? Statistically it is said that it takes 21 days to create a habit, and so this may be the perfect opportunity for you to create healthier habits and detox from things that are taking up your precious time - time that you can be using toward a healthier prayer life, intentional relationships with friends and family, start writing the book you always talk about doing, sit in silence with the Lord, take a vacation, etc.
What is taking up your attention?
What luxuries have you been indulging in? What things have been screaming for your attention that are distractions? Take a moment to think about these things. One (or more) may be just the thing you need to fast from.
What should you give up/sacrifice for 40 days?
Every year I try to choose something different, but for the past two years my item has been the same: social networking ---one year I did chocolate, another year I only did a vegetarian diet. Choosing what you are going to give up is probably the hardest step toward making a commitment for your 40-day fast. Luckily, I found a blog that has been a great resource to me to trigger ideas on what to fast. A lot of these ideas deal with deeper issues such as gratefulness, balance and character. I have pasted the blog below and you can find the original blog here.
Lifestyle and fasting ideas for My Best 30 Ever
The Usuals:
- Give up candy/sweets.
- Give up television time.
- Give up eating snacks between meals.
- Give up or limit soda or coffee.
- Give up or limit video games.
- Spend more time with family.
- Give to the poor. (Haiti would be a good one)
- Do an extra chore each day.
- Perform a random act of kindness.
- Spend more time in prayer.
Prayer
- Make a special prayer notebook and list all the people in your life who need prayers; pray for them each day. Add someone new every day.
For Those Addicted to Popular Culture
- Switch from regular radio to Christian music radio.
- Avoid shows with gratuitous sex or violence.
- Give up or limit watching sports on television.
- Listen to only classical music for the next 30 days.
- Drive to work in silence each day.
- Read a work of classic literature.
- Read a story to a child.
- Sit in fifteen minutes of silence each day.
- Write a letter to God each day.
For Internet Users/Bloggers
- Set time limits on overall online time.
- Limit Facebook time.
- Limit Myspace time.
- Resist making or adding to lists that rank people.
- Share one spiritual video with your online network once a week.
- Blog about the poor once a week.
- Add a spiritual blog to your blog reader.
- Leave an encouraging or positive comment on a different blog each day.
- Help a new blogger by sending traffic their way.
For Those Who Need to Be More Grateful
- Each week write a thank-you note to your parents.
- Write a poem of praise for each person in your family.
- Get a stack of sticky-notes and write one sentence of thanks each day and stick it to the bedroom door of each person in your family.
- Find the psalms of thanksgiving or praise in the Bible and pray them.
- Write a list of the ways God has blessed you and add to it each day. This could be done in a notebook or on a big poster hanging on your wall.
- At dinner each evening ask your family to share one thing for which they are grateful.
- Make a CD or iPod playlist of praise and worship music and listen to it each day.
- Make a point of saying “Thank You” a certain number of times per day.
- Help your children write thank you letters to their teachers.
For Those With Lives Out of Balance
- Go for a walk each day with a loved one and talk about life and faith.
- Take the kids to the park each week for some carefree time.
- Give up fast food and give the money to charity.
- Exercise each day.
- Spend at least half an hour each day in meaningful conversation with your spouse.
- Give up your most unhealthy habit
Extras
- Give up foul language.
- Give up gossiping.
- Cook dinner each night for your family if someone else normally does.
- Carry extra food in your car, purse or backpack to give to street corner beggars.
- Spend a week meditating on each of part of the “Lord’s Prayer”
- Make breakfast each morning for your family.
This list was adapted from the Catholic School Chronicle website.
+Robin
Keep a journal
I would highly encourage you to free-write each day of your fast. Begin by writing down a prayer list of petitions and go on from there. Keeping track of your fast in a journal is great accountability and is a great tool to write out testimonies of answered prayers. It should be an encouraging exercise that will assist you along the way.
I know that there is true freedom to be had through fasting. I believe that whoever is reading this is in desperate need to hear and see God in their life and I believe that taking the extra step to consecrate a season to God through the sacrifice of fasting can make all the difference.
Blessings!
No comments:
Post a Comment