K3C Church Fast: January 11-31, 2024
Matthew 16:24 If anyone desires to come after Me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow Me.
We are fasting and denying ourselves to follow Jesus. This is a time of not just withholding food but of seeking the Lord.
Key points in preparing for a fast:
- Remember, it’s not about what you are giving up but what you are moving toward. The goal is less of us and more of Him.
- Fasting without the Word and prayer is just a hunger strike. Ask God for strength, wisdom, and intimacy with Him. Make sure you are making time for prayer and the Word every day.
- Determine what you are fasting before the fast starts and stick to it. Don’t keep changing it.
- You are denying your flesh. It’s going to act up. Practice submitting to the Spirit and do not use the fast as an excuse to be rude or hurtful. This is warfare with yourself and the enemy, not other people.
- Remember, this is a discipline – a spiritual muscle that must be exercised if you are to get stronger. If you mess up – repent, get back up, and continue the fast.
- Many times, you may not get a lot of revelation or feel His presence during a fast. This doesn’t mean that God has left you or that the fast isn’t working. Many times, the answers and revelations come after the fast, not during. After Jesus fasted, the enemy tempted Him. Only after that was there angelic help.
- Fasting is not making yourself holy by your efforts. It is positioning yourself in His presence and relying on His strength to make you more into the person He created you to be. It’s His grace through the discipline of our faith.
We are fasting so that Jesus can purge us of our sin and purify our hearts so that we can see Him. The path to purity and God’s presence is not comfortable, but it is worth it and will have results that will last for eternity. Be encouraged.
Ephesians 6:10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.