Pray, Fast, Soar, Repeat

Our annual 21 days of prayer and fasting is over. Are you happy? Come on, I can feel you smiling right now, all giddy to go back to what you gave up for 21 days. It’s all good because I feel the same way. I even have some meals planned out as I’ve plotted to eat what I’ve been hungry for.

BUT WHAT NOW?

The fast is over and we march into the rest of 2020 with hope and faith that this will be the best year yet. For many, fasting is out for the remainder of this year and possibly prayer will be less too. However, I want to challenge you to think differently about this because when we fan the flame of hunger for God, something great always happens.

In truth, life is always happening around us; therefore, our need for God is always there too. We need Him in the good times and in the bad times because it’s His grace and mercy that sustain us every day. No matter what is going on in our world, we need the one who holds the world in His hands and when He’s on our side, we’re always favored to win. This is why I believe there’s something to, pray, fast, soar, repeat.

This speaks to a lifestyle of prayer and of fasting.

That’s right, I said a lifestyle which means, we think of ways to give something up on a daily or weekly basis mixed with prayer for designated amount of time. I find it interesting that great men and women of God we all admire practiced lifestyle of prayer and fasting and the impact is generational. I think of John and Charles Wesley, Smith Wigglesworth, Count Zinzendorf and more. These individuals determined to live a life of commitment to more of God and they got it.

The bible is clear in James 4:8 as it says,

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

James 4:8

Notice when we come close to Him, He comes close to us. This emphasizes us taking steps toward Him and one way we can do that is through a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. When we do this, our hearts are positioned to burn hot for God consistently instead of seasonally. In fact, I believe we have to figure this out because we’re bombarded with things that pour cold water of the fire and take us away from our first passion and love for Jesus. This must be protected because God is willing to give us as much as we can handle of Himself. This is because His prize possession and desire is have us. That’s it, just us.

He wants our hearts with no pretense. No extras, just us.

It’s amazing that for Him, we’re enough but for us, we’re tempted to feel He’s not enough.
With all our flaws, imperfections, struggle and more, He just wants us. Wow! In a world of rejection, comparing, competing, striving and more, He’s there with unconditional love. This is powerful and enough for me to be confident in writing this blog of pray, fast, soar, repeat because the least we can do, is give Him our lives. He deserves it.

SO, I ASK YOU, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU COULD STEP INTO A LIFESTYLE OF PRAYER AND FASTING THIS YEAR?

I encourage everyone to pray every day in a marked spot at a marked time. Meaning, choose a time daily to pray and a spot to do it so there’s rhythm to this effort. This could be the shower, the car, your office or other and the time is what’s best for you. This is because I’ve found that when you have a marked time and spot to pray, it’s easier to do it on a consistent basis.

I also encourage you to fast something on a consistent basis. This could be a certain food, hobby, a time limit on your phone, watching TV or other but whatever it is, this reminds you, I’m giving this up for more of God. Doing this stirs the hunger we have for Him. It draws us into His presence and it breeds humility from us toward Him. It puts us in a place of surrender which can empower us to overcome bad habits, attitudes, actions and more that we want to change. This works because it’s putting a demand on God to help us and move through us in new ways.

This shouldn’t be legalist or rigid but rather a simple commitment to more of Him. That’s the purpose, to have more of Him.

It’s not being better than others or having a deeper revelation than others, all of that is off putting and has no fruit. This is about having more of God in our lives as we lean into Him with specific desire and hunger and this produces life change in us. It’s good to remember this, God is wanting to change us more than change those around us because when we decrease, He can increase through us.

Therefore, when we pray and fast as a lifestyle I believe we can soar with Him.

“But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

To wait here means to serve Him like a waiter or waitress and prayer and fasting are great ways to do that. It’s submitting to what He wants from us, more than what we want from Him. When this happens, we will soar on wings like eagles and we will run and walk with endurance. Don’t we all want this?

Of course, so we must put ourselves in the place to receive it.

I encourage you that in 2020, you can pray, fast, soar, repeat like never before. It starts with us; therefore, we say, here I am Lord, send me.

Go with God like never before. Hunger after Him and give all you got because life is too short to wonder what if. Live with nothing left and give with nothing to withhold.

He will meet you so move forward and pray, fast, soar, repeat.

The best is yet come,
PD