This week, we embark on a journey that will take place over the next 7 weeks and culminate with our celebration of Easter. As with any journey, this one requires a bit of preparation and adjustment in your schedule but sacrifices of time and agenda will be worth the effort.

Lent is traditionally a time of prayer, repentance, reflection and fasting. It encompasses the 40 days before Easter. It originates from Jesus’ 40 day journey in the desert just after His baptism and just before He began His public ministry. Take a few minutes to read about it in Matthew 4:1-11. Notice that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. He spent His time there in solitude, without provisions and He fasted from food. This time and empty space would have allowed Him to focus in prayer with His Father and Holy Spirit. 

As you heard in the message this week, our journey will also involve a different kind of fast. The goal is to fast from some thought patterns and habits that distract us and make room to grow our hunger for God. Each week we’ll look at a different Fast: Multitasking, Worry, Hurry, Having it all together, Planning (control)  and Certainty. You may choose to fast from one of these each week or you may choose to focus on a few you struggle with most. Either way, we will have the chance to remove some of what clutters our soul, the opportunity to simplify, and discover a deeper desire for God. 

Imagine sitting with God with the space and freedom to focus on what He wants to speak to your heart,

Your first step is to decide if you are willing to commit to the process of fasting to make room for a deeper hunger for God. One way to prepare, is to set aside a physical space for your time with God. Creating this space includes making time in your schedule to sit with Him. You’ll need a comfortable chair and a place to keep a few things handy that may be of help. Some people find it meaningful to light a candle reminding them of God’s presence. A journal, pen and your Bible are also important. For today, You’ll need an empty bowl and some paper. I’ll explain that later but take a minute to gather these things now and put them in the place that will be your sacred spot.

For reflection:

Light your candle, if you choose to use one. Breathe in and out slowly several times and focus on God’s presence with you. Pray a simple prayer committing yourself to this season of fasting. Ask God to help you be honest with yourself about the things that steal your focus from Him. 

As you pick up the empty bowl, imagine God handing it to you. Hold it in your hands. Notice the empty space inside. As you sit with Him, that open space represents room to search your heart and listen for Him to speak. Now look at the list of suggested fasts: Multitasking, Worry, Hurry, Having it All Together, Planning and Certainty.

As you read them, which ones do you recognize as a distraction for you? Write each one; on a piece of

paper or card and put it in the bowl. Feel free to add other similar patterns that come to mind.

What might your relationship with God look like without those distractions?

Take them out of the bowl one at a time and read each one aloud. Ask God to help you let go of each distraction in some way over the course of this journey. Ask Him to replace it with a great hunger for Him. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for what God will help you do as you meet Him in the empty space your fasting creates.

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel hungry for something but you don’t know what it is? I’ve been there and tried having a snack of some kind only to find that it didn’t satisfy me. I’ve realized that the reality was, I wasn’t really hungry at all. I was bored or worried or 100 other things but my brain told me a sweet treat would fix everything. I was trying to satisfy a false hunger.

This can happen in other areas of our life when our thought patterns and habits drive our desires. If I can just…keep things organized, finish my to do list, get everyone settled, balance my budget, do a better job of (?). The list goes on and on and we can find ourselves chasing a hunger that can never be satisfied.

The trouble with habits like: Multitasking, Worry, Hurry, Having it all Together, Planning and Certainty, is that they can clutter our soul space blinding us from the true hunger God has planted in our hearts.

In her book, A Different Kind of Fast, Christine Valters Paintner describes fasting as: 

“…a paradox of emptying out to be filled, paring back to receive a different kind of feast, one that nourishes our true hunger. Our fast is an act of discernment of the habits that keep us from this rich feast available to us.”

If you made a commitment to this period of fasting to make space of a deeper spiritual hunger for God, your preparation has begun.  You’ve prepared a physical sacred space and set a time to spend with God. You’ve begun to look at the thought patterns and habits that may clutter your spiritual life. 

Now it’s important to prepare your heart. That begins with quieting yourself enough to really listen to your heart. You may hear responses that would never have surfaced in the rush of everyday life, discovering your true hunger. 

As you read the following passage, pay attention to the response of the disciples to Jesus’ question. 

‘The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw

Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they

followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said

Rabbi (which means Teacher) “where are you staying?” “Come,” He replied, “and you will see.”

- John 1:35-39

They were walking with the Lamb of God and when He asked what they wanted, their answer didn’t seem to fit His question. But maybe, it was perfect. Maybe, the best thing we can do is to just be where He is. His invitation was, come and you will see. He is right there with you. So what do YOU want?

For reflection: (Journaling your answers to the reflection questions helps to clarify your thinking and deepen your awareness.)

What would be your answer to Jesus question, “What do you want?”

1. Start with where you are. As you think about your relationship with Him, how would you describe it right now? Loving, Close, Vibrant, Distant, Formal, etc. 

2. What would you like your relationship with Him to look like? What are you hungry for more of?

3. What do you think God longs for in relationship with you? What keeps you from the feast Jesus offers? Don’t be afraid of silence. Just listen. What thoughts come to your mind?

End with a time of prayer sharing those things you hunger for in your relationship with God and committing to discovering the deep hunger He’s placed in you.