A Different Kind of Fasting

The mounting anticipation surprised me. Placing my hand upon the heavy wooden door, I opened it, stepped inside, and stood still. An invitation sounded in my soul. This was unexpected . . . and this was holy. Suddenly, the tiny stone-floored chapel became a sanctuary for me.

Though the chapel was empty, I was not alone. Slowly, I walked toward the cross and sat down on the front pew. With journal in hand, my very first fast commenced.

Questions had taken me there. But it was love that would keep me there. What occurred through my fasting Friday upon Friday, month upon month, captivated me. My hunger for answers waned as my hunger for God grew.

Through fasting, God fed my love for him. Over time, fasting transitioned from an answer-quest to a soul-feast.

Fasting Seeks God, Not Answers

In the beginning, each weekly luncheon fast began with a question: “God, what is my next step?” The question pounded loudly in my heart and in my head. But within a month, the question quieted. Perhaps the greatest—and most glorious—shock during that year was how direction decreased in importance to me.

Through the fast, Jesus won my heart at new depths. Waiting upon him shifted from a strenuous but necessary prelude to the love-thick main event.

Yes, I did emerge from that season knowing the next step for my future, but it came at me sideways, more as a gift than as the object of pursuit. As I focused on worshiping my eternal God instead of being stressed over my temporal needs, and as I invested in thoughtful reading of his Word, some desires naturally became lighter while others gained weight. It seemed as though God were placing his hand upon the latter and lodging them deeply, like anchors, within my soul.

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