Empty By Choice

Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6

Fasting was never meant to be easy, that’s why it works. Not only do you have a growling stomach to deal with, there is also an anxious mind with tangled intentions trying to focus on anything but ____________ (add favourite craving here).

It’s harder know we’re fasting for the right reasons in these times of crash diets and size zero hero’s, who shun food for attention. Add to this a shaky economy breeding tortilla riots and a full blown rice crisis. Is it right to deny the basics we’ve been blessed with?

And what does fasting actually accomplish anyway?

Isaiah 58 addresses our different intentions for fasting, as well as God’s attitude towards them. What may seem pious and spiritual to people can make God feel like gagging sometimes. On the other hand, many history-altering moves of God were proceeded by the food-less prayers of God’s people.

Are you desperate for God to do something in a certain area of your life or someone else? Would you like a clearer connection to God’s voice? Fasting is a time-proven way to get over yourself and under the chain breaking power of the Holy Spirit. It’s just one of those things that can only be truly understood through experience.

Shut the cupboards and let’s see what happens this week…

Bless you guys,
Brandon and Pamela
www.freedomhouse.org.uk