How to Prepare Yourself Spiritually and Physically to Fast (Fasting Edition #82)

Our fasting quote of encouragement today is from Adam Willard. He said: "Christian fasting is about developing a deeper communication with God, denying yourself and your own natural desires, and learning to rely upon and listen to God. Focus on him, seek him out, and you may find that a few missed meals reveals to you the difference between you and the infinite God of everything. And if you do encounter him during a time of fasting, I'm sure you wouldn't want to take it back for all the food and delicacies in the world."

Our fasting devotional today is titled "HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY TO FAST" from Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.

In preparation for this special time with God, I strongly urge you to examine your heart, and detect any unconfessed sin. Scripture records that God always requires His people to repent of their sins before He will hear their prayers. King David said in Psalm 66:16-20:

Come and hear, all of you who reverence the Lord, and I will tell you what he did for me: For I cried to him for help, with praises ready on my tongue. He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. But he listened! He heard my prayer! He paid attention to it! Blessed be God who didn't turn away when I was praying, and didn't refuse me his kindness and love.

In your prayers, confess not only obvious sins, but less obvious ones as well. The sins of omission as well as the sins of commission experiences. These may be experiences leaving your first love for our Lord: worldly-mindedness, self-centeredness, spiritual indifference, and unwillingness to share your faith in Christ with others, not spending sufficient time in God's Word and in prayer, a poor relationship with your spouse, your children, your pastor, or other members of your church.