Fast Day 16: Refueled

Jesus had a busy day:

He said to Simon and Andrew, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James and John. Immediately He called them and they went away to follow Him. They went into Capernaum and immediately Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. He healed a man with an unclean spirit and immediately the news about Him spread everywhere. And immediately afterwards, they entered the house where Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with fever and immediately He healed her. When the sun had set, He healed many who had gathered at the door. And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went away to a secluded place and prayed there. From Mark 1: 16-35

The Bible is full of references to prayer happening in the dawn hours. And encouragement for us to do the same. Many spiritual disciplines recognized by the church may be practiced together to yield greater benefits: solitude, fasting, prayer, meditation, and worship. And most people incorporate their Bible Study into their devotional time or what some people call Quiet Time, but there are no spiritual commandments that you must only do this in the morning. Just do it. In Mark 1, Jesus had an extremely busy day. He got up early. He needed to be with His Father. We have no excuses.

For me, I have found that starting my daily devotional in the morning as my first thing (and drink coffee, please don’t judge!) is how I have been most successful at meeting with God on a regular basis. And when I am fasting, it is necessary for me to keep that special focus throughout the day. In 2017 I realized that even though I was often in the Bible preparing to teach a coaching class or a Bible study, the number of days I met with God on a personal level were way too few. I was kidding myself that this was an act of devotion that pleased God. So many days I know Jesus was waiting for me to show up, and I didn’t (read about this idea in “My Heart, Christ’s Home” by Robert Boyd Munger). I decided I wanted to at least meet with Him in a quality way more days in a year than not.

Maybe my experience will give you an idea that might work for you:
I made DAILY my one-word goal for 2017 and started tracking the days I met with God. The results were not good. In 2017, I was having a true quiet time less than 12% of the days in a year. This was terrible! I tried again with CONSISTENT in 2018 and hit 14%. Be honest with yourself and take a wild guess what your percent might be. I began to see how hard this was going to be, but I felt God tugging at my heart to keep seeking solitude with Him. I needed to be refueled! In 2019, my one-word goal was FOCUS and, by closing my office door and buying a pretty journal to write in, I managed 37%. So the more I met with Him in solitude, the more I wanted to and NOT meeting with Him was when I realized I was missing out and needed His power for my day. Finally, in 2020, I sought Him 55% and in 2021, it was 57% of the days in a year. I had met my goal: to meet with God more days in a week than I didn’t, but it took 4 years to build that habit!

So I do know that this is a very difficult discipline to enact consistently, period. We all know the value of its fruit and I saw how this journey changed my life. Let it change yours, too! Use your time of fasting and focus to jump-start something new and something solid; a habit that cannot be broken!

More steady intimacy continued for me in 2022 and 2023. I’m happy to say that by starting to fast through breakfast, I’m now meeting with Him almost every day (87%). Hearing His voice on a consistent basis means that I am listening more carefully, and writing this blog and working on books about hunger and fasting has been the fruit of my joyful interaction with Him.

Jesus felt the need to be refueled, and we certainly need His spiritual fuel. This is how we can get out into the world and give our life away, like He did.

What idea has my journey given you in your daily pursuit of God?

Lord Jesus, You are my example and You are my goal. I want to bring more intimacy with You into my life through a more consistent devotion to You. Fuel me for Your mission. Amen.