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Fast Day 13: Inner Change
John the Baptist was identified as the first prophet in 400 years and he dressed the part. He wore camel hair sackcloth, a coarse and loosely woven garment, which represented a special prophetic call for personal and national repentance. But His message and his demeanor were one of humility. He was there to proclaim someone…
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Fast Day 12: New Clothing
We all want to put on clothes that are well-fitting, attractive, serviceable and appropriate! And we would never knowingly let our children leave the house with dirty or torn clothes that are too small, unless they are making mud pies or building a treehouse! But what about how we clothe ourselves spiritually? That old life…
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Fast Day 11: Asking
Prayer, at its root, is talking to God. But when we really need something to change, it becomes an appeal, a petition, a request, a plea and an entreaty. In what situation might you shamelessly persist to ask God for something? Would it need to be something that you or other people you care about…
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Fast Day 10: Surprising Delight
Delight might be hard to describe, but we know when we see it or when we feel it! It’s not just joy or happiness, but there is an element of surprise in it. It is an “all of a sudden” feeling. A spark of pleasure we didn’t expect. We are astonished in a positive way.…
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Fast Day 9: Renewal
Sunrise is the herald of a new day. A day to freshly experience His compassion and faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). Another day of life to experience His renewed physical creation. And a brand-new day to acknowledge His spiritual re-creation in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). And do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but…
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Fast Day 8: Freedom
As citizens we stand for the freedom and rights of humans. As Christians we stand for a different kind of freedom and responsibility. This is not a freedom to do whatever we want within the law, but a freedom to live life in the light of Christ. We have a firm confidence that we are…
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Fast Day 7: Fast as a Delight
God promises to satisfy the desires of your heart. Really? But what if my desires are a little off His path? What if my desires are selfish? What if the desires of my heart are not clear to me? What if the desires of my heart aren’t necessarily good for other people in my life?…
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Fast Day 6: Soul Rest
Who doesn’t feel weary and overburdened, like these oxen, at times? Spending time fasting and praying can feel like a rest, a respite, an intimate sojourn with the Lord of the Universe. Come to Me, all who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from…
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Fast Day 5: Don’t Fast Like This
Isaiah 58 outlines the kind of fast or response that God wants from us. He doesn’t want what the Israelites had been giving Him: a stolid, pious, self-righteous, cold, calculating, look-at-me, tit-for-tat, complaining, religious attitude. You say, “Why have we fasted and You have not been impressed? Why have we been hard on ourselves and…
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Fast Day 4: Pick It Up
Learning to cope with our circumstances sounds like the thing we should do. So we often rely on coping mechanisms to face the chains we feel because we CAN rely on them. Our favorite coping strategies feel constant, consistent and familiar. We always call our mom and she makes us feel good about whatever stumped…
happy hunger
HABITS OF JESUS, MARCH 12 – APRIL 4
Daily posts to learn more about how Jesus modeled His life for us. For 21 days leading up to Easter, explore the habits of Jesus that kept Him hungering for His Father and continuing His mission. Even though He was separated from Him on earth and about to be separated in a different way by His death on the cross, He was faithful and believed in His resurrection.
Coming Next: FASTING IN THE BIBLE, APRIL 8 – MAY 29
Posts every Wednesday and Friday to learn about fasting in the Bible. We will review the whole Bible, exploring what happened when fasting was a special focus for the people of Israel, in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Keeping in mind the way that Jesus taught us to fast, we will find new ways for us to enact a spiritual habit of fasting in our modern lives.
happy hunger 