I’m Fasting for the Final 40 Days

“Fasting is a way of saying with our body how much we need and want and trust Jesus.” – John Piper

Fasting. Tithing. Dressing up for church. I have wrestled with the religious Christian stuff for a long time. I think at times it’s been healthy and focused me on God’s presence rather than religiosity, but a lot of times it’s just me being a rebel.

One of my close friends on the Race, Britt, inspired me with her fasting journey leading up to her 23rd birthday.

Fasting has never been a part of my faith life. I’ve never felt a conviction to do it… until I landed in Rwanda. As we were driving from the airport to our month 10 debrief hotel, a simple question came into my mind – “Maybe you end the Race with a fast?”

For the last 2 weeks I have tried to shake this question, but almost every morning in prayer and in random conversations with my squadmates I can feel the Lord confirming this is something new He’d like to walk through with me.

At the same time, my inner Jesus-rebel felt convicted. Do I not believe God can use fasting? The power of prayer and fasting is clear in Acts. It wasn’t hard for me to discern that my real hesitation with fasting is rooted in fear. I’m afraid I won’t complete the fast. I’m afraid to be a quitter. I’m afraid I’ll “give in”. All fear.

I hate fear. I wrote about that before I left for the Race. I refuse to let fear have a place in my relationship with Jesus at all. If I trust God to provide in the millions of ways He has this year, then I should know that I WILL fail if I try to fast on my own. That’s not what fasting is about. I’m not proving anything to God. Instead I am recognizing things in my life that are between me and Jesus, and I am saying “Lord, take it. I want more of you and less of me/these things.”

With no fear, this is why I am fasting: This is not about fasting from something. I am fasting FOR something. I’m fasting to invite the Lord to blow up my comfort with His presence. I’m fasting to invite Holy Spirit to speak truth, new promises, and identity over our transition home from the Race. I’m fasting for Jesus to share His will for me our next steps after the Race. I’m fasting to ask the Father for deeper measures of understanding of who I am as His son, Kayla’s husband, a future business leader, and hopefully soon, a caring father.

“Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4

So here we go. I am committing LESS comfort, to LESS of how I feel in a moment, to MORE intimacy and to MORE of the Lord’s presence for the last 40 days of the World Race. I am committing to finishing the Race hearing the Lord’s voice loud and clear… and I can’t wait to see where He leads.

Will you join me in listening?*

Here are the 4 comforts I am fasting:

• Carbs (Disclaimer: I realize there are situations with hosts I will not be able to avoid, but I will not choose carbs when I have the option) – why: Carbs are a comfort for me. I never eat them with control and I always feel horrible afterward.

• Soda – why: It doesn’t give me life. Water gives life. Plain and simple.

• Coffee – why: It’s a habit. I’m asking the Lord to wake me up each day and to give me His energy and strength.

• Researching – why: One of my comforts on the Race is to always be in the know about markets (stocks, housing, cars, vacations, etc.) It’s a numbing behavior I do when we get wifi instead of investing in the people around me or digging deeper into scripture. I sit for hours scrolling mindlessly through information. These are hours of my life I think God wants to use differently.

 Here are the 4 disciplines I am committing to:

• Waking up an hour earlier than I need to every day

• 30 minutes of prayer only, 30 minutes of bible reading/studying

• Some form of physical activity (100 pushups, a workout video, playing soccer, etc…)

• Eating only vegetables and protein

*Disclaimer: I’m not writing this blog to boast about my fasting. In fact, I prayed a lot about whether to post this blog at all. Kayla encouraged me to. I am well aware what Jesus said about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. The ONLY reason I am posting this is to ask you to join me in prayer for these final 40 days. Please hold me accountable and intercede for me in prayer as I put away more of my old self and ask for more of the new!