Saturday, December 12th
“1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called
Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” – Acts 13:1-3 (NIV)
Spiritual Discipline: Fasting
This week’s Spiritual Discipline is fasting. In Acts 13, we see early Church leader gathering to see what was next for the Church. This passage indicates that they were praying and fasting in order to prepare the Holy Spirit to prompt them on what to do next. After being told by the Spirit, they continued to fast and pray to God. Fasting, the act of giving up food, is a way to show our dependance on God. We show God that we are fully dependent on Him and what He provides for us. Jesus fasts in Matthew 4 in preparation for His ministry. This Saturday, we are challenging you to join us as we fast in preparing our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Today you will feel hungry, but we ask that you take that as a reminder to pray to God. Pray that He guides you through this season, pray that He walks with you, and pray to give thanks to God.
Author Ian Jeffries
