February 19, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
It is difficult to say no. Particularly to yourself. Donna and Tom, two government employees on NBC's television show, Parks and Rec, have an annual "Treat Yo Self" day in which they allow themselves to be selfish. They pamper themselves, treat themselves to expensive and useless items, and do whatever makes them happy. What makes Tom and Donna's "Treat Yo Self" day so apropos is that these two, more than any other characters on the show, clearly treat themselves all the time.It is the natural inclination of the human heart to be selfish. In the book of Isaiah, God addresses Israel's failure; they do not trust in the Lord, they flirt with idols, and they fail to do justice. They are consumed
February 18, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
In fasting, let us consider God's call to humility. In Isaiah 66:2 God speaks through Isaiah the prophet and says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah is addressing the people of Israel. Uniquely chosen by the God of the universe, they had everything going for them. They were given the very law of God and experienced numerous blessings as the set-apart people of God. Yet they lacked the very thing that mattered most: humility. They were not trembling at God's word; they were not broken and contrite before the Lord.In the same way, we can lack humility. Rather than realizing our dependence upon our Maker, we are tempted toward pride and a spirit of independence. We think we can handle life on our own. Perhaps we pay
February 17, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Dear friend in Christ,Thanks a million for joining with me and hundreds of others in this 40-day endeavor to draw near the throne of God! The fast ends this Friday, February 21st, and it has been glorious! It's been greatly encouraging to interact with so many during this fast, including many who did not officially sign up but followed and participated in the fast via Facebook. Many have participated in liquids only up to this point and plan to end the fast that way on Friday. Others like myself have fasted liquids only and switched to one meal per day once they dropped below a certain weight.
This is what I did a week ago when my weight dropped below 160 lb., which is thin for a 6' 2" man! I was in J.Crew a few days ago trying on a shirt to wear for the annual benefit for The Bowery Mission here in NYC. I was trying on the slim fit shirt and the salesman said, "Hey man, I don't mean to offend you,
February 16, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
I hope you are all encouraged in this time of fasting and experiencing God's presence ever more fully, even as the stomach growls increase. More than anything, I hope that you have found yourself humbled by God as you've set yourself to the practice of righteousness in this fast. Today I'd like to concentrate on the concept of humility as the greatest fruit of any given fast. This is the manner in which we speak of fasting when it comes to a seeking-God lifestyle and a necessary reminder at this point in the fast.The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (cf. James 4:6-10). In Isaiah 57:15 God says, "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (see also Isaiah 66:1, 2). This great God, who is above all earthly powers, loves to draw especially close to those who
February 15, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days..."- Luke 5:34
If we have never experienced what typically are the collective symptoms diagnosable as an eating disorder, then at the very least, we have certainly experienced the effects of being in a culture that is preoccupied with food, body image, and control.
Within the ministry at Harvard when a student takes the initiative to call a fast, it has become quite common for a student or two to inquire whether fasting is a good idea for them considering they formerly struggled, occasionally, or regularly struggle with a preoccupation with food. These students genuinely want to experience God through fasting but feel that their motives are "tainted" or that fasting might trigger the urge
February 14, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. - Colossians 1:24-2:5
Located on an important trade route in what today is modern Turkey, the ancient city of Colossae became home to a congregation of new believers who were facing the challenge of learning how the distinctive doctrines of Christian teaching differed from the pagan religious philosophies that surrounded them. Receiving news of the troubling teaching infiltrating
February 13, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7Here in Philippians we see a remarkably simple contrast: do not be anxious! But pray! With little to no explanation on Paul's end, we are left wondering what prayer has to do with anxiety, and the answer may surprise us. We can find our clue in the type of prayer that Paul commands. He instructs us to make requests. Petition God. Ask Him for things.
An anxious life is focused on the uncertain. We worry about our bank account precisely because its nature is perilous. When we put our hope in money, or our family, or our positive disposition, we have placed our security in what is fundamentally insecure. Real security eludes
February 12, 2014
Knowing and Experiencing Jesus Christ
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ... - Philippians 3:7-8According to one scholar, Philippians 3:7-8 is one of the "surpassing moments in the Pauline corpus."1 Paul just finished listing his sociological, biographical, achievement and performance-oriented credentials, a "resume of all resumes" in verses 4-6. By referencing his inherited ranks and privileges along with his compelling achievements and credentials, he shows that he possessed everything, pre-eminently so, about which early religious Jews could boast. Clearly his heritage and accomplishments with regard to Jewish identity were impeccable and second to none -- Paul need fear no competition. Prestige, power, rank, wealth, influence, comfort, authority, recognition, fame, pleasure, security, luxury, popularity, national identity, and retirement goals and dreams (!) were all his to be had.
Why is this important? Because it sets the stage for an unbelievable, almost incomprehensible value exchange
February 11, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Notice how our story starts. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 says: “Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count [the people of] Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, ‘Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring [a report] to me so I can know their number.'” After God has caused David to become successful in the eyes of both his enemies as well as the nation of Israel, Satan then comes and tempts David to take ownership of something that is not rightfully his. In other words, just as Satan tempted Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, he also successfully tempts David to distrust God by putting down the mantle of stewardship and putting on the mantle of ownership of the nation of Israel via a census and thereby denying the provision of God.Nevertheless, notice God’s mercy through Joab, despite David’s sin
February 10, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
We don't know for sure King Hezekiah's age when the prophet Isaiah announced to him that he would not recover from his illness, and that he should therefore put his affairs in order. He probably was about 39 years old because he died at age 54, and had no heir at the time. The King of Judah had not been perfect, yet had generally been a good king, but took the news hard. The Scriptures record that he lay on his bed, turned toward the wall, prayed and wept bitterly.There are three accounts of this episode in the Scriptures (2 Kings 20:1-11, Isaiah 38: 1-22, 2 Chronicles 32:24-26), but none explain in detail why Hezekiah reacted the way he did. Perhaps it was indeed because he was relatively young and had many dreams he desired to see fulfilled. Perhaps he saw the word as a sign of God's disapproval on his life, and he wanted another chance
February 9, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Fasting is part of the heartbeat of a seeking-God lifestyle. As we are all well aware, we rest on the promise that God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8). Thus, as we seek God through humility and fasting, we eagerly expect that the Lord will speak to us and that we will commune with Him in sweet and powerful ways. Seeking the Lord for His power and presence is wonderful. But, we talk about another promise less often, even though it is embedded in the same text. It's not as if we deny this promise, but it is not as much a part of our everyday vocabulary. This promise has become dearer to me as I continue to minister here with Christian Union. James encourages his audience, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). What a good promise from a gracious God.Thus, as we fast, may we seek the Lord for fruitfulness in our individual ministries, our families, and the nation at large. May we seek direction for how the Lord is directing us to fulfill our calling on each of our livelihoods. May we seek blessing for ourselves, our friends, our families, our coworkers, and those whom we serve. But may we also ask the Spirit of truth to reveal to us the devil's schemes
February 8, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Shortly after the LORD defeated the 450 prophets of Baal in a remarkable display of His power (1 Kings 18), Elijah fled the scene in order to escape the murderous threats of Jezebel, King Ahab's wife. Elijah was literally running for his life and after a day's journey into the wilderness near Beersheba, he collapsed beneath a broom tree in such a state of despair that he asked that his life might be taken, praying: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:5). Elijah laid his head down to sleep, hoping that his eyes might never open again.Rather than grant his dying wish, the LORD, in his providential hospitality, sent an angel to attend Elijah and twice provided him with freshly baked food and water. This nourishment sustained Elijah for forty days and forty nights.
February 7, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Let's consider again what we're doing with this fasting business, and the role of hunger within it.Fasting or not, we all constantly operate from within a state of multi-plexed hunger. We're hungry for food, for air-conditioned comfort, for sleep, and so on. As such, it can often feel like our lives consist of little more than the habitual oscillation between hunger > satisfaction > hunger > satisfaction, etc., on these various fronts. The problem is that being in a state of hunger so constantly has the effect of skewing our perspective:
Undue Significance a starving man attaches
To Food—
Far off—He sighs—and therefore—Hopeless—
And therefore—Good—
Partaken—it relieves—indeed—
But proves us
That Spices fly
In the Receipt—It was Distance—
Was Savory—
(Emily Dickinson)
Dickinson is here reminding us of a fact that our own repeated experience would certainly verify:
February 5, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Fasting, among other things, is a way of stepping away from this world, a world we are engrossed and often enthralled with, in order to re-focus on the true order of things. We too easily live in a fantasy world where we as individuals are the practical center of our daily universe, a selfish bubble that in turn is floating in a society which views all sorts of inappropriate objects as worthy of adoration. Yet when I get very hungry, or very sick, or very desperate, the true nature of things becomes more clear: The Lord has created us, and sustains us moment by moment.He is at the center of the universe, and it moves according to His plan. We are fragile, small, and totally dependent upon Him. I know this in my head, but my heart wanders pretty easily over the fence to the ludicrous position that perhaps I'm better off siding with the world on certain issues. God seems to be both outgunned and out of touch with the sophisticated modern world. My hope is that during this fast the Lord will
February 4, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
In times of struggle, we long for the intervention of God. Our prayers to Him become heartfelt cries for rescue, and work to express our need for someone greater than ourselves to change our difficult circumstance. Pouring out our hearts with an honest representation of our plight is an important part of the prayer process, but misses the fuller picture if we end there.The prayers of the Psalmist offer a helpful, more complete conversation model for what it looks like to hope in God in the midst of struggle. In many of the Psalmist's prayers, a pattern emerges in the way he speaks to the Lord about what has gone wrong. While honestly communicating the hardship, he also calls to mind the hope he has in God. The source of his hope is linked to the "steadfast love of the LORD." The phrase "steadfast love" is found in the Psalms 120 times. By infusing his prayers with this truth, the Psalmist is able to both accurately express the weightiness of his struggle and to give an opportunity for the remembrance of the steadfast love of God. The reflection on this hope reforms his thought process and offers change to his perspective
February 3, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Zechariah 8:20-2320 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.
21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.'
22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' "
Jonathan Edwards identifies Zechariah's prophecy as the most descriptive in the Scriptures of revival. Many peoples shall seek God diligently in order to gain His favor, urgently pleading with others to do the same. They know that God is a faithful God who loves to hear the prayers of His people and loves to respond to them because of the relationship provided for us in Jesus Christ. They know that God has granted them permission to draw near to Him with a holy boldness, and that He will indeed hear their cry. The natural effect of this seeking is the same as always when people energetically seek God: outpourings of the Spirit of God bringing revival
February 2, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Fasting often produces contemplation. When we fast for a period of time, we relinquish our body's need for food and seek to embrace our greater need to rest and find satisfaction in the presence of God. While we fast, we are humbled as our body aches with hunger. One way we satisfy that hunger is through repentance.Repentance is both the acknowledging and turning away from sin. This requires us to reach deep down into our heart of hearts and uproot any destructive remains of sin, confess them, and rely on God to dispose of the roots no matter how long they are. This can be frightening, embarrassing, and threaten our own self-centeredness. One thing we need to be encouraged by is that God desires our repentance. In fact, the God of the Bible is a relenting God, who desires
February 1, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. - Luke 2:36-38We are busy. We have lives that we fill with lots of things to get done. Most seem very important to us and many of those things probably are important to do. I think we might look at Anna and all of her "worshiping with fasting and prayer" as not a good use of her time. So many years of fasting, worshiping, praying, seeking God. Couldn't she have done something more important with her life?
And yet, she is an integral part of God's mission
January 31, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
After this He (Jesus) went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And He said to him, "Follow Me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed Him. And Levi made Him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:27-32He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must (it is necessary) stay at your house today." So he hurried and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." - Luke 19:1-10
And when the hour came, He (Jesus) reclined at table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." - Luke 22:14-15
The Gospel of Luke has a steady theme of what could be called "Table Hospitality." Table hospitality identifies two groups
January 30, 2014
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Mention the word idol to someone and they are likely to think of the shrines of old or temples in far countries that still house representations of gods to be worshiped. Yet in our own culture the propensity for idols is no less prevalent, though perhaps far more nuanced.In his book Desiring the Kingdom, Jamie Smith overlays seemingly arcane language of the shrine on a typical American pastime with striking ease. He describes a "site throbbing with pilgrims every day of the week" entered through "one of several grandiose entrees...[that] channels the ritual observance of the pilgrims." As the faithful "wander the labyrinth in contemplation," iconography consistent with other temples draws pilgrims into "chapels devoted to various saints." Here we are greeted by "acolytes" who guide us through the selection of "holy objects" and eventually to an altar where a priest "presides over the consummating transaction." As you've probably guessed by now, the experience of shopping at our local mall described in this way "unveil[s] the character of what presents itself as benign" (pp. 19-23).
Our forefather Abraham required a reorientation
