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The power of fasting
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As I was exercising on the "cross-trainer" in the gym for 30 minutes, I heard God asking me "How much time are you putting aside for me?" As I reflected on this I was convicted of my lack of daily prayer since the feast of Pentecost. During Lent last year I felt called to respond to Our Lady's message in Medjugorje to fast on Wednesdays as well as Fridays. Thus when Lent came round this year, I wasn't quite sure what to do as I was already fasting. I wanted God to inspire me. As I was going to sleep one day I decided to read a chapter of the bible. I opened it at random and a passage from Micah just jumped out of the page at me. It said, 'No, 0 people, the Lord has already told you what is good and this is what he requires: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with your God." (Micah 6:8). Through this I felt that the Lord was calling me to lay
aside my spiritual discipline of fasting and instead show more love
and understanding to my wife, Sonia and others. Thus during Lent I stopped
fasting and concentrated instead on loving more. One of the consequences
of this was that I was now free to have a cup of tea and chat with people
before the Friday prayer group started. Everything more or less continued
as normal and my relationship with God seemed to be good. But gradually
I got used to not fasting, so when a friend suggested that I stop fasting
until Pentecost I was only too happy to agree. But I noticed that my
prayer life was suffering. Before this I had always enjoyed prayer and
now I could barely pray in the chapel for a couple of minutes. I felt
something was missing in my spiritual life which I couldn't put a finger
on. It felt as if the "connection" with God wasn't there any
more! "Something holding me back" Although through prayer and fasting I had experienced
the supernatural power of the risen Lord in my life, and seen him do
miracles, including restoring my marriage, somehow I couldn't make the
decision to start praying again! I desired to draw closer to God but
I had become lethargic and lazy. I knew I was far from God but I found
it hard to stop the rebel in me! Many days had passed since I heard
"that still small voice" asking me to go back to prayer and
fasting but my flesh had become too strong and I didn't have the strength
to listen and make changes in my spiritual life! Fasting to us Christians
I believe is what physical and mental exercise is to an athlete who
aspires to win the game and the trophy. By giving it up I realised God
had become second in my life and this had made me spiritually vulnerable.
By neglecting fasting my prayer life had been affected too. I joined
a gym to lose weight but found I had replaced God with worldly desires
too! A month has passed since and I have to say I still struggle with the decision. In the past because I had become so used to the discipline of fasting, I had perhaps taken for granted its blessings and the grace God had given me to do it. Through experiencing the negative repercussions of not fasting over these last months, I feel God has demonstrated to me how integral it is to my Christian life, and underlined for me its importance. But thanks be to God He has given me fresh grace to start again.
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