Fasting (going without something, usually food) is often connected with the season of Lent.
Why?
Lent looks forward to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. It’s considered a season of preparation.
Joel 2:15 (MSG)
Blow the ram’s horn trumpet in Zion!
Declare a day of repentance, a holy fast day.
Repentance + prayer + fasting = good preparation.
I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday.
I rearranged my schedule to make it work.
That’s what we do with appointments.
“Have an appointment with the Lord.”
Rearrange your schedule. Make it work.
Pray with power. You won’t be sorry.
Two men stood in prayer:
Luke 18:9-11, 13 (NIV)
Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector . . .’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “
It’s the posture of your heart that counts.
Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent. Lent is the season of preparation, as we remember Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Lent is a time of prayer. Let’s start flat on the ground in humble gratitude for God’s grace.
Picture yourself on your face at the feet of Jesus. Place your hands on his ankles, eyes focused on his nail-pierced feet.
Revelation 5:12 (NIV)
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and strength and honor and glory and praise!
We sit on the couch and pray. We sit at the table and pray. We sit in the church pew and pray. We sit in the car and pray.
1 Chronicles 17:16-17 (TLB)
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family that you have given me all this? For all the great things you have already done for me are nothing in comparison to what you have promised to do in the future!”
Be like David. Sit in gratitude before the Lord and pray.
What’s your usual prayer position?
It’s not so much the position of your body. It’s your heart that matters most.
Zephaniah 2:3 (ESV)
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility.
The world is constantly changing,
but this first century prayer still applies.
“Well pleasing in Your sight.” Yes, Lord!
Nations boast in their own strength for a season.
One day, all nations will proclaim God’s power.
Psalm 68:32-34 (NIV)
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
to him who rides across the highest heavens,
the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
Proclaim the power of God.
Why wait? Let’s praise him – right here, right now.
Psalm 2 is familiar to me. The words from Young’s Literal Translation catch my imagination.
Psalm 2:1-2 (YLT)
Why have nations tumultuously assembled?
And do peoples meditate vanity?
Station themselves do kings of the earth,
And princes have been united together,
Against Jehovah, and against His Messiah.
A tumultuous assembly — unlikely allies.
Meditating vanity — bringing their private agendas.
Will they meet with success? Probably not.
They ignore God at their own risk. They haven’t a prayer!
