Power of Hunger

I can't speak highly enough of the book "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson. It's a book that will change the way you approach prayer. The author gives a lot of examples of how his prayers were answered, some of them how he wanted them and others not what he wanted, but by going through the process of "praying through" he was able to experience God more and see that what he thought he wanted was wrong. Or at least not what God had in mind.

I don't want to rehash the book - I want you to read it - but the highlights include praying specifically, praying big, and praying through - meaning sometimes God wants us to experience praying for the long haul using various examples from the Bibles about how long people had to wait and pray. There was one chapter/topic that really convicted me. It was about prayer and fasting.

Now, I've always believed in fasting and have fasted from various things for Lent since I became a follower of Christ. And every year I engage in a couple 24-48 hour periods of complete fasting. Yet, I've never gone into a long period of deprivation like described in this book. I was reading this shorting after spending a week meditating on Jesus's temptation by Satan in the desert. Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights prior to this temptation. Can you imagine, complete fasting for that long, only to have the devil show up and off you bread? I know I wouldn't have been able to resist. I mean, I less than 3 weeks into this personal fast, and I have already been weak and cheated twice. Before you get worried, it's not a complete fast - I am being safe and healthy, but also purposefully allowing myself to hunger so I can hunger more for God.

This is my third week. The first two seemed easy...but that's because I wasn't working 12-13 hour days on 3-4 hours of sleep each night. So I'm not surprised that I have felt and experienced God's love and been opened up to see Him working around me than in the last month or so. I'm not saying because I fasted this God did this. I'm saying, that deep hunger made me more acutely aware of my other senses.

There is something else about a purposeful fast with prayer. It shows God how serious and deeply you are praying - whether it is for something specific or just to grow closer to God. God loves and wants sacrifice from us. He wants us to show HIM that He is more important to us that any earthly thing. Any sacrifice we make for God's sake, will be blessed. Not always in the way we want it, but He will use and bless our sacrifices.

When I find myself hungering at work, and smell the pizza and Jimmy Johns sitting in the break room - have to stop and remember why I am doing this. My specific prayers right now and conviction for an extended fast I don't want to share online. But each hunger pain I have to decide, what is more important to me, this temporary affliction or my reasons for prayer, sacrifice, and praise?

God put the date May 5, 2013 on my heart when He convicted me to do this fast. I have no idea why. I admit to failing a few times already. And I admit to not being as devoted to prayer on some days as others. But, wow, does HE still answer prayers and open my eyes and heart to learn more of His truths.