Daily Devotional

Recently I was reading in Matthew chapter 4, and verse 4 jumped out at me.  In that passage of Scripture, Jesus had just completed a 40-day marathon of resisting temptation against the Devil.  At that point he was literally starving to death, but he still cared more about feasting on God’s word than filling his stomach.

As we approach our annual, citywide 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting (January 10-30, 2022) I began to wonder what I could do to follow in Christ’s footsteps.  I don’t fast very often, but it’s a pretty important spiritual discipline (Mt 6:16-18, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2, Neh 1:4).
 
I also love to read the Scriptures daily, but if I’m not careful I can get lazy and neglect the word of God.  Someone once said: “Meditation is that habit of pondering, picturing, personalizing, and practicing Scripture.”  I think that’s kind of what Jesus meant when he said man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  Do we love his word and meditate on it day and night as the Psalmist said (Psalm 1:1-2)?

So here are some questions and suggestions to help you start off the new year on the right foot… and hopefully prepare you for our upcoming 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting.

1. What is your plan for reading the Bible and digging in to God’s word daily in 2022?
2. What could you fast from between January 10-30 that would help you focus on your walk with Christ and take a giant leap forward in your faith?

If you need some ideas on how to read through the Scriptures, check out “The Ultimate List of Bible Reading Plans” at www.thehouseoneill.com.
 
And if you’re not sure about what to fast from, here are a few possibilities:

• Drink only water or juice for a period of time
• Give up one meal a day
• Give up one meal a week
• Eat only one meal a day
• Give up coffee
• Give up chocolate or other sweets
• Give up television
• Give up social media
• Give up video games
• Give up sports
• Give up shopping

Remember that fasting without prayer and reading the Bible is a diet.  That’s not what God is looking for.  First and foremost, he wants your heart.  So what can you do to give it to him?