Pray FirstSample

DEVOTIONAL

Have you ever discovered something that made you feel duped or ashamed? Have you ever learned something surprising that changed your whole world in an instant?

Saul, that murderous Pharisee who hunted and killed Christians in the ancient world, probably felt a mix of these emotions on the day he met Jesus. His conversion to faith was dramatic: while travelling to Damascus, Jesus suddenly called Saul to task in “a light from heaven” (v. 3). The encounter caused Saul to fall to the ground and blinded him for three days. During those three days, Saul “did not eat or drink anything” (v. 9).

Imagine what that must have been like. For years, Saul was a revered and feared religious leader. He was someone who had all the right answers—and judgment against those who didn’t have them too. He was a crusader for preserving the Jewish way of life, and he waged war against a heretical new system of beliefs: Christianity.

Think of the prayers he must’ve prayed during those days of blindness and fasting. Think of all that he must have reflected on as he sought the will of God. He learned that he was actually working against God, not for him—and that God could easily take him down at any time, too. How humbling it must have been. He’d been striving after something, leading a violent crusade, and had become disconnected from the God he claimed to serve. The irony of being physically blind after living with sight yet being unable to see the work of God through Christ, must have weighed on him.

In today’s clip, pastor Chris Hodges says that prayer “connects us to God” and that fasting is “a practice that disconnects us from the world.”

Everyone can become disconnected from God. Every one of us can see without seeing, sometimes. That’s the way humans tend to drift, into the blinding fog of selfish pursuits. It takes intentional practices, like prayer and fasting, to reconnect us with our creator and disconnect us from our idols.

Rejoice today that Jesus calls the blind back to him and restores true sight. Rejoice today for the good things God has done for you. And the next time you realize you’re drifting away from God, pray and fast to find your way back. May the scales ever fall from your eyes.

REFLECTION

What were you taught about fasting when you were young? Have you ever fasted before?

What can you disconnect from in order to allow your soul to more freely connect with God?

When have you struggled with the powerful emotions, as Saul must’ve struggled after his encounter with God? Would prayer and fasting be a helpful practice next time you’re in a similar place?

PRAYER

Dear God, please connect with me in my fasting. Help me to disconnect from the things of this world and reconnect with you. Please restore my soul and speak to me. Reveal my blindness and guide me on the next steps in my life’s journey. Thank you, Lord. Amen.