Authentic Fasting From James MacDonaldSample

Break the Pattern

We surveyed 100 people. These are the top five answers to this question:

Name the average Christian’s most frustrating spiritual problem.

5. INCONSISTENT QUIET TIME. “I know I should walk with God. I know the right. I want the right. But I don’t choose the right.”

4. I DON’T SENSE GOD’S PRESENCE WITH ME. “I don’t feel or see God’s presence with me. Why don’t I sense God’s presence more when I love Him as I do?”

3. I FEEL LIKE I DON’T MEASURE UP. “I have nagging areas of secret sin, attitudes I can’t shake. In a lot of ways, God has grown me. But in some distressing ways, I wonder if I’ve progressed at all.”

2. NOT SEEING THE ANSWERS TO PRAYER/MIRACLES. “Where are the miracles? Where is the answered prayer? The Bible is filled with stories. I hear other Christians have miraculous answered prayers and breakthroughs. I’m just not seeing that much.”

1. PRAYER TIME. “My prayer time frustrates me. I just heard a message on prayer. And I decided, 'I’m going to spend an hour in prayer this week.' I didn’t do it.”

Some people would say, “You don’t change because you don’t want to.” Now that is not correct! The problem is even though in your heart you feel like you want to, you want other things more.

Now what am I to do? What am I to do when the deepest things I want don’t end up becoming my reality, but the quick things—the easy things, the accessible things—those are the things I end up choosing. I feel stuck. How about you?

God has given us some tools to break free. But even some of the tools He’s provided require wanting to. So what has God given me to break the pattern of not doing the things I most and deepest want to do?

Answer: Fasting.

Prayer – Father, I want to follow You and Your ways with all that I am. Help me to use the tools You provide to rekindle the fire in my soul for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.