How easy is it for us to tell someone to “Just let it go,” while at the same time we ourselves are harboring a similar pain or burden? We find ourselves “clutching our pearls”, and our pain at the same time; pain that has reached down into the depths of our being and shaken us to the core; pain that may have entered our lives in the form of heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness, or rejection, leaving us feeling like a shell of our former selves. Ongoing lessons are going to continue to arise, some tag-teaming with a few stressors here and there, but where will we gain strength in order to endure?
There’s something strikingly majestic and all-powerful that takes place when we willingly surrender our desire to seek the approval of the world in order to make space for more of God. God has never forsaken us. In fact, He loves us unconditionally and ever so deeply in the midst of our brokenness. God patiently awaits us to cry out to Him and draw near to His perfect will and plan for our lives. In drawing near, we must vigilantly seek His face. There is an undeniable fullness that comes when we are pursued by God and are obedient to His calling for us. In His loving pursuit of us, His Spirit speaks to the emptiness and pain we once held so strongly onto. We are able to let that mess go finally!
Many of us have been fasting during what’s known as “Lenten Season.” Whether you’re fasting from a specific food, social media, relationships, or anything else that commands your attention, remember that as you move away from whatever may be weighing you down, you are moving into a space for more of God. Some of the strongholds and pains you continue to carry can only be lifted by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21). God uses fasting to fill you up to overflow. It’s His intention to realign your life to position you to consistently receive all He has for you and the growth of His Kingdom. It’s his intention to transform the pangs of separation from whatever you’re fasting into deep prayers for more of His goodness. Be honest with yourself and be filled with the desire to fast from whatever stands in the way of you living a full and abundant life. As we approach the remembrance and celebration of Christ’s resurrection, let’s remember that by His blood we are healed and receive the power to break every chain that has kept us down in the past.
Meditate:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6 (NIV)
Pray:
Lord, as I begin this time of fasting, fill me with your strength. Help me to use this as a time of growth, renewal, and healing. Calm my anxiety about what I might be giving up or times of discomfort that I might face. Provide me with the assurance that You will strengthen me during difficult times and meet me for sweet moments of spiritual growth and surrender. Help me focus not on what is being taken away but on what I’m gaining as I use this as a spiritual discipline. With you leading, Holy Spirit, I am ready to let the mess that has plagued me for so long go. I am healed by your blood, which gives me strength from day to day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Amen, I join you in prayer
Amen!! Love this reminder, “It’s his intention to transform the pangs of separation from whatever you’re fasting into deep prayers for more of His goodness.”