Fasting & Knowing The Father’s Heart
I grew up with the practice of giving something up for Lent. I formed a connection between focusing on rules and the fear of somehow getting it “wrong” as a result of fasting. To be fair, the act of going without something that I usually preferred did encourage discipline, but I can’t say I learned a single thing about the heart of God. I was well into adulthood before I would have been able to come up with a single answer as to why fasting is an important part of the Christian walk.
When done well, fasting brings us intimately closer to our Father, and there are lots of scripture-based reasons why it’s important – not the least of which is because Jesus says to. Take heart, parents everywhere: even the Lord flexes His “because I said so” muscle once in a while. Other reasons include seeking wisdom or direction, when we’re facing a crisis, interceding for something, and simply humbling ourselves in serving our Creator. The list of reasons goes on and the article linked here gives 8 of them, as well as practical tips on how to walk out these principles. Whether you’ve known God forever or are just meeting Him today, you’ll find approachable family-friendly ways to incorporate fasting into your Christian lifestyle. At Liberty Kids, our heart is for your children to know God as their friend and Father, and to be active participants in relationship with Him – no matter what their ages are. That includes cultivating spiritual disciplines – not because of any rule or legalistic reason, but because the God we serve is worth it. Yes, we fast in obedience to scripture, but our obedience is born of love rather than obligation. Here’s to a season of growing in this love together and experiencing in a whole new way just how big and beautiful our God’s heart really is.