Devotions

There is great power in confession and prayer. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and acknowledge (confess) the thoughts and actions in our lives that don’t align with His will, we open ourselves up to being continually changed by Jesus.

After a time of prayer, Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. How humbling to sit at the feet of Jesus, hear Him pray, and have the opportunity to gain more wisdom and knowledge from Him as they sought to emulate Jesus in every way—including the way He spoke to His Father.

While prayer fosters intimacy with God, it is also a way to honour and worship Him for all He does, did, and will do. He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all created things, including us.

Today, as we reflect on decisions we’ve made to put God first in our lives, let’s praise Him for all He has done for us and for teaching us to fast and pray.

Throughout this week, we have been exploring the discipline of fasting, but today, we’re going to flip things on their head a little. For the next few moments, we are going to look at the power of the table.

Not only does He promise light and healing, but He says His righteousness will go ahead of us and His glory as our rear guard! What an escort He provides for the believer who turns aside from ungodly pursuits and seeks Him with a contrite heart.

Biblical fasting is abstinence from consuming food. Modern fasting is still predominately abstinence from food (in various methods). Additionally, many Christians abstain from spiritually misplaced priorities.

Fasting, together with prayer, unlocks something in the spiritual realm. It is the precursor to repentance, wisdom, and breakthrough.

The discipline of fasting is the laying down of our own needs, wants, and desires and instead the preferring of the desires and ‘hunger’ of the spirit within us.

As we explore fasting, let’s pause to reflect on the meaning behind it and think about why Christians consider it an important activity.

Throughout the week, we studied the three temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness. These attacks from the enemy challenged His flesh, loyalty to His Father, and sense of self.

In today’s Scripture, we encounter the third temptation, where Satan offers Jesus power, glory, and riches in exchange for worship. This scene gives us reasons to examine our priorities and desires for worldly success.