Lenten Fasting and Beyond
A Prayer Before Fasting
Heavenly Father, as I begin this time of fasting, I pray that you will fill me with Your grace, and grant me strength and resolution to endure the hunger and discomforts that I may experience during this fast.
Keep me strong and alert, Lord. Deliver me from all unwanted thoughts and distractions that would jeopardize my fast. Protect me from temptation and from the Evil One. May this fast lead me to spiritual growth, renewal, and healing.
Grant me, Father, the assurance that You will strengthen me during the difficult and challenging times of this fast, and meet me for sweet moments of spiritual growth and surrender. Help me to focus not on what is being taken away, but what I will be gaining as I use this fast as a spiritual discipline. With you leading me, Holy Spirit, I am ready.
My God, I offer up this fast to You and to Your glory. May Your mercy be always upon me, a sinner.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Let’s expand on what Fasting is during Lent.
1. It’s not a hunger strike.
2. It’s not a removal from our creature comforts but are they wants or needs?
3. It is a conversion to uniting with Jesus Christ.
4. It’s a way to transform our weaknesses into strength with sacrifice.
5. It allows us day by day to free ourselves from the shackles of idols, from sin that bind us away from our Lord, Jesus Christ.
6. It brings us closer to Jesus in his journey with ours to understand why he fasted, for us and the world.
7. It helps change or break habits and establish needed God-filled routines.
8. It cues us to be without what is not necessary, be without obsessions.
9. It may bring you to forgiving rather than be forgiven.
Think about this-what do you want out of this Lenten Season? What changes? To bring you closer to God? To create a wonderful relationship with him? Maybe it’s not on this list. Or you might have more to add to it.
What is pushing you to fast?
End of the day: Conversion for making room for God, for Jesus Christ.
End of this 40-day Lenten journey and beyond…live as a better disciple for Jesus. Live as a Steward for Christ. Live to evangelize; to bring others to Jesus.