Faith, Fellowship and the Fast
“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’” – Joel 2:12 Yesterday, we talked about pressing into Jesus’ presence as we embrace Advent, and today, I want to look at one specific way to do it. I’m a firm believer in giving things up for a season in order to focus on something else. I’ve learned that such exercises in self-denial are good for me because they prove that I can accomplish what I set my mind to, and because they intensify my priorities and clarify my vision. That said, for Christians, one of the best ways to sacrifice is to fast, or to abstain from a particular type of food, entertainment, or pleasure in order to pray and pursue the things of God. A fast can take many different forms — it can be as simple as not eating
