{"id":261150,"date":"2023-08-07T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/?post_type=resource&p=261150"},"modified":"2024-03-27T21:01:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T03:01:14","slug":"fuel-your-relationship-with-god-4-ideas-for-prayer-and-fasting","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/resource\/fuel-your-relationship-with-god-4-ideas-for-prayer-and-fasting\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cFUEL\u201d Your Relationship With God: 4 Ideas for Prayer and Fasting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fasting is the spiritual discipline of intentionally going without something for a time to focus on your relationship with God. Even Jesus fasted for 40 days before beginning His ministry (Mark 2:18-19 NIV<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing your appetites\u2014what fuels you\u2014 and how they draw you toward or away from God is one way to practice this spiritual discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FUEL (F<\/strong>ood; U<\/strong>se Of Time; E<\/strong>ntertainment; L<\/strong>isten To), take inventory of your fuel <\/em>through one of the four fasting ideas described below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you start a fast, invite a friend to join you. You can encourage each other through the fast and share about your journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  F<\/strong> – Food<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Practice:<\/strong> Do you ever use food as a comfort when you\u2019re sad or as a reward when you\u2019re happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try fasting from one type of food or even one meal a day for a certain period of time and see how your cravings change. How does this require deeper dependence on the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponder:<\/strong> What can you learn from Daniel as he fasted from certain types of food (Daniel 1:8-16 NIV<\/a>)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray:<\/strong> Father, deepen my hunger and thirst for you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. U <\/strong>– Use<\/strong> Of Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Practice<\/strong>: How often do you describe your day as \u201cbusy?\u201d How does your schedule make you feel? What fills most of your time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take inventory of your time by writing down everything you do for a week. Then ask God to show you what activities you could fast from to commit to time for Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponder<\/strong>: Learn from Nehemiah as he fasted and prayed after hearing about the destruction of the city walls of Jerusalem. He was willing to offer whatever time necessary to help (Nehemiah 1:4 NIV<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray<\/strong>: Father, teach me how to best honor you with how I spend my time. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. E <\/strong>– Entertainment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Practice<\/strong>: How does it feel to have someone like your post or have someone unfollow you on social media? How are your entertainment choices influencing you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk with the Lord about what you watch and listen to\u2014music, movies, TV, social media, podcasts, etc. Decide how you might fast from entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponder<\/strong>: Learn from the early church how fasting and prayer coincided with worship. This led them to commission more believers to go and share the gospel (Acts 13:2-3 NIV<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray<\/strong>: Father, make me more aware of who you are and therefore increase my worship.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. L <\/strong>– Listen<\/strong> To<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Practice<\/strong>: Who do you look to for encouragement? Does someone\u2019s approval matter most? Whose voice is the loudest in your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try fasting from noise and use it as an opportunity to embrace silence and more clearly hear God\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponder<\/strong>: Learn from the churches in Galatia (Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch) as Paul and Barnabas used prayer and fasting to make leadership decisions (Acts 14:21-23 NIV<\/a>). In Paul\u2019s letter to the Galatians he emphasized the importance of God\u2019s approval (Galatians 1:10 NIV<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pray<\/strong>: Father, transform me to desire your approval above all others.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Share this Navigators Discipleship Tool<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Download a print-friendly PDF of 4 Ideas for Prayer and Fasting <\/em>to pass along. Navigators Discipleship Tools are designed for sharing with your Bible study, church groups, and those you are discipling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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