Faith is a marathon, not a sprint. We are all at different points in our walk with Christ. For some of us, we may have grown up Christian but never truly knew God or recognized his blessings in our lives. Maybe we prayed regularly before meals or sat and listened to our parents as they did their daily devotionals. Maybe as a family, we prayed at night but as we’ve gotten older, went off to college, and started our own families we’ve forgotten or even made the decision to not live our lives the way we did when we were under our parent’s roof.
Sure, we may say a quick prayer every now and then when we’re in trouble. We may whisper to God before walking into our boss’s office or after a heated argument with our spouse. But, we lack the consistency that comes with being a Christian. God requires us to be fully devoted to him.
A great example of this is Abraham. In Genesis 12, God spoke to Abraham.
“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”-Genesis 12:1-3
At this time Abraham was seventy-five. He was eighty-six years old when his first son Ishmael was born through Hagar, ninety-nine when he was circumcised, and one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born through Sarah. In fact, he and Sarah laughed when God told them they would have a child at their old age. To make matters worse, Abraham and Sarah were both liars. Sarah lied about not laughing when God told her she would have a child at her old age and they went on to lie about being brother and sister.
“Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’” – Genesis 18:13-15
Most of us would have probably behaved the same way as Abraham. Most of us would be shocked and even laugh if God told us we are going to be parents in our seventies. Out of fear, we may have lied about our relationships with each other. During The Daniel’s Fast, think about the ways God has spoken to you and you did not listen. The ways you may have denied his blessings. Think about the ways you could hinder your fast.
In your walk, you will realize that God wants us to be obedient. Abraham’s journey was a long one but once he became faithful and obedient he was rewarded. Do not fast and at the same time indulge in your fleshly pleasures. Do not mistreat people and expect God to answer your prayer just because you’re fasting. Be careful about what you say and think. For some of us, this may be the start of our journey with God and for others, it may be one of the many ways God tests our faith. How are you staying obedient during this time? Share in the comments below.
