Ministering to the Lord Pt. 5

This week we’ll talk about another way by which we can minister to the Lord.  It might be one of the least popular of the known ways to do so.  It is the discipline of fasting.
One of the reasons that it is so unpopular is that it costs us something – some discomfort, dare I say some pain?  The most obvious application is the out and out, cold-turkey, stop eating fast.  That’s the one Jesus did.  I had a Bible college instructor that said regarding fasting that, ‘my body runs on the chemical consumption of food.’  You really need to be sure you’re healthy enough for this.  If you’re not sure, find out first.  That instructor may not have been a candidate to take on a full fast.
I hate the headache that I usually get around the third day of the fast.  I found a little trick that helps me to avoid that.  The day before I begin my fast I skip breakfast and lunch.  I eat dinner.  Then the next day I start my fast in earnest.  Somehow, that seemed to trick my body into not giving me headaches.  Maybe this will work for you.  A full fast is a great way to minister to the Lord.
However, a full-blown fast is not the only kind that we can use to minister to the Lord.  Many people consider Daniel’s avoidance of the King’s food and his subsequent adherence to only vegetables and water to be a kind of fast.  It got results. It’s referred to in Daniel 1 and possibly Daniel 10.  Look them up.
There are even more things that we can fast from and more ways to perform a fast.  Some people do short-term, full-fasts . . . just a day or even part of a day.  Recently I spent time waiting on the Lord where I skipped lunch for several days in a row.  I used that lunch-time to wait specifically on the Lord.  That got the Lord’s attention, if you will.  There are so many possible variations of food fasts for us to consider if we want to minister to the Lord.  Perhaps you could just give up sweets or a similar favorite food for a season and use some time to focus on Him as you do this.
Even beyond this there are other things from which we can abstain which constitute a kind of fast.  Consider abstaining from entertainment, the internet, a hobby, sports or your favorite recreation in favor of waiting on Him.  The possibilities are really almost endless.  Just set aside something pleasant and give some of the time saved to waiting on Him.  This can even be combined with some of the things we’ve already talked about; worship, praise, thanksgiving, and singing.  These are great ways to minister to the Lord either separately or all together.  Do it.  You’ll be glad you did and I think that the Lord will be, too.