Passport to Prayer – Lent 2016

Thursday – Feb. 11, 2016 

Isaiah 58:6: Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen, to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 

Some people fast during Lent. Often, fasting is going without something, like soda, candy or chocolate. My husband considers ketchup its own food group. One Lent, he gave up ketchup which was a big sacrifice for him! On Easter Sunday, he was looking for meat to put ketchup on!

Let’s continue looking at Isaiah 58:7-12:

When you see the naked, to cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth quickly, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your reward.

Then you shall call, and the Lord shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, Here I am.

If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul,
then your light shall rise in obscurity, and your darkness shall become as the noonday.
And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Those from among you shall rebuild the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Paths in which to Dwell.

The Prophet Isaiah seems to be talking about a different kind of fasting. He says we should give up some bad things and choose instead more helpful habits. An example would be to fast from being greedy and feast on sharing with others. Or fast from hating and feast on loving.

Prayerfully consider what you will fast from this Lent. Decide what behavior you will feast on instead. Then, fill in these sentences:

Passport to Prayer
Lent 2016

During Lent 2016,

I will Fast from: _______________________________________________________________. Instead, I will Feast on: _________________________________________________________.

Make a little card with this information and display it in a location you will see every day.

Lord God, help me see these next 40 days as a chance for me to fast from a behavior which often becomes a barrier for me. Instill within me a deep desire to replace this fast with a positive feast. Walk with me daily as I try to honor this commitment. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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