40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. By Alicia Britt Chole

To humble us, to test us, to know what is in our hearts… such is the shifting power of helplessness. In our daily lives, we may prefer self-reliance. But perhaps utter dependence is the truer friend of our souls. (see Prologue)8

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1. Fast (Give up) Lent as a Project- consider this as more of a sojourn; it’s about presence not productivity.

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2. Fast Regrets- form of self-punishment, do not feed it. Let it go!

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3. Fast Collecting Praise- redirect stewards and then deposit praise at the feet of Jesus.

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4. Fast Artificial Light- use candlelight, unplug from the power grid.

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5. Fast Tidy Faith- let your faith be messy.

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6. Fast Speeding Past Sorrow- Jesus sent everyone away at times and carved out space to pray in solitude.

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7. Fast A Meal- fasting means to hunger and tire to a point of physical exhaustion for the sake of uniting with our heavenly Bridegroom. -John Paul Abdelsayed

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8. Fast Fixing It- clumsy attempts to fix someone else’s pain. Reflect on the probability that we are uncomfortable facing our own. Let the broken be broken for a day.

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9. Fast Rationalism- Faith, the same faith that gave reason wings. It is not possible to prove with the mind what is born of the spirit. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Lean not on your own understanding…”

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10. Fast Avoidance- Do you eat more? Sleep more? What areas in your life do you sense God’s invitation to embrace mystery?

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11. Fast Religious Profiling- whom do you spiritually underestimate?

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12. Fast Isolation- your life needs and, in turn, affects all other lives. Refuse to discount your influence,

especially in seemingly small acts and intentionally nurture your God-given web of relationships.

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13. Fast Stinginess- seek an opportunity to be irrationally lavish toward someone who cannot possibly return the favor.

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14. Fast Spectatorship- when considerations start turning into hesitations about something Jesus is clearly at the center of, throw hypercaution to the wind, and celebrate Jesus with abandon.

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15. Fast Spiritual Self-Protection- ask the Holy Spirit to alert you when you are shrinking back from God.

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16. Fast Halos- false definitions of holy. It is never weakness to grieve where God is grieving.

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17. Fast Apathy- let us ask God to awaken us from our numb slumber and reveal to us His where, when, and how of any tables that need to be overthrown in our generation.

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18. Fast Appearances- ask Him to help you understand why you are investing energy in an illusion. Our reality does not frustrate Jesus. Our hypocrisy does.

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19. Fast Revisionism- a deadly form of self-deception and a formidable foe of intimacy with God. May God help us all to walk in truth.

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20. Fast Leavened Bread- yeast became a symbol of what was left behind in Egypt: hypocrisy, corruption, and bondage. Ask God to search your heart for any remnants of hypocrisy.

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21. Fast Premature Resolution- process can be a troublesome thing. Resist tidying up when you are in the muddy middle of the process of obedience-in-the-making.

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22. Fast Sound- power down anything that beeps or buzzes or blinks for an hour. Ask God to reveal to you the power His sounds have in your soul.

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23. Fast Armchair Jesus- Jesus is not aloofly watching you. Jesus is with you. As with any relationship, sharing life is much easier when you believe you have shared ground.

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24. Fast Neutrality- choose Jesus over self and recommit to living cross-ward.

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25. Fast Denial- Jesus was victorious not because He lacked uncooperative feelings but because He affirmed and reaffirmed His commitment to honor Father’s will above His emotions.

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26. Fast Comparison- cease determining the value of your reality by your perceptions of others’ reality.

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27. Fast Discontentment- and redirect your mental energy to thank God for anything in your current reality for which you can be grateful.

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28. Fast Formulas- consider the restrictions you are experiencing and instead spend time in prayerful discernment asking God to show you His way.

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29. Fast Intimidation- fear is intimidation’s oxygen. Wisdom invites us to discern where we are most vulnerable to his (satan’s) tactics.

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30. Fast Self-Confidence- rest deeply in Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13).

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31. Fast Mocking Jesus- stand in front of a mirror and say aloud these words: “Jesus endured His suffering for me. He believed- and still believes- that I am worth it.”

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32. Fast Addition- Jesus is enough. His shed blood was sufficient for our salvation. Adding to Him only distracts us. Let each choice to not buy remind you of what you could not purchase: your pardon.

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33. Fast Willful Sin- start loving Jesus to a degree that compels us to walk away from sin where we can and get help where we cannot.

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34. Fast Criticism- seek to know more, assume less, and air prayer for Jesus’ “least of these” boldly in the presence of your shared Father God.

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35. Fast God-as-Job – consider ways in which you, too, may be near in body but absent in spirit, taking care of Jesus’ stuff but not attending to His voice. Proximity does not automate intimacy.

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36. Fast Withholding- ask God to reveal any area in which you are withholding love from Him, others, or yourself.

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37. Fast Your Voice- when tragedy strikes, communities honor the fallen with a moment of silence. Be forewarned though: silence can be rather loud.

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38. Fast Escapism- instead of distracting yourself with activity, cancel appointments to make space to be still. Embrace the discomfort of disappointment as a noble step in your spiritual formation.

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39. Fast Guarding Tombs- is shame standing watch over any dead things in your life? Let the angel roll away the stone so that you can see that nothing is there anymore. Jesus conquered it. All that is there now is light and hope!

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40. Fast Fasting- pause in gratitude to Jesus, your Mentor, for His holy decrease that was inspired by love. Add your voice to the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us (Hebrews 12:1).

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Thank You, Lord, for this wonderful opportunity to lead and pray together. Help us spread the most amazing gift while we’re here on earth, limited in time. You give me everything I need at just the right time! I will follow the cross though the way is narrow- few will find it. Keep my heart pure and my mind focused on eternity- no matter the cost! In Jesus’ name, amen! Kimber Nation