Lenten Fast: Day 3

"God's greatest adversaries are his gifts - satisfaction with something else." - John Piper

Our great struggle in life is settling for lesser things. Fasting reveals that. When we fast, we give up a good thing to redirect our desires to a Greater Thing - God.

Here's how life usually works. When we have a longing or desire, we stuff it full of something. It's usually something that doesn't really satisfy, but fills the void. We get hungry, so we grab fast food to fill our bellies. We get bored, so we grab the remote and start clicking. Things get quiet, so we turn on the iPod to drown it out with music. We feel lonely, so we grab a bowl (or tub) of ice cream. These things may be good, but they are settling for less than the best.

When we fast, we refrain from one or more of those things. We recognize that that they are not the ultimate good or satisfaction. By going without them, we find that a void remains in our lives that points us to God - the greatest good.

Use your cravings to remind you that you long for God. When you crave the thing you gave up, turn that into a prayer to God. Maybe you want to pray something like this:

• "Father, give me a hunger for you."
• "Help."
• "Draw me close to You."
• "Father, I want You more than I want _________."

Use your fast to remind you that God is greater than the things He gives. While you may enjoy them, He is better still.

Read Psalm 63 and make it your prayer to God this week.