Who have you told about your 40 day fast? Have you posted it on Facebook or Twitter? If you have already done that, there is no need to come down too hard on you. If you haven’t, try to refrain from broadcasting your fast. Why? Because it brings attention to you. The purpose of fasting is that your awareness of God is deepened, refreshed and renewed. This is a season for God to broadcast in your life that He loves you and that He is all you need.
It may be the reason that Jesus taught his disciples to pray a simple prayer that is not full of elaborate phrases and intricate formulas. He teaches a simple prayer that declares one’s allegiance to God’s new world order and illuminates one’s source of all their needs. Here is the Lord’s Prayer from the Message translation:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
This prayer perfectly sums up the theme of our Lenten journey. Because the Father feeds us, forgives us and protects us, we have Enough! In the space below, rewrite the Lord’s Prayer in your own words.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”