Fellowship Memphis

This is the letter Bryan references in his sermon on fasting preached on March 21st, 2010.  The writer shares his experience about fasting from food and pursuing God. 

Bryan,

Before I share with you what I gained from my fast let me share with you how I questioned my motives before I began my fast. First, fasting is conceived in the heart of a person who wants more of God. The only reasons some may fast apart from a desire to hunger more for God's glory is for self glory. I had to ask myself, "Why do I want to gain from this fast?" I truly believed in my heart that I wanted to experience more of God's glory working in and through my life. My desire to fast was birthed out of a spiritual discontentment. I wanted more of God. He was the gain I greatly desired.

Fasting places us in the seat of dependency like no other spiritual discipline that I know. I was resolved to rejoice in my hunger pains and turn them into moment's of intimacy with Jesus. As John Piper has nicely penned, "Hunger pain are trumpet calls to prayer."

As crazy as this may sound when I broke my forty day fast and my twenty fast I wept uncontrollably. I wept because I had to eat. I wept because my deeply intense season of intimacy was coming to an end. On my last fast I broke it during communion. The first thing I wanted to put in my mouth was the taste of remembering what Jesus did for me--by dying on a cross. I was overwhelmed with the presence of the Holy Spirit and I sensed God descend in delight upon me before breaking my fast. There I stood during our worship set while my wife prayed over me and said, "It's okay baby, go ahead and eat." It took me five minutes or so to place the bread in my mouth because I was so overcome by God's grace and broken up that I wasn't able to give him even more of a sacrifice. People have who fasted long periods of time know that breaking it can be very difficult b/c you don't ever want to go back to the way it was before.

During one of my prayers times I found myself on my knees in broken hearted worship saying to Jesus, "This is such a small sacrifice." If you were willing to fast forty days to prepare yourself to die for me, then I am willing to fast forty days in order to prepare myself to live more for you."

Sincerely, 

Your Friend

5 Things to Pray for during our Holy Week Fast:

1. Rick Trotter and Family

2. Marriages in our body

3. Easter Service at The Orpheum

4. Engage Memphis Fund

5. Those who have health issues in our body