Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
I have always thought that fasting is for those who are holy. So clearly it was not for me. I have a lot of sins. But in the past few years, I have realized that fasting is not for the holy. It is for the desperate. For those who need Jesus to move and work and do miracles on their behalf. And that sounds a lot like me.
My brother-in-law, Van, says that fasting is a physical way of saying, “Jesus, I want what You want more than what I want.”
Because let’s just be honest. What I want is a chocolate bar. I don’t fast perfectly. I tend to fast in fits and starts. I often put limits on Jesus with my prayers. I may even try to strong-arm Him a little to get what I want. I know that never ends well. I told you up front…I’m not that holy.
But really—most of the time—I don’t want what Jesus wants more than what I want. I want what I want. I want healing or breakthroughs or miracles on my terms. I want what I want when I want it. I may shout, “Jesus, I want what You want!” But I usually end that shout with the whisper, “if it’s what I want.”
I have known myself long enough to know that I can’t change myself. But I have known Jesus long enough to know that He can. And so I am taking a page from King David’s playbook this morning. This is my prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a right spirit within me. This is what I would love Jesus to do in me. I think He is already working on it. Because it is what He wants too.
Faith Step: Pray King David’s prayer for a clean heart. Ask Jesus to reshape your thinking and your desires so that you want what He wants in your life.
