Fasting Fridays

Today is the first of our "Fasting Fridays" here at the church, and I am eagerly anticipating what is going to happen. I feel very much like a father waiting expectantly for his brood to come home for a family gathering. Of course, I know that not everyone can be here today, nor will everyone be here at the same time. That's really okay. My prayer is that we are all fasting and praying in some form or another. It's been very cool to already see cars on the parking lot at various times of the past week--I even saw one in the front parking lot at 6:30 the other morning. These are people who are taking the call to prayer for our church quite seriously.

For my own part I am still trying to sort out the difference between fasting and not eating. I know that they are kinda sorta the same thing, but there has to be some difference. For example, I don't eat breakfast. If I eat breakfast one morning a week that's rare. So since I'm not eating breakfast this morning does that qualify it as fasting? I suspect that an attitude shift has to be in place, too, or else it's just skipping a meal.

As I was walking/running this morning, I found it difficult to get my mind centered on the notion of praying. I remember that I used to be able to do that, but this morning all I could find in my head were broken bits and pieces of tunes from Oz. It's frustrating to not be able to focus my mind on prayer. This is something I am going to have to overcome if I'm going to get my own heart and mind in the place where I can truly intercede for the church today. I want to be humbled before the Lord so that he has my absolutely undivided attention. I suspect that it's only at that point that it will truly be fasting and not just missing a meal.

Lord, teach me to pray....