Life's Daily Challenge Devotional

Protecting an environment for vision

“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting,” Matthew 17:21.

To those who dream God’s dreams,

The Lord would never be unfaithful to you because He cannot deny who He is. The human heart, on the other hand, is desperately deceitful. It is, therefore, prudent for you to take every precaution to guard yourself from other loves. You need power in your life to discern those things that will harm, from those that will benefit, your relationship with Him. You need strength to overcome temptation.

Your vision will be challenged fiercely through its development. You have no power to guard it apart from faith. Faith is a natural (and supernatural) outflow of love. It can move and conquer the largest enemies and obstacles to your vision. Satan will attempt to weaken your faith by creating competition for your love. When you love the world, the love of God can not flow through you. When your relationship with God weakens, your faith wanes. As your faith lessens you lose power to guard your life from things that hinder your relationship with God. As this happens, your vision dies. You fall into vicious circles of lovelessness, powerlessness, and bondage.

The disciples encountered a demon possessed man. They did not have the love or the power to cast out the demon. Jesus said that their powerlessness was due to unbelief. He said that the remedy for their unbelief was fasting and prayer (Matt. 17:21). These are two of the most powerful weapons in your spiritual arsenal. With them you can tear down strongholds and overcome temptations. With them you can defend your love for God. In order for these weapons to have full impact, they must be seen as more than acts of will power.

Fasting is more than a cessation of eating or pleasure. It is an exchange of dependence. When you fast you make your source of nourishment and pleasure, the Lord. It should become a lifestyle rather than an act. There will be times when you feel your faith and love beginning to wane. This is the right time to begin a fast. You may fast from food, sex, work, exercise or other dependencies. Set time aside specifically to draw sustenance from the Lord rather than from these sources.

One day Christ’s disciples were concerned that He didn’t have anything to eat. He told them that He had food about which they knew nothing. He made every Word from His Father His source of strength (John 4:32). This type of exchange quiets the screaming passions and desires that compete for God’s affection. This is how you can focus your full devotion on Him.

Prayer is more than talking to God. Prayer is communion. It flows from the heart. I am always amazed when I hear someone say they haven't spent any time with God. What they usually mean is that they missed their devotional time. This time is certainly important, but not as important as being with God. You can have devotions and miss being with God. God wants to be with you in everything you do throughout the day. You can commune back and forth with Him through different people and circumstance. You can pray without ceasing. Prayer involves listening, feeling, knowing, sharing, and thinking. God becomes entwined in all that you are and all that you do and you begin to share His thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and affections. Perhaps you can think of the first time you really “fell” in love with someone. You somehow had the ability to keep them in your heart and mind amidst your daily conversations and tasks. Perhaps you slipped in a phone call or jotted down a quick note on your breaks from work. All along, you anticipated and awaited the time when you could be alone together. This is the type of relationship you can develop with God.

Prayer and fasting flow out of relationship, as well as being tools to strengthen communion when it begins to weaken. It’s possible to go through the motions without the heart. It is impossible, however, to have the heart without corresponding actions. Check your heart today. If you find yourself lacking, and truly desire deeper intimacy, these are two valuable tools to get you on the right track!