Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:28
“The Lord Jesus, wishing to make us more strong against the temptations of the devil, fasted when about to contend with him, that we might know that we can in no other way overcome the enticements of evil…
And what is the intention of the Scripture which teaches us that Peter fasted, and that the revelation concerning the baptism of Gentiles was made to him when fasting and praying, except to show that the Saints themselves advance when they fast.
Finally, Moses received the Law when he was fasting; and so Peter when fasting was taught the grace of the New Testament. Daniel too by virtue of his fast stopped the mouths of the lions and saw the events of future times…
Who then are these new teachers who reject the merit of fasting? Is it not the voice of heathen who say, “Let us eat and drink?”… It is then for them to indulge in meats and drinks who hope for nothing after death.”
Ambrose of Milan in Epistle 63.15-17 to the Christians at Vercelli (A.D. 396). I’m starting Lent with the four doctors in the Western Church. We heard from Augustine yesterday, Ambrose today, and Gregory the Great and Jerome will follow.
Kingdom practices are counterintuitive. Fasting makes us more strong. Ponder that reality. It positions us to do the good works that God prepared in advance for us to do. And I am struck by Moses today. He fasted 40 days and wrote the words of the covenant.
What might God want you to do during and after your 40 day fast during Lent? You won’t know until you set aside your desires and hear His heart. This is why we couple prayer and giving with fasting in order to resist the devil, listen to God, and take action.
I want to invite you to fast a meal today, pray about an opportunity, and as you are able, make a gift to GTP for serving God’s workers in underserved regions. We got a $40,000 match and still need about $12,804 by 28 February 2023.
Funds will be used to deploy me and other GTP staff and volunteers bring biblical teaching and practical training to help national workers grow local giving in Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Zambia, Jamaica, and other places.
We are not giving a hand out to people in need in these countries, which has been the cultural pattern for decades. Your generosity will give these disciples a hand up to form them as stewards who help ministries follow standards to flourish.