“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Joel 2:12
“Fasting is emptying your body of food. But in spiritual comparison, you must also empty yourself of every barrier to God, so you can be filled with His presence.”
Elmer Towns in Knowing God Through Fasting (Shippensburg: Destiny Image Publishers) 11.
The commitment of muslims to Ramadan teaches a lesson to us as followers of Jesus Christ.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. And no one in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan eat anything from sunrise to sunset during the month.
As they empty themselves, I am praying for God to reveal Himself to them in a powerful way.
Fasting from a biblical perspective is a great gift from God to help us reset our relationship with Him. Whether or not you understand the value of Lent, I want to invite you to experience it this year.
What is Lent? Lent is special season observed by Christians since the days of the early church.
Christians observe Lent over the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday by practicing the disciplines of giving, prayer, and fasting which appear at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount. And we pause these practices on the 7 feast days – the 7 Sundays – to celebrate the work Christ has done for us.
This timeframe of 40 days mirrors the time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before His earthly ministry began.
In that sense, Lent prepares each of us for the celebration of the resurrection and for our ministry and service after Easter. At observe Lent from 5 March to 20 April 2025 by reading a daily devotional and having period zooms together.
We want you to join us. Journey through Lent with GTP to strengthen your faith and your training.
1. Click to download LENT COMPANION here in English or Spanish. Each day you find a short reading, a Scripture, and thoughts to ponder and apply in your life.
2. Join us for zoom calls to explore the Lenten disciplines, to enjoy discussion, and have times of rich learning together. Register here for English or Spanish zooms.
The zooms will take place on 5 March (Giving), 17 March (Prayer), 31 March (Fasting), and 21 April (Life after Lent).
Whether or not you have done much fasting in the past. Empty yourself this Lent so you can be filled with God’s presence.
I am excited to deliver the first of the four Lent zooms live from Pakistan.