Thanksgiving is almost here! While not a biblical holiday, Thanksgiving is a gift to the Christian. It is an opportunity to grow in gratitude. A heart of gratitude is a heart of worship. In the belly of the fish, Jonah sings to God, “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord’” (Jonah 2:9). Jonah’s hardened heart is softened in thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving, God invites us to align our hearts in praise.

Would you like to maximize your gratitude this Thanksgiving? I encourage you to consider fasting.[i] Fasting?! That’s right. Would you consider joining me tomorrow in a day of prayer and fasting so that we may prepare our hearts for the joy of worshipful gratitude?

Let fasting increase your gratitude this Thanksgiving in these ways:

Fasting reminds us who feeds us. When we fast, we are reminded that God is the Giver of all gifts. In a 21st century world where most of us rarely experience true hunger, fasting allows us to pause and consider where every blessing truly originates.  

Interestingly, Jesus follows his instructions on fasting in the Sermon on the Mount with a warning about the danger of consumption. He says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). Fasting can help break the power of our attachment to the world. Fasting invites us to live in light the eternal, not temporal.

Fasting reminds us where our true food comes from. In response to the devil’s temptation to turn stones into bread, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’’” (Matt 4:4). Our real food is the word of God.

Our true food is also the Word of God. When the crowds are thrilled that Jesus is miraculously giving them food, Jesus diverts their attention to himself, the only spiritual food that can and will sustain them on both sides of eternity. “Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’” (Jn 6:35). When we fast, we are reminded that our truest sustenance is the spiritual sustenance of our Savior.

Fasting reminds us that we are sinners. Our world tells us to celebrate because we deserve it. Our world tells us to indulge because we have earned the right. Fasting softens our hearts in repentance. We deserve the wrath of the Almighty, not his bounty. In fasting, we come with faces bowed and spirits broken by our wrongdoing against our faithful Lord.

The book of Hebrews concludes with a picture of the immovable kingdom we have been given and then calls us to respond in worship. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29). As Paul concludes his letter to the church at Colossae, he says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col. 4:2). Prayer and gratitude are conjoined in a disciple’s heart.

Fasting invites us to prepare our hearts for the Groom. When Jesus responds to the critique of John’s disciples regarding why his disciples don’t fast, “Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast’” (Matt 9:15). In other words, now that the bridegroom is in heaven, we are supposed to fast. We fast in preparation for our wedding day (many Jewish couples actually fast on their wedding day). Fasting quickens our heart for the true source of our joy, our Groom.

So, before you feast this Thanksgiving, perhaps you might consider fasting with me. May Christ deepen our gratitude and whet our appetites for him, our only pure source of satisfaction.

[i] Fasting is a decision to deny oneself for spiritual purposes. Usually fasting is abstaining from food and liquids other than water for a period of time and devote oneself to prayer. If you have medical issues, please consult your doctor before you fast. Diabetics, for instance, need to be careful in the way they fast. The most normal period of time is one day. Other types of fasting include partial fasting (fasting from certain types of foods (typically for a longer period) and fasting from certain activities (such as social media or television). Some scripture to read as you consider fasting include Ps. 63:1; Is. 58:3-7; Joel 2:12; Matt. 4:1-4, 6:16-18; Acts 14:23.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash