Sunday, December 28, 2025
One of the invitations from Church at Home this week was learning how to prepare our hearts in the waiting. If you haven't seen the message yet, you can find it on the Watch Tab of the CedarCreek App or here: https://watch.cedarcreek.tv/
As we prepare for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting beginning January 5, we've created a special week of devotions focused on fasting—what it is, how to practice it, and what God can do through it. We invite you to use this time of waiting to look ahead with anticipation, trusting God and growing closer to him.
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Positioning Your Heart for Renewal
Do you desire to draw closer to God this year? This is God’s desire for you, too!
Joel 2:12-13 reminds us: “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”
The human heart is easily distracted, often chasing things that cannot satisfy. Joel’s call to fasting is a reminder that we must turn away from empty pursuits and allow God to fill our souls. As Psalm 107:9 declares, “He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Fasting creates space for God to meet our deepest needs.
Fasting is more than abstaining from food; it is a spiritual discipline that reorders our priorities. It shifts our focus from the world to God, reminding us of our dependence on him. In fasting, hidden struggles often surface—anger, selfishness, distraction—and God invites us to find freedom in his presence. This practice humbles us, awakens spiritual hunger, and amplifies prayer.
Joel 2:13 calls us to “tear our hearts,” surrendering even our most basic needs to God. Yet fasting is not meant to be endured by sheer willpower. Scripture consistently couples fasting with prayer. Together, these disciplines strengthen our connection with God. Fasting reveals our need; prayer brings that need before the Father.
Throughout the Bible, fasting and prayer appear side by side. Ezra sought God’s protection through fasting and prayer (Ezra 8:21-23). Samuel led Israel in repentance with them (1 Samuel 7:5-6). Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and prayed for deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:3-4). Jesus himself taught that certain breakthroughs require both prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21). The early church fasted and prayed before sending missionaries (Acts 13:2-3). These examples show the power of combining the two.
As you step into this year, consider how prayer and fasting can prepare your heart for renewal. God is merciful, compassionate, and filled with unfailing love. He longs for you to put him first. Use these practices to free yourself from distraction, reset your priorities, and awaken your spiritual hunger. In doing so, you position your heart to experience God’s renewal and draw closer to him in the year ahead.
Questions:
What is your reaction when you think about fasting? Why do you think this is?
What changes for you when you think about fasting as a way to reorder priorities rather than just abstaining from food?
How could prayer affect your fasting experience?
Next Steps:
Take a moment to consider what a step of fasting could look like for you, such as skipping or delaying one meal, before fasting for a full day.
Think about the role prayer could play during this time of fasting and make a plan to try this in the days to come.
Prayer:
Lord, you are compassionate and merciful and I desire to turn to you. I admit I often put things ahead of you, Father, and for this I apologize. Help me clear away the distractions and position my heart for renewal by using fasting as a way to fix my eyes on you. Help me to bring my needs before you as they rise up while I'm fasting and use that as an opportunity to draw closer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This post was written by Kelly Pagel, curriculum coordinator at CedarCreek and regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.