Spring break: one of my favorite times of the year. A time when I don't have to worry about the responsibilities of school. A whole week when I can just kick back and relax and clear my mind. But our time should not be wasted with such activities that dull our mind and cause us to lose focus on God, but should rather be a time of refreshing and renewal through prayer, fasting, and meditating on God's Word. This unencumbered week should be used as a time to focus fully on God that we may be strengthened and encouraged before we return to school to finish out the year, so that we may finish living fully for Christ. When we pray, we move closer to God through conversation, and by spending more time with Him, through prayer, and prayerful meditation on His word, we can be removed from the worldly things that distract us, and be more focused on Him. In fasting, we share in Christ's sufferings as we feel the pains of loss, and also can be released from worldly things that hinder our walk with God.
Matthew 6:5-13
"Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They've got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And you Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don't babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they'll be heard for their many words. Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.
Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
You name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
You will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory forever,
Amen.
Jesus first words here are “Whenever you pray.” You might notice He didn't say “If you pray.” In this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples and the people how to pray. Prayer, He says, should be a personal time with God, where you pray just for your own benefit, from being with God, not so that others will hear you and think you are special or good or religious because you pray. He says, “You should pray like this.” Here Jesus gives an example of a prayer, a model prayer, not a prayer that should be recited, but rather a picture for us to look at to understand how to pray.
Jesus starts by praising God, and declaring His name to be holy and His will is done on earth and in heaven. Just like this, we should also praise God in our prayers. Prayers are not just about asking God for things we need or want, but a time when we can express our worship in a very personal way. We can express love, devotion, gratitude, and many other emotions through prayer. First and foremost, we should praise God for His grace and mercy as Jesus did.
Next Jesus moves more towards asking God for needed things. This is not a request line to get what you want when you want it, but rather a time to show our utter dependence on God for all things, even bread. By asking God to provide us with such simple things as daily bread, we show Him that we depend on Him for everything, which glorifies Him, and that we desire to be recipients of His blessings. Asking forgiveness for debts, or sins, is the ultimate request to God and it truly shows dependence on Him. We desperately need forgiveness of our sins, and God freely offers it to those who ask Him. But we won't be forgiven if we don't forgive those who have wronged us, as Jesus says in verses 14 and 15.
We also ask God to protect us from temptation and the evils of this world because we desire to be His holy nation, set apart from the world by Him and for Him. We know that only God has the power to protect us from these things, and humbly ask Him to do so. And out of love to show His glory, He does so.
Prayer is our personal communication with God, where we can praise Him; ask things of Him; such as healing for sick persons, financial support for the church or missions, safety for travel or missionaries, and many other things; and we can ask for our own protection from the evils of this world. Prayer helps us rest and be refreshed and encouraged by reminding us that God is there with us and listens to our prayers and hears our requests. Knowing this comforting fact gives us great peace.
Matthew 6:16-18
"Whenever you fast, don't be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so they may show their fasting to people. I assure you: They've got their reward! But when you fast, brush your hair and wash your face, so that you don't show your fasting to people, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Again, Jesus starts with “When you fast,” as opposed to “If you fast.” This tells us the importance of fasting, just as prayer. Fasting is also a thing done in the secret. We should fast without making sure everyone knows we are doing it, but do it only for our own benefit. But what is fasting, and do we have to fast from food completely? No. Fasting is simply giving up something for a time or season for the purpose of getting closer to God. When people fast from food, it is to know suffering as Jesus suffered, through the pains of hunger. This also signifies that we hunger more for the righteousness of God than food, for “man cannot live by bread alone, but by the Word of the Lord.”
This is especially hard for students to do, and may not be the best idea for most. Most students live with their parents, who provide their meals for them, so it is not as easy for them to fast from food. However, this does not excuse us from fasting, but rather we can find other things to fast from. Fasting is giving something up for a time to move closer to God, so this can really be anything we have on a regular basis. We can fast from a favorite snack food or drink. We can fast from a certain TV show or CD that we watch and listen to. We may even fast from going out at night with our friends, and instead devote that time to prayer and meditation on God's Word. And through fasting, we draw closer to God, and He draws closer to us, as we give up this world and the things in it for Him, and this brings true rest and refreshment.
Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; beditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
We talked a little about this last week. It is vitally important to a Christian's life that they read the word of God, and not just read the Word, as you may read a book, but meditate on it. This doesn't mean you light candles and incense and sit Indian style with your hands on your knees in the goofy Buddha position and hum. This means that you read the Word, read it again (not the entire thing but a passage) and think about it, dwell on it, and think about what it means and how it applies to your life. Meditating on the Word includes reading and rereading, and also reading other passages relating to the same subject, to know what the whole of God's Word says about a particular subject. This can be difficult for a younger person who is less experienced, so it can also include reading other books based on God's Word, and asking an older wiser person such as your parents or pastor. By reading the Word and meditating on it, we are refreshed by continually seeing God's grace and mercy in the lives of His people from times past, and through His Son Jesus Christ. Knowing the promises contained in God's word brings to us true peace and rest.
So as we have spring break next week, even though some may be shorter than others, use this time not as a time to be lazy and goof off, but as a time to focus on God, and to give glory to His name through prayer, fasting, and meditating on His Word.