Loving God and laying down our lives for Him is a personal choice. He is waiting for you to turn over to Him all the negativity, all the wrongs that others have done to you, and the heavy loads you carry.

Something else we need to commit to Him is our man-made traditions for serving God. The scribes and Pharisees claimed to “serve God” faithfully, yet when Jesus, God’s own Son, came to the world teaching the ways of God, these leaders of the “church” did not receive him. Not only did they not receive him for themselves, but they were also the very ones who condemned and tried to tarnish his name. It was these leaders who were a thorn in his side during his entire ministry.

You see, Jesus didn’t do church as they did. He ministered in direct communion with our Heavenly Father. He taught according to God’s ways, and this upset the religious leaders because his way of doing things did not align with their way. He was a friend of sinners, after all, and even ate with them, all while claiming to be God’s Son. Jesus upset their man-made traditions. But the problem was not Jesus. These religious leaders had a form of godliness but denied the power it gave them to walk in God’s ways truly. 

What about you? What is getting in the way of you serving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit? Is it an unwillingness to forgive others? Did someone in the church do something to upset you or let you down in some way? Have the condemning comments of others kept you from God’s best? Do you feel you have had a harder life than most? Or are you not allowing God to move in a “new way” in your life because you don’t understand what He is doing? Determine during this fast to get so close to Him that you are able to discern what is His good and perfect will for your life so that you will not be misled nor miss what God desires to do in your life.

Querido Padre Celestial,

I come before You with praise and thanksgiving. I am so blessed that You call me Your own, and I desire to look like You. Lord, today I ask that You help me to rid my life of all uncleanness and everything that is not a reflection of You. Help me, specifically, to control my mouth from gossip and remove all condemning thoughts about others from my mind. I don’t want to be a thorn in someone’s side that may turn them from You. Turn my negative thoughts to prayers with a heart of love for them. May the delivery of my words, my attitude, and my love for others be a true reflection of You, as You guide my heart to be in alignment with Yours. Cleanse me from me, Lord, that I may become more like You. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

As you pray today, sincerely ask God to cleanse you of fleshly desires, words that don’t align with His teachings, any hurt caused by others, and your thoughts that stray from God's purpose, hindering you from receiving the fresh guidance He has for you. It's crucial not to be swayed by anything but to open your heart to His ways, which will consistently align with the Word of God, even if they may not seem conventional. Allow Him to minister to you anew today.