Day 12

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24

Put Off the Old and Put On the New

Well, here we are on the final day of our fast. Way to go! Fasting of any sort or

timeframe takes a lot of self-control. I pray that you have experienced fresh encounters

and revelations of God’s presence and ways as you have deliberately set this time

aside to focus on Him.

As we close our corporate fast, I encourage you to consider habits you have practiced

during the fast that can remain as normal parts of your daily routine. Over the years, I’ve

discovered that I’ve continued with a practice from the fast for many months following it,

and I have experienced sustained benefits from the activities of my fasts. And a tidbit of

advice: avoid diving back into things you’ve fasted right off the start. Ease into food, and

media to protect yourself from restarting what may have been bad habits before the

fast, which leads to today’s thoughts.

Let’s look at today’s scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

I’d like to take a moment and zero in on the last few verses.

(ESV) 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard

about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,

which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23

and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created

after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We know, of course, that this scripture’s primary point is the powerful transformation

from the old self to the new self through salvation. However, at the same time, there is a

continual putting off of the old and putting on what is new. Over the last twelve days,

your fast has created the opportunity for verse 23, “to be renewed in the spirit of your

minds,” to activate different ways of looking at your life and activities.

Perhaps you are looking at food differently or the need to entertain yourself through

whatever means of media you consume most readily. Maybe you have found that the

focus away from social media has brought a fresh appreciation for the bible and prayer

or media that feeds your spirit instead of satiating your soul.

Today, take some time and invite the Lord to show you where He is renewing your mind

about former activities or even things that you fasted in this year’s corporate fast. Ask

Him about areas where you have exerted self-control during the fast and see if there is

lasting change that He is inviting you to continue. Invite Him to show you beneficial

activities of the “new self” you have engaged in and how you can continue.

You have pressed through these last twelve days, and for many of you, the result has

been a new way of walking with God. I’ve had many people over the years tell me how

they fasted social media, video gaming, television, streaming, certain foods, or activities

and after the fast just never went back to those things and, as a result, experienced a

continuation of the intimacy with God they felt during the fast. In the same way, I’ve had

testimonies of renewed or expanded prayer times, worship times, and time spent in the

Word that was continued far beyond the fast as the Lord opened in them a new hunger

for more of His presence during their fasts and they just simply continued the habit

started while fasting.

This doesn’t need to be a twelve-day fast alone; it could start a whole new way of living

freely and powerfully.

I’m so proud of all of you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at Advance!

All my love,

PL