Fasting from Sleep
Discipleship S.T.E.P.S.: Practice
Scripture: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. – Mark 1:35
There is something uniquely sacred about the pre-dawn hours. Jesus often chose to sacrifice sleep to carve out a ‘solitary place’ with the Father. By rising ‘a great while before day,’ He demonstrated that the Father’s presence was worth more than the physical comfort of rest. When we choose to give up sleep to pray, we are physically prioritizing God above our own bodies. It is a form of fasting that denies the natural desire for rest in order to feed the spiritual need for communion.
If your schedule is typically too crowded to find a quiet moment consider what it would look like to sacrifice one hour of sleep this week for an intentional time of prayer. Use this time not to rush through a list but to be still and listen. You will likely find that the spiritual clarity gained in those early morning hours provides more ‘rest’ for your soul than the extra sleep ever could. Let your sacrifice be a testament to your hunger for Him.
Prompt: Have you ever sacrificed sleep specifically to spend uninterrupted time with God?
Action Step: The Practice section introduces various forms of fasting; giving up sleep to pray is a powerful way to prioritize God over the flesh.
Next Step: Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow solely for prayer and scripture reading.