One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Saturate.
Habakkuk 2:14 ESV – For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Most of us have probably been to the beach before. When we look out at the sea, it looks so vast and seems to have no end. Habakkuk 2:14 describes the knowledge of the glory of God like the waters that cover the sea. This verse gives us a clear depiction of how abundant the knowledge of the glory of God is. As we start on the Saturate vision, we want to see the knowledge of the glory of God in every aspect of our lives, much like how the sea covers vast areas of land. With that, we are dedicating the next 12 days to saturate ourselves in the presence of God together through the One Desire Fast.
Think of a sponge that has been placed in the water – it soaks it all up! Similarly, saturation means that we want to see every aspect of our beings filled with God – His word, His character, His Spirit, etc. When this happens, our lives will begin to overflow with who God is. As we are fasting, it is very likely that we will see ourselves struggling to finish the fast or even failing at some points. We might even drag ourselves to follow through with our commitments from the fast for the rest of the year. However, the purpose of the One Desire Fast isn’t to do it perfectly, but to do it earnestly. Our main goal is to empty ourselves of distractions or desires that might hinder our relationship with God, and instead make room to be filled with God. We want to make God our One Desire. We want His presence to infiltrate all aspects of our lives, making us empowered to walk obediently in His ways every day.
The opposite of being saturated with the presence of God is operating our lives relying on our own strength and natural abilities or following our own plans and desires. When we live this way, we can feel easily overwhelmed by different challenges because we think we are in control or we are gods ourselves. During this fast, we may be tempted to try to do it on our own. Let’s shift our perspective and learn to depend on God’s strength to carry us through. Zechariah 4:6-7 reminds us that it is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit that will continuously lead and cover us with His grace and blessings.
In this devotional, we will be going over the FILL acronym, which are the values of the Saturate vision – Foundations, Impact, Link up, Launch – and meditate on what each letter means to us individually and as a church. We will cover each value over the course of 3 days (3 devotional entries). On the first day of each value, we’ll focus on Biblical knowledge, the second day on how it relates to us experientially and emotionally, and on the last day of the value we’ll cover practical next steps. Let’s start the fast by saturating ourselves in God’s presence and being completely dependent on Him as our guidance throughout this year!
Reflection and Application
- What are some expectations or prayers as you’re starting the One Desire Fast? What are some challenges you might face as you fast?
- What do you want to do throughout the fast to saturate yourself with God’s presence? Write down and share them with your accountability groups to help keep you accountable.
Prayer Topics
- Pray for a greater desire to be intimate with God and increased awareness of His presence.
- Pray for God’s strength and endurance to sustain us throughout the fast.
- Pray for an open heart and mind, and a deeper understanding of God’s Word.
Click here for full devotional link and for PDF version