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 Locked In.
It’s in this middle stretch of the fast that we must reconnect with our ultimate why! We don’t gather and grow just to feel closer to God. We were equipped to be sent. We don’t fast just to fast. We fast to be recalibrated for the purpose for which we were made.
The Apostle Paul writes, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). You are God’s intentional masterpiece, His “handiwork.” And this masterpiece wasn’t created to sit safely in a Christian bubble. You were created in Christ to do good works according to your very design and works that God Himself planned for you long ago.
This fast has been stripping away distractions, whether it’s food, social media, or the regular rhythm of busy life, so we can take steps of faith with clarity. Let’s pause for a moment and ask God: “God, for what purpose have you been preparing me? What is the ‘good work’ of my life in this season?” The answer is never just about our personal spiritual improvement. It’s about how our renewed strength and sense of purpose or identity, which becomes obedience to God, to go with purpose. It’s about how the peace we find in prayer becomes patience with a colleague. It’s about how the scripture we feast on becomes a timely word for a neighbor.
Our fast fuels us for a purpose far greater than ourselves. It realigns us with the mission God has for our lives. But to truly go with purpose, we must first pause and reflect. Take time today to prayerfully consider how you are stewarding your Time, Treasure, and Talent across the 5 dimensions of your life: Self, Church, Family, School/Work, Neighbors. Let’s ask God to reveal one specific area where we can redirect our resources toward His purposes. When He shows us, let’s take a step of obedience. That intentional action, whether it’s offering our presence, generosity, or skill, is what it means to go with purpose. We were gathered, grown, and sent for this very reason. We are God’s handiwork, made for good works. Now, let’s go live like it!
Reflection and Application
- Look at the five dimensions of life (Self, Church, Family, School/Work, Neighbors). As you reflect on your fast and your calling:
- In which dimension do you feel most alive and aligned with God’s mission?
- In which dimension do you feel most distracted or disconnected from His purpose?
- What might God be highlighting to you about how you use your time, treasure, or talent in that particular dimension?
- Continuing your reflection, what is one need or burden you see in your city, campus, or workplace that God might be placing on your heart? How could you use your time, treasure, or talent to go with purpose?
Prayer Requests
- Pray that God aligns our hearts to go with His purpose, moving us from duty to devotion.
- Pray for eyes to see where He is at work around us, so we may go and join Him.
- Pray for the faith to courageously take the next step and serve where He leads.
Click here for full devotional link and other pre-fasting materials!