My church did the coolest thing last week. It was called AWAKENED. We actually spent a week in intense prayer and fasting. They opened the church and had prayer sessions every day at 6 am, 12pm, and 7pm. They actually removed all of the chairs from the main sanctuary and people would come in, and find a spot on the floor. Or they had couches set up in every corner of the room with candles, and journals for people to write in. They encouraged you to fast during the week. For some people that meant food. I ended up fasting TV that week. It was pretty cool, because it definitely freed up a lot of time in my schedule, and I felt way more focused than normal...which tells me that maybe I'm spending a little too much time in front of the boob tube! The whole point of the week was for us to be awakened to what God is doing and saying in our lives. I really believe that God is ALWAYS ready to reveal himself to me. But what happens most of the time is that I let my junk get in the way of that. Sometimes the noise of my life can be overwhelming. How can I possibly hear him when he's battling with everything that I've got going on around me?! It was cool to just take a step back, and listen. Since I'm not working right now, I got to go to the noon session everyday. We spent the week reflecting on the Lord's prayer. There were lots of pockets of silence. Moments when we would just be still and reflect on a thought or a phrase from the Lord's prayer. It was a great experience for me, and I definitely feel more AWAKENED to God in so many areas of my life...
