When Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to receive the Law from God, he spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting on the mountain. After Jesus had been baptized he went out into the desert for a time of prayer and meditation by fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. All the while, being tempted by Satan. Yet, Jesus overcame and set for us an example for how we might live. Not only that, but prayer and fasting develop within us a reliance upon God and his sustenance. As Jesus said to the devil, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). This is an interesting reference since it is drawn from the words of Moses as he speaks the Law again to a new generation of Hebrews in the book of Deuteronomy. He too knows that we are not simply sustained by the food that comes into our bodies, but rather through God’s life-giving Word. We are more than just creatures that live to eat, sleep, and go about doing mundane tasks. We were made to be servants of God Most-High. Prayer and fasting have been the model for molding such a reliance upon God since the time of Moses and Jesus, we would be remiss if we did not follow their example.

Choose a time-frame to devote yourself to prayer and fasting and record your experience.
If you are new to fasting, you may choose to do it for a single meal or a whole day.
If you are more accustomed to fasting, prepare yourself to fast for an extended period of time, up to a week.
During your time in prayer, reflect on the passages from Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness as well as his quotations from Deuteronomy.