Letting Go to Make Room for God
Lent is here again. Forty days of reflection, sacrifice, and surrender. A time to let go of what weighs us down so God can fill us with something greater.For 16 or 17 years, I have fasted annually for up to ten days, drinking only herbal tea, lemon water, and nothing else. At first, I did it as a discipline, a challenge. But over time, I realized fasting wasn’t taking something away from me—it was giving something back.At first, fasting felt like hunger, irritation, exhaustion. But after a couple of days, something shifted. The cravings faded. My mind cleared. The noise inside me quieted.I realized: I am not a slave to this world.I’ve also used fasting to reset—to break sugar addictions, to step back when I’d been indulging too much in wine, to remind myself that my body is not in control—my soul is.And in that stillness, I heard God in a way I never had before.
Fasting: More Than Willpower, More Than Hunger
We fear hunger. We think we will starve in a few days. But we won’t. The body is a miracle, a self-healing, God-designed masterpiece. And science confirms what faith has long known all along. In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for research on autophagy—the biological process that happens when we fast for more than a day. It is the body’s ability to clean out damaged cells and regenerate healthy ones. After a couple of days, the mind sharpens, thoughts become clearer, eyes become brighter, and a deep sense of focus sets in.This is no accident. This is God’s design.And when you add prayer and meditation, the experience amplifies. Fasting clears the clutter, but prayer fills the space. Hunger fades, clarity strengthens, and God steps in.
Fasting Isn’t Just About Food
For me, fasting from food has been life-changing. But fasting isn’t just about food—it’s about letting go of what controls us.What do you cling to when you’re stressed, anxious, or restless?Maybe it’s food. But maybe it’s:
- Scrolling online—filling your mind with constant distractions.
- Caffeine—relying on energy instead of resting in God.
- Background noise—always needing music, TV, or talk radio to avoid silence.
- Negative thinking—dwelling on worry, regret, or self-doubt.
And let’s talk about negative thinking. Every time we replay past hurts or fears, we deepen those patterns in our minds. But what if we fasted from negative thinking? What if, instead of dwelling in past pain, we made a conscious decision – a choice – to dwell in God’s grace, in His healing, in His love? In compassion?
A Challenge for You
This Lent, give something up—not just for the sake of it, but to make space for God. Because life is about choice. God gave us choice. Every single choice we make either brings us closer to God or takes us farther away.
If you let it, this Lent could change you.