Many of the lessons I learned through my latest extended time of fasting and prayer are both damning and freeing to me all at the same time. Maybe I will take the time to explain these lessons in more detail in a future post, but for now here is an overview of some of my most significant "AHA" moments from the last 30 days.

For a majority of my life, my actions, as a Christian, have communicated that I believe that God exists primarily for me.
Over the years, my reasons for fasting have been primarily self-serving.
I have believed, wrongly, that the more "extreme" of a fast I did, the more obligated God was to bless me.
I have fasted because I've wanted to put God in a position where He owes me.
I have fasted more in an attempt to "unlock" the key to blessing rather than to bless God.
In times past, I have been more concerned with how I was fasting than why I was fasting. (And when I have been concerned with why, those reasons, though on the outside may have seemed noble, were just veneers for my true selfish motivations.)
I was concerned primarily with "how" because the more "right" I did it, the more assurances I would have that it would get me the results I wanted.
God cannot be manipulated.
A god who can be manipulated by my actions is not God.
I don't want to serve a god I can manipulate. That's a weak god.
Because God's glory is the purpose of life, praise is the purpose of prayer and fasting.
God doesn't exist for me. I exist for God.
Petition is the most common and comfortable way of communicating with God.
When I praise God more thoroughly, I find petitioning less necessary.
To praise God accurately, understanding His attributes is a necessity.
God is worthy of my praise.
Praise unto God is satisfying and fulfilling to the deepest parts of my being.
Leading myself and others to praise God in spirit and in truth is the purpose of my ministry.
Ministry and discipleship that does not explicitly have as its end the glory of God will, by default, end up glorifying man.
I would rather have my fast be "less extreme" and done unto the glory of God than "more extreme" and done unto the glory of myself.
A life that is better for me void of a God that is beautiful to me is not a better life.
If you got God to do everything that you wanted Him to, but you don't get God you lose.
The main threat to the Christian life isn't "pagan" behaviors. The main threat to the Christian life is "Christian" behaviors done with pagan motivations.
I don't just need God's grace for all the wrong things I've done, I need God's grace for all the "right" things I've done for the wrong reasons!
I am a self-serving wretch. BUT...Jesus is my Savior!