Another entry in the Lent diary from my friend who is fasting from food during this season:

Friday, March 09, 2018 Day 24 of Lent

Being that the Lenten season actually spans 46 days (as Sundays don’t count in the 40), day 23 was the half way point of the journey. This means I am over half way to Easter. I have hunger here and there, but my body is still doing pretty well. I drink chocolate milk and juice most days and lots of water. My prayer is consistent – even through this past week which has been exceptionally busy. I’ve had a couple of mornings where I’ve had to be on the road early, but even then I’ve had good prayer time in the car. I’ve said this before, but I really appreciate how fasting positively affects my prayer life. I don’t yet have the intimacy with God that I imagine I’d like – at least in prayer, but then on the other hand I was talking with some missionaries the church supports today and they asked about my background and testimony and I was really emotional telling about God’s work in my life, and then again as I talked about the ways God is moving in our ministry to our community. As I reflect upon that emotion and try to get behind it, I think I was feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude and realization of God’s work by God’s grace alone.

This goes along with the prayer for the week, I think:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

I have no power in myself to help myself. Take care of me Lord.