Hey, my name is Joe Mark.

Last week we kicked off a brand new practice on fasting.

If you were not here, please go back and listen to the podcast.

From here on, our teaching will focus on the reasons behind fasting.

We said last week there are three basic, when you kind of summarize it all, there are three

basic reasons for fasting.

One is to starve the flesh and feed the spirit.

Two is to pray and three is to stand in solidarity with the poor.

We covered number one to starve the flesh and note not the body if you weren't here.

Listen to the podcast, but the flesh and feed the spirit last week.

And so next up on the docket is to pray.

Go ahead and turn to Acts chapter 13 if you're not there.

Anybody ever feel stuck in prayer?

Or is that just me?

Anybody ever feel like there is a wall between you and heaven?

And you're not sure if you're the one who put up the wall or if it was on God's side

and you sit down to pray.

And even if you're far enough now into the way of Jesus that you know, you know, okay,

to turn your phone off and all of that, put away distractions.

Still, there's no on-off switch for your mind.

And if your mind is anything like mind, either it's like revved up to 100 miles per hour

and spinning out of control, like with anxiety and worry and a to-do list and squirrel.

...