Prayer & Fasting With A 9-5 Job

Best believe I wrote this blog entry in the office at my desk. I’m really trying to answer this question for myself…

Am I the only one wondering how to effectively fit prayer and fasting into the schedule whilst balancing a 9-5 job?

I refused to accommodate excuses for myself (because there were so many great ones…almost convincing too) and said I was going to participate and fast with the rest of my church this month. After all, I’m not the only one working 40 hours a week, working full time, occupying a very demanding role or working very long hours in general. So here’s how I make it work…

My church is currently fasting from 6am to 6pm…

As soon as I heard the announcement in church, my body said, ‘Nannn annnn! HAH! Nope. Shutdown.’ If you’ve worked as my colleague, you’ll know that Tish always needs bacon in her system or anything with grated cheese on top to get her body to function in the morning. Never mind nothing for my tastebuds to salivate over!

So like I said, no excuses, I was doing this, and I was gonna do it well.

1. I decided to get up earlier and have either some toast or a large cup of hot chocolate. I will not kid myself and try and convince myself that my body can take no food until 6pm at night. I haven’t trained my body to handle that discipline yet, and I wasn’t going to take a huge leap either. The human body is trained gradually, so baby steps. Don’t go and faint on the streets in the Name of Jesus Saints, don’t work that way k?

2. I then begin to study and meditate on the scriptures for an hour or an hour and a half. And also take the opportunity to pray.

3. Whilst I’m at work, I condition myself and maintain the atmosphere I created at home by listening to audio messages while working; keeping my spirit attuned to God. During my break, I take the opportunity to take a walk; still pondering on the thoughts the Holy Spirit has communicated to me.

4. Later on in the evening, we gather at church, to pray and round up our prayers, then break our fast.

Your work schedule may not even be like mine at all. In fact it could be the contrary. Maybe your place of work or the nature of your job doesn’t permit you to listen to audio messages whilst working. I’ve worked a job where I’ve not been allowed as much a pen and paper at my desk because of the Data Protection Act. Maybe your job requires you to be on the phone all day and you can’t read or listen to audio messages. Maybe your break time is barely even 15mins. Maybe your role is so demanding you have to work through your lunch. Maybe the nature of your job entails having to work with people who require your attention at all times and can’t be left unattended. Maybe your job requires your brain to constantly calculate and concentrate on putting pieces of the puzzle together that it barely leaves room to think on the scriptures.

But the point is this: nothing separates us from the love of God. Nothing separates us from His fellowship.

So what is your routine? You’ve got to get that routine in place. How are you balancing your full time job with prayer and fasting? Are you waking up earlier? Are you making use of your break time? Are you taking advantage that you’re a senior, you’re a manager or someone with their own office who has a room to themselves to meditate during your break? Are you going into your car during your break to meditate or to pray? Do you live close to home where you can go home on your break? How are you making it work.

I don't stick to this plan everyday, but what matters is where my heart's at and that there's a plan in place to follow, there's a plan for the Holy Spirit to prompt me with, there's a plan The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance to encourage me with.

God knows what my job role occupies. God knows there are limitations for me to pray and fast whilst working. But what He sees is my heart and my willingness to participate and so gives me strategies to balance both my job and prayer and fasting; such that I’m doing it and doing it effectively, lacking in neither. Because He needs me to produce excellence in both and so also in everything I lay my hands to do so His Glory is revealed.

God is an extraordinary strategist. He can make anything work. Don’t limit Him with your mere senses.