January 2010 Real Life
When Shawn Smith went to a Student Pastors’ conference in April of 2001, he had no idea God was about to change his life forever.
“One morning I read Psalm 84 where it says, ‘blessed is the man…who sets his heart on pilgrimage.’ For me, that was a clarion call that I needed to see God and His presence in a fresh way in my life.” Shawn knew God was calling him to a 40-day fast.
But it was a big step for Shawn. The longest he’d ever fasted was seven days. Shawn had watched his wife, Tracey, be transformed on a previous 40-day fast she embarked upon. Although he was still reluctant to go on the journey himself, he was so desperate to see a new work of God in his life that he was determined to “go there or die trying.” Less than one week after God’s call, Shawn began his 40-day journey of fasting and prayer.
Shawn didn’t really know what he expected God to do during his fast. He knew he wanted to draw closer to the Lord, but really didn’t have any idea how God would reveal himself. “I was so desperate; I didn’t have any big dreams of what God would do. I just thought, if I make it out alive, bless God. And if I don’t, bless Him then, too.” As he began his fast, Shawn made a list of 15 things he was praying about. Some were for his family, but most were about his desire for personal revival.
Tracey took the journey along with Shawn, not only as a spouse, but a prayer warrior. Tracey took the first ten days to prepare herself physically and spiritually to be an intercessor, then joined Shawn on his fast. She used their son’s afternoon naptime and mealtimes for prayer and study of God’s Word. Shawn had shared a few things he was praying about with her, but mostly she interceded on Shawn’s behalf.
The initial hunger was difficult. At the time, Shawn was serving at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. As a Student Pastor, Shawn was always around food when he was with students. But he came to realize that without the distraction of worrying about his own physical need, he was able to be more focused on the people he was with. He began to understand that “mealtime should be about connecting with people, not stuffing your face. I came to realize how dependent I had become on food and how small my prayer life was. The longer I fasted, the more I wanted God and the less I wanted physical nourishment.”
Satan had plans to derail and discourage Shawn. There were a lot of strange spiritual attacks during his fasting journey. “One night, our home computer crashed. I lost four years’ worth of sermons. Gone. It was like Satan was saying, ‘I’ll show you.’ But I knew I was more spiritually aware at that time, and also knew God would bring me through it.”
During his daily Bible reading, Shawn found another passage that helped him understand why God had called him to fast. Psalm 143:11 says, “For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me in Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.” “I realized that my personal revival wasn’t for my good. It was for God’s glory. I desperately wanted my own life to be changed, but realized it would only happen if God got the glory.”
Shawn made no public announcement of his fast and privately told very few. About halfway through the fast, he was sitting on the stage after a Wednesday night student worship service. He was weak and wasn’t feeling well. One of the students asked him if he was sick. It was then that Shawn realized he was broken not only spiritually, but physically.
Due to a recent check-up at the doctor, Shawn knew he was not in good health. He was almost a hundred pounds overweight and knew that if he didn’t make changes to his lifestyle, his health would continue to decline. God revealed more to him during his journey. “When I’d finished my fast, I hadn’t lost a lot of weight, maybe 30 pounds. But I felt so convicted about my life and my physical fitness that I began to walk, then run and work out. I had always been an athlete, but had not taken care of my body.” Ultimately, Shawn believes the things God showed him during those 40 days saved his life. But he is quick to point out that fasting is not a weight-loss program. “This is not ‘The Biggest Loser.’ It’s not a contest. You should check with your doctor, but be prepared because not all doctors believe in fasting, especially extended fasts.”
And not all Christians do, either. Once word of Shawn’s fast became public knowledge, he was surprised to receive negative feedback from several people. By that time, Psalm 143 was ringing in his ears and Shawn knew the journey was about God’s glory, not his. It didn’t really matter to him what others thought.
Breaking his fast, Shawn felt emotionally drained and recharged at the same time. “I went to Texas Land and Cattle and ate a dry baked potato and a cracker. It was weird. But I was filled with anticipation about what God would do next.” That same weekend, Shawn, Tracey, and their son Kyle were involved in a car accident. Sorting through the aftermath was challenging, yet God used it for His ultimate good. And that’s what Shawn believes life is about. God’s glory.
Shawn ended his fast a different man. Tracey says, “I cannot emphasize or share enough about how mentally, emotionally, and spiritually different he was after the fast. This was truly my biggest challenge because he was a different person completely. There was an intensity and passion that was born out of that time that remains today.”
Regarding fasting with others, Tracy also offers, “Do not take lightly the opportunity to intercede and participate with someone in a fast. I call this fast “our” journey because God used it in both of our lives. I learned the discipline of praying under and for my given authority, and as a result continue to reap the benefit of the answers we prayed for during the fast. Do not underestimate the lasting answers from such a short period of time.”
The longest fast Shawn has done since that time is seven days. “Remembering the power of it makes you want to do it again. But it’s important to understand that it’s not what you’re fasting from, it’s about what you’re fasting for. It’s not about the absence of food. It’s about pursuing God so intently that you are willing to draw away from your normal life and be with Him. There is incredible spiritual insight and power that comes with prayer and fasting. The days I spent on my first extended fast have forever shaped my life.”