Why we fast

I really liked Dalene's honeymoon illustration yesterday. It seems to go along with Piper's main point that fasting is to enjoy God's presence and who he is and what he's done. Like a honeymoon, our focus is on being alone together, not on what we are giving up to have this time together.
Although Zane A and D Prince agree with Piper that fasting does not move God but changes us, their emphasis seems to be more on what God shows us or does in us than just enjoying being with God. Prince even has a list of promises we can expect from God when we fast. By fasting we put aside our own needs and wants so that we can focus on God, but it seems the purpose is still a little self-focused.
Maybe its a matter of motivation; if we give up food and other things just to spend uninterrupted time with God, his presence will transform us into who he envisions us to be. Our goal is time with him, the "collateral" result is the effect his presence has on us. If this is the case, maybe we should let him decide what needs to be done instead of taking our own agenda to the fast.

I bought Dallas Willard's "The Spirit of the Disciplines" to read this week (BTW, the kindle version is on sale for $1.99 right now). I like the way he says that spiritual disciplines are the necessary, though often missing, ingredient to make us useful in the Kingdom, but need to be taken as seriously as we take other things in our lives:

"The disciplines promised to give our lives a form that would serve as a receptacle for the substance of the Christ-life in God's present Kingdom. To undertake the disciplines was to take our activities - our lives - seriously and to suppose that the following of Christ was at least as big a challenge as playing the violin or jogging."

"the following of Christ is at least as big a challenge as playing the violin or jogging"....that strikes me! (Though I don't do either one of those things). But...we take it for granted that it is going to take time, effort and patience (and with jogging, some suffering) - to do those things. But think it should be much simpler, easier, faster - to know Him, His voice, learn to partner with Him, etc.

Interesting Warren that you are reading Dallas Willard this week too. I am reading "Renovation of the Heart" and have been struck several times by how my thinking influences my actions -or inactions.