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The intention of these kingdom fasts is to build solidarity among those who are fasting as they remind their bodies (flesh) that their spirits are in charge – and that both body and spirit are to be under the Lordship of Jesus. The hunger or difficulty of going without a good thing serves us to long for the most rewarding and best of all things and all persons – Jesus Himself.

Why caffeine? Giving up meat is a much better option for me.  I live in a land of coffee and tea drinkers.

They start their day with strong coffee and drink tea throughout the day until bedtime.  Why should I give up my small 2 cups of coffee every morning?  Seriously?  How will I wake up and go throughout my day without this kick start?

Fasting should be uncomfortable.

The idea of fasting is to do without and instead to fill that time, that void with Christ and His power.  Yes, I depend on that morning coffee to start each day. If you aren’t a coffee drinker and I do actually know a few, then fasting coffee for a month is not a fast, choose something else.

I’m fully expecting the headaches to be there when my brain realizes it doesn’t have that jolt of caffeine it is use to every morning by 7:00 a.m.

I fully expect to be a bit grumpy but I’ll do my best to hide it from my family and co-workers.  I expect to feel deprived, special, holy, miserable and you can be sure I’ll be counting the days until the end of the month.

So why?

I doubt I will ever truly be required to pick up my cross therefore identifying with the true crucifixion of Christ.  Few of us will ever be asked to do that.  However, in my faulty attempt to take on the character of Christ, I feel compelled to live without, to live dependent upon Christ to sustain me, to stave off my caffeine headaches, to position me in a place daily where I need Him to get through the day, to do my work, to guard my tongue and behavior, to be all I need, to glorify Him, to live…dead.

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