The first morning of this month of fasting is hot. News sources warned that the today would be the peak of a dust storm. The last couple of days were really windy, a sure sign that the desert dust – especially outside the city – was being stirred and would settle over the city in a haze.
And it has. I’m normally out on the balcony with my coffee before 6 am each day, sitting with a blanket in the cool of dawn. But, since Friday is my Sabbath, I slept in and ate my breakfast before taking my coffee on the balcony, and I have no need of a blanket. The atmosphere feels oppressive – it’s not even 10 am and the temperature is already pushing 90 degrees. The sky is a brownish-grey. The leaves of the trees in front of the balcony are completely still because there’s no cool morning breeze. I know the dust isn’t just far away in the sky – it’s floating all around me, invisible but felt in my nose and my lungs. Yet, I can only see it when it when it’s up in the sky or when it settles on a surface.
I finish my coffee and get a glass of cold water to clear my throat.
I look off the balcony towards the buildings I can see rising 8 or 10 stories into the sky. I know that every apartment is filled with people who won’t be eating or drinking until sunset tonight. I have a felt sense of how much water my body craves on a dusty day like today and wonder how my fasting friends will experience this first day.
The spiritual atmosphere is similarly heavy. It’s not easy to “see” what is happening on a spiritual level. The haze is obvious from far away – thinking about how much spiritual warfare must be happening during this time. And there are moments when the dust settles very close – when we recognize a spiritual attack or see demonic activity with our own eyes. Perhaps the most challenging part of this warfare is to recognize that, like the dust, spiritual activity is happening all around us, even when we don’t see it. Especially when we don’t see it. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).
In a moment, a gust of wind picks up and shakes the trees. Dry leaves blow through the air and I almost think I can see the dust. I know I won’t be sitting on the balcony much longer – I want to avoid breathing in the heavy air. Another gust, stronger than the first, blows dirt and debris and I move inside. I notice my Bible, which I was reading just minutes ago, has a visible layer of dust that has settled on its cover.
I am grateful for reminders in the physical, natural environment of what is happening spiritually. We may not be able to see it, but this month of fasting is a time of significant spiritual warfare. Please join me – fighting in prayer for those who can’t escape the bondage of their works-based spiritual heritage. Pray that the haze will be broken in dreams and visions. Pray that their thirst will be quenched only as they seek the one who offers Living Water.