As followers of Jesus, we grow closer to Him as we block out the world’s noise. Blocking out daily distractions by doing as Jesus called us to do in Luke 9:23 allows us to truly focus on Him and what He may ask of us. “And He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” By taking up our cross daily, we put down things that might interfere and distract us from spending time with Him and hearing Him so that we may follow where He leads us. In this generation, it’s so easy to get distracted. From work to school, kids, social media, stress, relationship problems, or what may pop up throughout our day – it can be overwhelming and take control of our thoughts and our time.

From January 5th to 25th, we will silence the noise of the world and set aside distractions that keep us from seeking Him first and picking up our cross. We do not lose something when we fast; we gain something: A deeper relationship with Jesus!