Fast from, Feed on...

My church is having early morning services throughout the week for Holy Week. This morning a woman offered an interesting prayer, requesting that we fast from certain sins, and feed on that which is good. In talking with her a bit after the service, I learned she found it in a bulletin or something of a church in Scotland. She may copy the version she prayed for me, but for now, here is a version of that I found online:

Fast from criticism, and feast on praise.

Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy.

Fast from ill-temper, and feast on peace.

Fast from resentment, and feast on contentment.

Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.

Fast from pride, and feast on humility.

Fast from selfishness, and feast on service.

Fast from fear, and feast on faith.

Putting off the old self, and putting on the new (see Eph. 4:22-24). Part of the Bible study last night was on a portion of Scripture (in Matt. 22) that described a wedding feast and how a man "without a wedding garment" was cast away into a place where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs. 12-13). Wedding clothes are necessary to celebrate in the "feast", but how do we get them, and from whom?

Fortunately we have only to accept them as a gift in faith.

Isaiah 61:10:

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the
garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of
righeousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a
priest with a beautiful
headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with
her jewels.

Beautiful. He is beautiful, and He has made us so. We're covered; we're beautifully forgiven. He has washed us whiter than snow, though our sins are as scarlet (see Isaiah 1:18). If dressed in His wedding clothes, we will take a seat at His table of eternal life. In this life, while our tables are adorned with beautiful platters of the fruits of the spirit, they are simultaneously cluttered with greasy foods. From which will we partake?

God please grant us the power to feast from and feed on that which we should. Please be glorified. Thank you...

(edit: 3/19)