Text: Mark 4:35-40
Memory text:
“In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s important to avoid intense exercise during prolonged fasting, so you can preserve your limited energy for prayer, spiritual activities and other important functions.
However, it’s also important that you keep your muscles active during fasting to prevent a counter reaction. Isaiah 40:31 shows that strength is preserved through effort. You prevent weakness and faintness when you maintain active muscles during fasting, instead of inactivity.
Resistance training will help to keep your muscles even in a calorie deficit. During fasting, your body may burn both stored fat and muscle tissues to get energy but with resistant training your muscles are spared. Resistance training tells your body: “These muscles are needed, so don’t break them down for fuel.” The body turns to fat instead. Examples of resistance training are push-ups, squats, resistance bands, plank, wall sit etc. You can do these for 10-20 minutes and 2-4 times in a week at home instead of going to the gym. Do it 1-2 hours before breaking your fast and ensure you hydrate well. You don’t need to push to failure. Just “wake up” the muscles.
Resistant training is like sparing useful staff during organizational shakeup. The redundant workers are fired to save money but the productive ones are reserved, even with the tight budget. The CEO says, “These workers (muscles) are needed. Don’t fire them!” Thus, resistant training forces the body to keep the muscle, while saving energy.
Another wisdom to complement physical exercise during fasting is rest (‭‭Isa 30‬:‭15‬). Your body is already under extra stress during fasting, so resting your body means avoiding distractions and giving your body the calm it needs to heal, repair, reset, and respond properly to the fast. Heavy work, stress, and lack of sleep can overwhelm a fasting body, leading to weakness or burnout. Have you ever noticed that you are always more alert in prayer after rest? A tired body distracts your spiritual focus. Jesus slept and often withdrew to rest (Mark 4:38). Spiritual intensity needs physical rest to avoid both physical and mental stress. It’s unspiritual to break God’s law of rest!
Friends, both physical exercise and rest are keys for healthy and fruitful fasting. Strength grows in effort, but it is preserved in rest.

Prayer points
1. Father, I receive wisdom to balance between physical exercise and rest during fasting, lest I suffer the consequences of neglecting or overstressing my muscles, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, strengthen and keep me firm and healthy through resistant training; refresh, renew, and keep me alert in prayer and meditation through rest, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. Resistant training helps me to lose unhealthy fats and to keep my muscle tissues intact and strong during fasting.
2. My strength grows while I keep my muscles active, but it fades away when I find no time to rest. I won’t break the law of rest.