Don't Miss the Moment - Part 3

   This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 22nd February 2026, by Colin. For the audio , please click here.  For the worship, please click here. 

Don’t Miss the Moment: Rediscovering Giving, Prayer & Fasting

As the weather shifts from winter into spring, we’re reminded that certain seasons call us to refocus. In the Christian calendar, this season is known as Lent—a 40-day period leading up to Easter traditionally devoted to prayer, fasting, repentance, and renewed devotion to God.

The word “Lent” literally means springtime or lengthening. It represents a spiritual awakening—a time to examine our hearts and realign our lives.

But here’s the honest question:
If we were left entirely to ourselves, would we consistently pray, fast, and give?

Probably not.

That’s why seasons like Lent matter. Not because they are legalistic requirements, but because they lovingly call us back to what truly sustains us.

The Heart Behind Spiritual Disciplines

In Gospel of Matthew 6, Jesus speaks about three core spiritual disciplines:

• Giving
• Praying
• Fasting

Notice something powerful—He says “when” you give, pray, and fast. Not if.

These practices are not optional extras for super-spiritual believers. They are expected rhythms of a disciple’s life. But Jesus goes deeper—He addresses not just what we do, but why we do it.

Over and over, He reminds us:
Your Father sees in secret.
Your Father rewards in secret.

These disciplines are not performances for people. They are acts of devotion to our Father in heaven.

1. Giving: A Matter of the Heart

Jesus warns against public displays of generosity done for applause. If recognition is our goal, recognition will be our only reward.

True giving flows from delight in God.

A beautiful example is found in 1 Chronicles 29. King David prepared offerings for the temple and declared:

“Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.”

David understood something profound:
We are not owners—we are stewards.

When we give:

• We acknowledge that everything belongs to God.
• We participate in His purposes.
• We position ourselves for heavenly reward.

The question is not, “How much must I give?”
It is, “How grateful is my heart?”

2. Prayer: Our Lifeline

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about public performance or empty repetition. It is personal communion with our Father.

Let’s be honest, prayer is hard.

The moment we sit down to pray, distractions flood our minds. Bills, appointments, responsibilities. Our flesh resists stillness. Yet Scripture is clear, prayer is essential.

In Gospel of Matthew 6, Jesus gives us the Lord’s Prayer—a model that centers on:

• God’s holiness
• God’s kingdom
• Daily provision
• Forgiveness
• Deliverance

Prayer reshapes our priorities.

It is also powerful when done together. There is strength in agreement. When believers unite in prayer for families, churches, nations, and personal needs, heaven moves.

And again, Jesus promises:

“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

3. Forgiveness: The Hidden Blocker

Right in the middle of teaching on prayer, Jesus addresses forgiveness.

Unforgiveness quietly poisons spiritual life. We all get hurt. Offended. Misunderstood. But refusing to forgive restricts our own freedom.

Lent—or any reflective season—is an opportunity to ask:

• Who am I holding in my heart?
• Where do I need to release someone?

Forgiveness is not weakness.
It is spiritual strength.

4. Fasting: Humbling Ourselves Before God

Let’s admit it—fasting is probably the hardest discipline.

Jesus again says, “When you fast…” Not if.

Fasting humbles us. It quiets the flesh. It sharpens spiritual sensitivity. Throughout Scripture, fasting preceded breakthrough.

One powerful example appears in Book of Esther 4. Faced with national crisis and annihilation, Esther called the people to fast for three days. That fast shifted history. The king’s heart changed. The enemy’s plans collapsed.

Fasting is not about gloom or self-display. It is about desperation for God’s intervention.

In a world filled with injustice, conflict, and turmoil, can we afford not to fast?

This Is Not Legalism

Spiritual disciplines are not about earning God’s love.

We don’t:

• Pray because we have to
• Fast because we have to
• Give because we have to

We do these things because we want to draw near to our Father.

Grace is the foundation. Discipline is the response.

Don’t Miss the Moment

Whether during Lent or any season of life, this is an invitation:

• Grow in generosity.
• Deepen your prayer life.
• Embrace fasting.
• Walk in forgiveness.

There is always room to grow.

The aim is not perfection—but transformation.
The goal is not ritual—but relationship.

And the promise remains steady and sure:

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Don’t miss the moment.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.