I love food! I don't like to cook, but I do love to eat! Growing up I was a pretty picky eater, but these days you can put just about anything in front of me and I will happily gobble it up! Mmmm!
So when God started calling me to a day of fasting each week, I wasn't exactly hopping for joy. Shamefully, I had only fasted a few times in my life, despite having grown up in the church. (Here's a link to my testimony.) Fasting isn't fun. It is sacrifice. And like most of you, I'm not too anxious to sacrifice what I hold dear. Some folks fast from something during Lent, but God was calling me to something more regular. Like ... one day every week. Every week?? Wow. Could I do that? I hadn't been too great at fasting in the past, so I didn't have much confidence in myself.
But God wouldn't let it go. After a few weeks of knowing in my spirit what He wanted me to do, I gave in. That doesn't sound real spiritual, eh? Giving in. But that's kinda how I felt.
"Okay, Lord," I said, already missing my favorite meals. "You're gonna have to help me do this."
I decided what day of the week I would fast and what meals. I won't spill the details here, because fasting is not supposed to be a public display for all the world to see. It's between you and God. It is a very personal act of worship and obedience.
From the get-go, God led me to Isaiah 58, a chapter with the heading "True Fasting." I encourage you to read it, because God has some very specific things to say about what fasting is and what fasting is not. I read this chapter each week on my fasting day to remind me that what I'm doing is not about me. It's not even about food. It's about being obedient to what the Father asked me to do.
Some Christians don't believe fasting is relevant to us today. "Isn't that an Old Testament practice?" they ask. Why should Christians in 2016 fast? Well, the answer I give to that question is the same answer I give to a few other questions:
Why should Christians in 2016 pray? Because Jesus did. (Matthew 6:9-14)
Why should Christians in 2016 be baptized? Because Jesus was. (Matthew 3:13-17)
Why should Christians in 2016 read the Bible? Because Jesus loved the scriptures. (Luke 4:17-21)
Why should Christians in 2016 go to church? Because Jesus did, regularly. (Luke 4:16)
Why should Christians in 2016 fast? Because Jesus did. (Matthew 4:1-2)
If we are going to wear his name -- Christ -- then we must be Christlike. In all things. No where in my Bible do I find an expiration date on fasting or praying or attending church. On the contrary, I find plenty of instructions to do these things continually. In Matthew 6:5 Jesus said, "When you pray ..." He didn't say "if" you pray. In verse 16 he said, "When you fast ..." Again, he didn't say "if" you fast. The Apostle Paul also encourages us--New Testament Christians--to pray, to fast, to attend church regularly, to read the scriptures, and to be baptized.
So, let's answer the question I posted in the title of this blog. Is fasting still relevant to Christians in 2016? Answer: a resounding YES, it is!!
In my prayer journal, I wrote down the date I started fasting: September 28, 2015. I am happy to say I have kept up with fasting once a week for an entire year now. I don't say that to get pats on my back, or to toot my horn, or to claim to be holier than thou. I simply state it with a grateful heart for what God is teaching me through my day of fasting. I truly, truly look forward to that day now. Instead of eating a meal, I spend time in prayer. When my tummy starts to growl in the afternoon, I stop and thank God for the provision he has always given me. Several HUGE prayer requests have been answered in the past year, too. If you have never fasted, or if it's been a while since you fasted, I highly encourage you to incorporate fasting into your regular worship time with God.
I'll leave you with these beautiful promises from God found in Isaiah 58:8-9. Promises to those who are sincere in their fasting:
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say, "Here am I."
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Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, France, China, Spain, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Philippines, Ukraine, Poland, Netherlands, Russia
A Blog About Life Along THE WAY ~ Acts 24:14
Showing posts with label Fasting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fasting. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2016
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Fasting: What's it all about
Well folks, I survived. Hubby did too. I'm talking about our 10-day Daniel fast. We, along with our church family, went on a fast to seek a deeper walk with God and to be prepared for whatever He has in store for us in 2012. The fast came to an end yesterday, culminating in one of the most amazing prayer services I've ever been part of. Here is a picture of the service last night, with Pastor Joe Champion of Celebration Church leading us in an outline of ten prayer promises from Leviticus 26:1-3: Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Productivity, Permanence, Possibilities, Presence, Partnership and Power. It was a great night of intense worship, with arms and faces lifted toward heaven, followed by communion. Really, really beautiful. I am ready to see God move in our lives!!
Fasting is an age-old practice. In Leviticus 16:29-31 God institutes the Day of Atonement fast, which he calls a "lasting ordinance." It was a time of denial so God could cleanse Israel from sin. It became known as "the Fast" (Acts 27:9) and Jews today call it "Yom Kippur." They observe it by fasting for a 25-hour period, with intense prayer and often spending the day in the synagogue. The Bible records people like Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David and Paul fasting. The most famous fast is that of Jesus when he spent 40 days in the desert without food, being tempted by the devil. The fact that Jesus himself fasted tells me how important the act of denying oneself is in God's eyes. Clearly, fasting is something believers are supposed to do.
Although the Day of Atonement is the only fast actually called for by God, people have always fasted for a lot of different reasons. It was done in groups (Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6, Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:21-23) or by individuals. It was done in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus, however, made it perfectly clear in Matthew 6:16-18 that fasting was not to be a religious ritual. When a person felt led to fast, they weren't supposed to make it about themselves by telling everyone they're fasting or making it obvious, but rather it was to be done "in secret." He says the same thing about prayer in Matthew 6:5-8. I told you about my fast because it was a church-wide fast. Actually, it was a world-wide fast in association with www.awake21.org. People all over the world are seeking God through fasting and I wanted to share that with you. Not to brag on myself or even on my church, but because something really great is going on in the lives of the Body of Christ. But let me be clear: If I felt God ask me to do a fast privately, I would absolutely keep it private. Just between me and God. I wouldn't even tell my husband unless he specifically asked about it. Even when fasting with a group it's the private one-on-one time spent with God that really makes the difference.
The bottom line is this: Fasting is God-ordained. Fasting is God-blessed. If done by a person or a group of people with pure hearts seeking God, He absolutely will look down upon them with pleasure, favor and blessings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, United Kingdom, Sweden, Russia, Poland
Fasting is an age-old practice. In Leviticus 16:29-31 God institutes the Day of Atonement fast, which he calls a "lasting ordinance." It was a time of denial so God could cleanse Israel from sin. It became known as "the Fast" (Acts 27:9) and Jews today call it "Yom Kippur." They observe it by fasting for a 25-hour period, with intense prayer and often spending the day in the synagogue. The Bible records people like Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David and Paul fasting. The most famous fast is that of Jesus when he spent 40 days in the desert without food, being tempted by the devil. The fact that Jesus himself fasted tells me how important the act of denying oneself is in God's eyes. Clearly, fasting is something believers are supposed to do.
Although the Day of Atonement is the only fast actually called for by God, people have always fasted for a lot of different reasons. It was done in groups (Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6, Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:21-23) or by individuals. It was done in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus, however, made it perfectly clear in Matthew 6:16-18 that fasting was not to be a religious ritual. When a person felt led to fast, they weren't supposed to make it about themselves by telling everyone they're fasting or making it obvious, but rather it was to be done "in secret." He says the same thing about prayer in Matthew 6:5-8. I told you about my fast because it was a church-wide fast. Actually, it was a world-wide fast in association with www.awake21.org. People all over the world are seeking God through fasting and I wanted to share that with you. Not to brag on myself or even on my church, but because something really great is going on in the lives of the Body of Christ. But let me be clear: If I felt God ask me to do a fast privately, I would absolutely keep it private. Just between me and God. I wouldn't even tell my husband unless he specifically asked about it. Even when fasting with a group it's the private one-on-one time spent with God that really makes the difference.
The bottom line is this: Fasting is God-ordained. Fasting is God-blessed. If done by a person or a group of people with pure hearts seeking God, He absolutely will look down upon them with pleasure, favor and blessings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, United Kingdom, Sweden, Russia, Poland
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Daniel Fast
Tomorrow our church is beginning a ten-day period of prayer and fasting. I'm excited about it! I have only fasted a couple times in my life. The first time was several years ago and it was only for one day. Last year when our church did a 21-day fast I participated but didn't make it the full 21 days. In each of those instances I opted to go without food for a period of time during the day.
There are different methods of fasting. One is to go on a total liquid diet, which is what our pastor is doing. You can also opt to skip a meal or two. Another choice is the Daniel Fast which is eating only vegetables and fruits and drinking only water. That's what I'm doing.
In a nutshell, Daniel 1:1-21 tells the story of how Daniel, a young Israelite, was taken captive by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted him and the others to eat the best foods and drink the best wines from his own table so they would become strong and go into service for him.
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." Daniel 1:8
Daniel wasn't being difficult. First, the food had not been prepared according to Hebrew laws. Second, tradition tells that the food served to the king had first been offered to the Babylonian gods as an offering. Daniel wanted no part of it. He knew the One True God and wasn't going to do anything that would displease Him, even to the point of eating tainted food.
"Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azaria. 'Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.' So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." Daniel 1:11-16
Daniel's story shows us what it means to be obedient. In verse 17 it says, "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of literature and learning." God blessed them for the sacrifice and obedience.
That is the purpose of this 10-day fast. Jesus himself fasted for 40 days in the desert and was obedient to God. (Luke 4:1-2) He also talked about fasting like this:
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting." Matthew 6:16
Notice Jesus didn't say if you fast but when. Clearly it is something believers are supposed to do on a regular basis. When a person fasts, they aren't supposed to make it obvious. I'm sharing this with you because: 1) it's a church-wide fast so it's not a secret, and 2) to encourage you to join us. There is also a world-wide fast going on through awake21.org, which is a 21-day fast. People all around the world are joining together through prayer and fasting in the coming days. I believe we will see God move in amazing ways!!
More than anything, I want to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. I'm believing God is going to do some amazing things in my heart and my life in the next ten days!! You can bet I'll be sharing the experience with you very soon!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout Out countries are:
USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Ireland, Italy, China, Russia, Canada
There are different methods of fasting. One is to go on a total liquid diet, which is what our pastor is doing. You can also opt to skip a meal or two. Another choice is the Daniel Fast which is eating only vegetables and fruits and drinking only water. That's what I'm doing.
In a nutshell, Daniel 1:1-21 tells the story of how Daniel, a young Israelite, was taken captive by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted him and the others to eat the best foods and drink the best wines from his own table so they would become strong and go into service for him.
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." Daniel 1:8
Daniel wasn't being difficult. First, the food had not been prepared according to Hebrew laws. Second, tradition tells that the food served to the king had first been offered to the Babylonian gods as an offering. Daniel wanted no part of it. He knew the One True God and wasn't going to do anything that would displease Him, even to the point of eating tainted food.
"Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azaria. 'Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.' So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." Daniel 1:11-16
Daniel's story shows us what it means to be obedient. In verse 17 it says, "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of literature and learning." God blessed them for the sacrifice and obedience.
That is the purpose of this 10-day fast. Jesus himself fasted for 40 days in the desert and was obedient to God. (Luke 4:1-2) He also talked about fasting like this:
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting." Matthew 6:16
Notice Jesus didn't say if you fast but when. Clearly it is something believers are supposed to do on a regular basis. When a person fasts, they aren't supposed to make it obvious. I'm sharing this with you because: 1) it's a church-wide fast so it's not a secret, and 2) to encourage you to join us. There is also a world-wide fast going on through awake21.org, which is a 21-day fast. People all around the world are joining together through prayer and fasting in the coming days. I believe we will see God move in amazing ways!!
More than anything, I want to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. I'm believing God is going to do some amazing things in my heart and my life in the next ten days!! You can bet I'll be sharing the experience with you very soon!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout Out countries are:
USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Ireland, Italy, China, Russia, Canada
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012 UPDATE:
We've been on the Daniel fast two days now and things are going well! Dinner was a bit challenging last night, but we (meaning hubby) survived. Tonight will be better: meatless tacos! Whole wheat tortillas (which, by the way, are delicious with peanut butter!) filled with beans, grilled onions, squash and zucchini, topped with pico de gallo and avocado! Even as I write this the delicious smell of a crock pot full of pinto beans with lots of onions, jalapeno, garlic and such is making my tummy growl! YUM-O!
More importantly, though, I've started the past two mornings in prayer. I mean literally started the morning by getting out of bed and getting on my knees. Such a sweet time with the Lord! I will definitely try to keep that up even after the fast is over.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Prayer, Fasting and Rick Perry
Today is the day Texas Governor Rick Perry called on Americans to pray and fast for our country. "The Response" (http://www.theresponseusa.com/) is going on as I type this and I have the Live Web Stream open on another page. The band and crowd are singing "Nothing But The Blood of Jesus." People from all over the country are there, raising their hands and their hearts to heaven, asking God to have mercy on our country. As Governor Perry stated when asked about the reason for the The Response: "America is in the midst of a historic crisis. We have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. The youth of America are in grave peril economically, socially, and, most of all, morally. There are threats emerging within our nation and beyond our borders beyond our power to solve."
You may not believe in God. You may not believe in prayer. You may think such an event goes against the separation of Church and State. But you cannot dispute the truth of his words about America. About the world, really. So why, I ask, would anyone mind if Governor Perry and thousands of others pray for our country? If God isn't real, it's a waste of their time not yours. If God is real and hears their cries for mercy, you benefit from their belief and sacrifice.
Critics believe Governor Perry is only after the Republican nomination. At this point, only Governor Perry and maybe his wife know if that is true. He hasn't said if he'll run or not. But if he does and this was all a political move, does that matter?
Not to me and I'll tell you why.
This morning I read Isaiah 58. It's all about fasting and the motives of our hearts when we do "religious" things. In this chapter, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to His chosen people, the Israelites. Apparently the people have been fasting without pure motives. Verse 4 reads: "Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."
Fasting is not about going without food just so you can give the appearance of being holy. God is not fooled by our acts! 1 Samuel 16:7 says God "looks at the heart" of a man, not what's on the outside. He will see if our hearts are sincere in our prayers and our fasting and our Bible reading and our whatever else we do in His name.
It's God's place to judge whether or not Gov. Perry is sincere in his prayers. Just as He will judge if I am or if you are. But whether or not Perry's motive was political, the 30,000+ people that showed up there to pray and fast are definitely not running for President. They are there to pray for a country that desperately needs it.
Isaiah 58:8-14 goes on to tell us what will happen when our prayers and fasting are sincere.
"THEN your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will appear. THEN your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. THEN you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." (v. 8-9)
I will join Gov. Perry and the others in prayer for our country, for our President, for our leaders, for our people. I hope you will too.
You may not believe in God. You may not believe in prayer. You may think such an event goes against the separation of Church and State. But you cannot dispute the truth of his words about America. About the world, really. So why, I ask, would anyone mind if Governor Perry and thousands of others pray for our country? If God isn't real, it's a waste of their time not yours. If God is real and hears their cries for mercy, you benefit from their belief and sacrifice.
Critics believe Governor Perry is only after the Republican nomination. At this point, only Governor Perry and maybe his wife know if that is true. He hasn't said if he'll run or not. But if he does and this was all a political move, does that matter?
Not to me and I'll tell you why.
This morning I read Isaiah 58. It's all about fasting and the motives of our hearts when we do "religious" things. In this chapter, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to His chosen people, the Israelites. Apparently the people have been fasting without pure motives. Verse 4 reads: "Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."
Fasting is not about going without food just so you can give the appearance of being holy. God is not fooled by our acts! 1 Samuel 16:7 says God "looks at the heart" of a man, not what's on the outside. He will see if our hearts are sincere in our prayers and our fasting and our Bible reading and our whatever else we do in His name.
It's God's place to judge whether or not Gov. Perry is sincere in his prayers. Just as He will judge if I am or if you are. But whether or not Perry's motive was political, the 30,000+ people that showed up there to pray and fast are definitely not running for President. They are there to pray for a country that desperately needs it.
Isaiah 58:8-14 goes on to tell us what will happen when our prayers and fasting are sincere.
"THEN your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will appear. THEN your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. THEN you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." (v. 8-9)
I will join Gov. Perry and the others in prayer for our country, for our President, for our leaders, for our people. I hope you will too.
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