Getting Ready…


Not sure what happened to the wonky margins on this post.  
Please forgive.  
Super annoying, but the truths contained are worth putting up 
with the ridiculous margins.
Since tomorrow is our day of prayer and fasting, it seemed that today
 we would do a brief post about how to prepare for fasting.
Here are some tangible ways to prepare for Thursday’s fast.
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is not given as optional in
the Bible.  It is mentioned like this, “When you fast...”
For me, personally, I began fasting when I was probably about
nine or ten years old.  I had read about fasting in my daily
time with God and I knew I needed to begin.  
Since that time I have fasted probably
hundreds and hundreds of times.
I cannot over emphasize enough the importance of fasting
and I firmly believe that the spiritual discipline of fasting has
spared me many struggles, deepened my walk with the Lord,
not to mention moved seemingly
immovable mountains!  
If there was one piece of advice I would give someone who 
wants to grow closer to the Lord and hear Him whisper,
I would tell them, ‘You must begin to fast regularly.”
It cleans our hearts and our minds and keeps us on focus.
God uses it to give us wisdom for the days we face.
And He uses it to move gargantuan obstacles that 
we are up against!
If you have never fasted before, I urge you to begin with us
tomorrow.  Just a meal is a great place to begin!
I have seen over the years the resistance to fasting from many.
It seems the love for food and comfort is so powerful!
YET, 
YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN
IF YOU CHOOSE THIS PATH OF OBEDIENCE! 

As we prepare to fast it is important to get everything out of our

heart and life that would hinder the Lord’s move in your life.
Everything.
Some of the things that come to mind are:
unforgiveness
bitterness
anger
rage
addictions
Just for starters.
One important thing for each of us to do is 
to also ask:  “Is there anything that doesn’t please you Lord,
would you please reveal it to me?”
If something pops into my head or 
even someone’s face – that would be a great indication
that the Lord is showing me someone or something that I need to get right.
It is amazing what will come into my mind when I ask the Lord that question.
A few years back I was going to speak at a conference.
I was fasting days before I left, asking the Lord to please use me.
In the midst of the fasting I asked, “Lord is there anything that stands 
in the way of you and me?”  
Immediately the face of a young man I had dated when I was a teenager
popped in my head. I had not thought of T in many, many years.
The Lord reminded me of something I had done to him after we broke up.
What I had done was rather small, in the big scheme of things,
 but none-the-less it was not kind and when I had done it my heart 
had been downright ugly!
I knew immediately that the Lord was convicting me.
I asked the Lord to forgive me and to help me find how to reach 
this now grown man who I had not seen since that day I had been unkind.

Through a little work I was able to find him and phone him.

I was so stinkin’ nervous!!!!
 I told T how I was going to speak at a conference and 
had been asking the Lord to show me anything that didn’t please Him
and how He had brought him to mind and reminded me of what I had done.
I then asked T to forgive me.
This old beau said that he hardly could remember me doing that…
{I’m actually sweating as I type this – ha!}
and that of course he forgave me.
It was a brief conversation, but so needed!
It was definitely a humbling time,
even though he hardly remembered.
But friends, I have to tell you, when I hung up that day
I had a spring in my step and a joy in my heart – 
I had walked in obedience, even though it hadn’t been
necessarily easy.
It was also served as a strong reminder to me that I would rather 
keep sin of any sort out of my life – so I wouldn’t 
ever have to apologize like that again!
Another way to see if you have bitterness or unforgiveness toward someone is this: 
Is there anyone that when you hear their name you get all worked up? 
Or how about this…
Is there someone that when you hear that they have had a 
huge blessing it just irks the daylights out of you? 
There is probably something in your heart towards them.
Did they betray you? Did they hurt you? 
Did they promise you something and didn’t come through? 
Whatever it is, you need to forgive to have a clean line 
between you and Almighty God!

Get it right!! 

The fast is tomorrow – get it right!!

“Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison 
and 
waiting for the other person to die!” 

Yes, unforgiveness holds us in prison and does really 
nothing to the other person. What a waste of valuable time!!
Many have been hurt deeply by spouses, parents, siblings, friends, 
employers, neighbors, and even pastors!! 
But holding unforgiveness is just as much a sin as whatever they did to you. 
Christ says that unless we forgive others He can’t forgive us. 
That’s huge!!
For those who want a more in depth look at fasting….

 Campus Crusade’s has an amazing guide for fasting which can be found here. 

It is very comprehensive and would help anyone who is wondering all about it.

2 thoughts on “Getting Ready…

  1. Thanks for your wise counsel. I really needed to hear this tonight as I have recently been wounded deeply and not handled the pain well. I don't want it to turn into unforgiveness and bitterness! Thank you for sharing your heart.

    1. I have been there many times my friend. But it is never worth it. My "fear" is that I would harbor something and Almighty God, my very best friend, would no longer whisper secrets to me. That motivates me every time!! There is *nothing* worth that block in our relationship. Keep the line open! It's worth it – "no matter what". xo

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