I have asked for friends to join in a
day of Prayer and Fasting
tomorrow
July 30, 2013
But I know many of you have been wondering about fasting:
Why fast?
How to fast?
As I type this, I realize I really need to write a series about Fasting.
It’s too involved to really do it justice in one post,
so I will just briefly touch on
Fasting.
Personally speaking, I am 100% convinced that my walk with God
would not be what it is without the discipline of Fasting.
Both the Old and New Testament speak about fasting.
It’s not spoken of as optional,
but rather
“When you fast…”
{Matthew 6:16-18}
As we prepare to fast it is of utmost importance
to get everything out of our heart and life
that would hinder the Lord’s move in our life.
Everything.
Some of the things that come to mind is:
unforgiveness
bitterness
anger
rage
jealousy
gossip
malicious talk
sexual perversion
addictions
Just for starters.
Ask the Lord if there is anything that doesn’t please Him,
would He please reveal it.
When something pops into your thoughts
or someone’s face comes to mind….
that would be a good indication that the Lord is showing you
someone or something that you get rid of
or get right.
It is amazing what will come to mind when
asking the Lord that question….
often things that haven’t thought of in awhile.
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?
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.
Perhaps jealousy?
or
Did they offend?
Did they betray?
Did they hurt you or someone you love?
Did they promise you something and didn’t come through?
Whatever it is,
it’s time to forgive and get it right so as to have a clean line between
you and Almighty God!
Get it right!!
There is no time to waste – it must be made right – NOW!!
I heard it said once,
“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, children,
employers, neighbors, and even pastors!!
But holding unforgiveness is just as much a sin as whatever they’ve done.
Christ says that unless we forgive others He can’t forgive us.
That’s huge!!
When we are preparing to fast it is a necessity to
have the line clear between Almighty God
and ourselves.
There is nothing that we ever want to stop
the flow between God and us.
Unforgiveness is one of the biggest obstacles
to hearing God whisper to us,
or having our prayers answered,
and it’s just not worth it.
and it’s just not worth it.
When I fast, I do not eat anything.
I drink water.
Now and then I may drink a cup of coffee
{no foo-foo treat in it}
to stave off a headache.
While the family eats I usually
excuse myself to my bedroom and spend time
on my knees.
During the day I am praying for the concerns
that are on my heart.
Fasting is not trying to twist God’s arm to do
what we want.
It is humbly coming to Him to share our hearts
and ask Him to move mountains, provide,
change hearts, heal or whatever else…
but above all
humbly submitting to His plan and purpose
in whatever the situation is –
knowing we have shared our concerns,
in some situations pleaded our case,
and being confident that in the end –
He loves us, He is moving and
He sees best from His vantage point
even when it doesn’t ‘feel like it’ –
so He definitely has our back.
One of my favorite teachers, Dana Candler, says: "Fasting is not about us moving God's heart, it's about positioning ourselves so that He can move ours." Good stuff.
That's a perfect way to say it – so very true.
Thank you so much for posting this, this is very helpful! Just to be clear, do you not eat the whole day? Or just specified hours?
The thing about forgiveness….yeah…..I was thinking the whole time I was reading that, "Ugh – do I really have to?" 🙂 I usually don't find it hard to forgive and let go but yes, there is that one person, the thought of whom can get me all worked up…I'm working on it. 🙂 (It was a complicated…forgiving what was done to me is one side, concern about what might be done to others in the future is another. Trying to separate personal indignation and ego from the other part, and whether to let that other part go too, is definitely something to pray about!)
Penny, thank you for speaking up and being honest.
I notice on posts like this Penny, that people tend usually to not say a word. It's the "keep quiet and pretend we don't have to forgive, ever." {haha} So your courage in being truthful is more than admirable.
I have had to forgive much – years of every abuse imaginable for starters…but guess what? It may not always be easy, but it is so necessary. I want God to forgive me, how can think of hanging on to others trespasses against me? So not worth it. I have experienced such joy and freedom when I chose to let go. Although I have never abused anyone, I still have done some crummy stuff in my years, all in need of forgiveness from a Holy {and sinless} God….
As for eating…it depends on what I am able {appointments, commitments}…some days I only fast a meal, sounds little, but powerful, if taken seriously. Sometimes I fast for all day from 'sundown to sundown'…the most I have ever fasted was 3 days…But I can say, it definitely, hands down, is what has made me know God in a way I would never have dreamed and to hear His whispers clearly.
I will be praying for you my sweet friend. xo
Thank you for this gentle description. I struggle with fasting and praying, it's often just not convenient… but when is God's love for me convenient for Him? I really am going to try to join you tomorrow in praying for your requests and mine. My difficult situation is with my youngest son who is 17. He is not my birth son, but is a step child who I adopted. He struggles with abandonment from his birth mother who he has not seen since he was a toddler. He now challenges any belief in God. He is disrespectful of our beliefs and every day seems to find a new way to flaunt his "I am in charge of myself" attitude. I know this is an age-old heartache of many moms. I did not picture my family to be in this situation. I have lost much sleep, stumbled through prayers with tears, and will continue to do to bring him before the Lord. God is in charge – not me! Thank you for lifting my family up as well.
Didn't see this before…praying for him, and you! If I can make a suggestion, sometimes as well as the prayer, the best thing to do is just "Love them where they're at!"
Thanks Penny. I appreciate all the prayers, and I will continue praying for each as I go through this week. Your advice is exactly where we stand right now – "I love you, period." Not "I love you but I don't like your behavior." Just "I love you." He knows we pray for him on a daily basis (actually throughout each day) and sometimes I wonder if because he knows it, he works harder to behave badly and prove to us that it doesn't matter. We know he's wrong, but I suspect he will be 30+ before he will believe us. Again, thank you to all who lifed up our family.
Linny,
I was so excited when I just saw that you're having a day of prayer and fasting tomorrow! I was just wishing this morning that you would! I need a lot of prayer for my dying grandma's salvation!
beautiful post! I enjoy fasting… well let me rephrase that… I enjoy the benefits of fasting, the actual fasting part can be unenjoyable. I will be with you in prayer and fasting tomorrow, thank you Linny for inviting us all to be a part. Have you heard of Jentzen Franklin? He is a fantastic preacher out of Georgia and I try to do his annual fast at the first of every year. I always see wonderful results. Im excited for tomorrow….. do you ever have a "praise report" post were you and everyone else can chime in and report on the wonderful things that came of that fast? that would be cool.
Thank you for this teaching about fasting and the encouragement to do so…I'd love to hear more of your teaching about it!!! LOVED the admonishment to ask the Lord to search my heart…sure enough I needed to hear from Him about someone I have been judging and holding a grudge against…so I truly appreciate your willingness to share 🙂
So, every time you call for a fast….I want to participate….as in a true fast and not a modified version. But I am always pregnant or nursing a little one! Thus the case this time, too….I am still nursing my sweet one so my fast will look different than others.
Imagine my giddiness when I read the next scheduled section in the Word this morning in Isaiah 58…"True Fasting"! Ahhhh the Lord so knew what I needed!