Thoughts on Fasting

"I was thinking about it and came to the conclusion that inconvenience is the essence of a fast. We are inconveniencing ourselves when we decide to not eat any food for a period of time."

Every year we take time to fast and seek the Lord for the new year. It focuses our prayers and our hearts as well as gives the first part of our year to the Lord. It is never easy or pleasant but that is the point. My mother in law who is also a huge influence in my life and a woman of God defined fasting one time and said "Fasting silences what is loudest in our lives in order to hear from God." In other words when we fast it is intentionally quieting our desires and appetites in order to hear from God in prayer. 

Many times you will see prayer and fasting together in the Bible. Other times you see fasting as a way to seek God for breakthrough in a specific area like when Esther was going before the king or Ezra was traveling through dangerous wilderness. Their fasts and prayers were heard by God and they got the breakthrough they needed. 

Jesus told us that when we fast, not if, that we shouldn't make a big deal out of it in order to be noticed by men. Our goal in fasting is to be heard by God and to hear Him. Fasting is an avenue to connect on an intense level with the Lord. I say intense because it shows extra effort. It breaks the habit of our three meals a day or our snack times, it goes against our natural impulses and it is unpleasant. But that is the whole point! We are denying the flesh in order to press in to the Spirit. Expect the flesh to cry out and push back. 

If you are seeking God for direction or want to see breakthrough in 2016 I would invite you fast. If it is your first time start small. Maybe choose a meal or certain times you will fast. Another way to fast is to choose certain foods or drinks you will not eat. There are ample scriptures and tons of great resources about fasting. The biggest thing is to focus your fast on prayer and seeking the Lord for your breakthrough. 

If you have any questions or comments about fasting you are welcome to post them in the comments section below. I would love to hear testimonies later in the year too about what God did and how He answered your prayers. 

Day 31 - The Last of the Fast

"Last day of our fast and wouldn't you know that Ruth was there pushing Girl Scout cookies when I came in to the office. I happened to have four dollars in my wallet so I bought some to break the fast with."

First off I must say that it was miraculous that I had cash. Second I am now craving the toasted coconut caramel and chocolate Girl Scout cookies. (What kind do you like? Thin Mints? Lemonade? All of the above?)

This year we went to Cheesecake Factory and bought a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake slice to break the fast with. Is anyone hungry? Hopefully you aren't fasting right now. At our Men's Breakfast I asked if anyone was fasting meat and was angry about it. Two hands shot up. 

Pastor Deborah Cobrae, my mother in law who is an extremely wise woman of God and a world class preacher, was speaking to the church pastoral staff a few years ago. She was discussing prayer and fasting. She said fasting silences what is loudest in our lives so that we can hear the voice of God. 

Our appetites are often screaming at us to satisfy them. When you fast they seem to intensify and then as you seek the Lord and deny the flesh they get less and less. By the end of the fast what once controlled you often is now under your control or is nonexistent. That is why I could buy cookies and cheesecake and wait to eat them until we break the fast. 

Have you had any breakthroughs while fasting? What is the hardest part of fasting?