Fasting

Fasting and prayer is a time when we do without food for a meal, a day or as long as we need to get in touch with the Lord.  It is simply forcing yourself to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and the wisdom you need.  The purpose of Christian fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God.  Fasting is good for our spiritual lives and for our physical bodies.  A time of fasting draws us closer to the Lord and gives us a clear mind to think and ask the Lord what His desire is for my life and where would He lead me today.  The longest I have fasted has been for three days, and I know that the Lord had called me out to fast and pray.  During this time, I had an awesome experience with the Lord, listening to Him and was in close fellowship with Him.  Food did come to mind at times but I would pray Lord, I know that you have called me out to spend time with you and you will give me the strength to be obedient to you.  I did receive the strength from the Lord to not satisfy the desire of my flesh.  This flesh wants to rule and reign and each minute during this fast I would plead the blood over my flesh and not allow it to rule and reign. God’s word tells us this about fasting; “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Fasting is not a time to think if I fast that God will give me something that is not in His will for my life.  God promises to meet our needs and provide for us.  Our needs and wants are not always in God’s will for our lives.  There are many fasts that each of us can participate in such as going without food, skipping a meal, turn off the television, Daniel fast (where we do without meat and sweets), or do away with things that I have allowed to become important in my life. We are to spend time with our Heavenly Father and seek His will for our lives.  When was the last time you fasted?  What is in our lives that we need to fast and pray to bring under subjection to the Lord?  As we prepare for Prayer in the Square let us each search our hearts and ask the Lord if He wants us to fast and pray and be ready for what He has in store for this day.  The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few let us be ready!