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Fasting
Two years ago I felt the Lord calling me to fast. I had been praying for a way that I could really press deeper into the Lord. I desired a closer walk; a euphoric meeting. I wanted to fall in love with Jesus the way I had when we first met. I wanted to feel the very pulse of God. I prayed in earnest for a closer relationship.
The Lord called me again to dive deeper into His heart. Again, I prayed in earnest. The Lord called me to fast. I began my fast February 6 for 21 days and prayed, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Psalm 31:5 (IIV).
The very essence of God has filled my Spirit. I have felt a renewed peace and joy filling my veins. I am delighting in His amazing grace and mercy. He has brought me out of hibernation. I am grateful.
Fasting for me eliminates something I rely on, food. I, like many, can wallow a day away in a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate. I find myself eating my way through my problems instead of trusting Jesus to hold it all together even though Scripture says, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” Colossians 1:17 (NIV). I have clung to the notion that filling my body will fill my soul. (Really it just fills my clothes!) I have to cling to the Lord. In times of trial I must spend my days praising Him for the blessings He has poured into me so undeservedly. I am blessed.
Preparing for a fast is always peaceful; especially when I am walking in obedience to the Lord. I am able to prayerfully consider the promise I make to Him. To spend the time, I would be eating the foods I fast, praising Him. Spending time in the Word of God. The truth. I commit to capturing my negative thoughts and change them to words of Godly encouragement just as I am told in Proverbs: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” Proverbs 16:3 (NIV). Fasting gives me an opportunity to spend an amazing amount of time in communion with Jesus. It is a sweet glimpse of Heaven. A hint of what eternity will be like.
What you fast is personal. Some may choose to fast all solid foods and subsist on a liquid diet. Others may choose to eat foods that are of the earth; eliminating meat and dairy and oftentimes wheat. The options are innumerable. The idea is to eliminate sacrificially from your daily diet.
{Prayerfully consider your own dietary restrictions and put your faith in the Lord that He will show you the foods you should abstain from.}
I prefer to eat the foods of the earth and modify it. I supplemented my fast with pita as well as juice in addition to water and a coffee every morning. I seldom felt hungry or weary. The Lord truly sustained me. After all, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word” Hebrews1:3 (NIV). The times I felt lackluster, I pressed into His great power and strength and His promise to always provide for me:“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19 (NIV). He always keeps His word.
The experience changes our relationship each time I fast. The Lord is so awesome. He is the most attentive Father. As with any parent/ child relationship, the child must be an active participant. I must come to Abba Father with confidence that He cares immensely for my wellbeing. He has ordered my life. He desires to give me HOPE. I can learn so much from the ever-present Lord I serve. I am able to hold tight to Him as He offers, through His Word, perfect, flawless encouragement on how to live my life until the day I stand in praise to Him in Heaven.
Prayer is essential in fasting. You must submit to the will of the Lord. If you do not feel the call from Jesus to fast, continue praying. He will give you the season when He feels you will glean the most from your submission.
May God bless you and keep you firm in His grip as you ‘burrow deeper into the heart of the Lord.’
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, 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 others 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.” Matthew 6:16-18
Copyright © 2008-2015 Samantha Ewing
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