Fasting: I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

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Missed any of our 31 Days of Fasting in January? All of the posts are in one place just for you, see them here! So thankful for everyone that has been here, whether you come every day for encouragement or pop in now and then, you are so welcome to gather with us. Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord.

How many of you have seen the commercial where the older woman is sprawled on the floor, obviously without choice, and calling into a little button,

“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

That phrase quickly became a byline for many a situation. Not that it was funny that an elderly person had fallen, it was catchy and memorable and it probably sold product like crazy.

If you have been on the fast for any length of time you may have fallen…off the wagon. There’s another one! Where did that phrase, fallen off the wagon originate? According to WiseGeek.com, when you say someone has fallen off the wagon it means they had vowed to stick with one thing but they failed along the way. It was especially referring to the consumption of alcohol. Dating back to the temperance movement, those that consumed were encouraged to get on the water wagon instead of drinking hard liquor. The water wagon was a horse-drawn cart that watered down the dirt roads to control the dust. Those that were encouraging abstinence said they would rather drink from the water wagon than even think of touching alcohol, so if they slipped up it was said they had fallen off the wagon. Who knew?

Maybe if you have been fasting for a few days or even a couple of weeks, you have possibly had something that you didn’t intend to have, found yourself sitting in front of a dessert or favorite food and took a bite before you even thought about it. Maybe you have been on a water-only fast and became so weak and hungry that you just had to have a little bit of nourishment. Either way, you gave in and then as soon as you did, Guilt showed up.

Guilt is not from God. Let’s get that out of the way. He doesn’t put shame or condemnation on His children, He doesn’t sit in Heaven shaking His head and rolling His eyes every time we fail!

Guilt and Shame come from the enemy. It is his specialty! He loves to make us feel as if we have failed, that we aren’t good enough and we might as well give up. Sometimes the pressure is so bad that we feel as if we have to pay penance for a wrong. We have to fix it, undo it or cover it up somehow by doing a good deed.

Friends, this is not what God intended! “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.…” Romans 8:1,2

There is no condemnation if you are walking with God.

He has set you free from Guilt and Shame!

If we do make a mistake, we ask for forgiveness, He hears, forgives and forgets and we pick right back up where we left off. Naturally, we do not think in advance that if we fail we can just say we are sorry and start over again. We don’t intentionally stumble knowing He is always gracious, which He is, but we try to do what is right, in this case with fasting, we pray and do our best to stay committed. But if we do forget, and absentmindedly eat something we shouldn’t, we don’t beat ourselves up over it. We just keep going!

If the enemy is whispering in your ear that you are a failure and that your fasting is all in vain, he realizes the power in prayer and fasting and would do anything to get you to stop. Don’t succumb to his pressure but pick yourself up, grab your sword (the Word of God), find a scripture or two that you can pray out loud and do just that.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” Jude 1:20, 21

Have you fallen and feel as if you can’t get up? Jesus is waiting for you to grab His hand; He is your biggest supporter and He will encourage you to keep going because your relationship with Him is worth every sacrifice. Fasting changes the inner man, changes YOU and helps you hear the voice of God. Fasting breaks chains that cannot be broken by prayer alone. Warrior angels fight in the spirit world on your behalf!

Be encouraged in the Lord today, even if you have stumbled on your fast, just dust yourself off and keep going. Victory is ahead!

Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Good for any fast, it is a great, easy read with devotions for every day of a three week fast. Get yours on Amazon here!

Fasting together: He cannot be absent in our story!

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Fasting together: He cannot be absent in our story! Catch up on missed posts here!

“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 KJV.

If you are familiar with the story of Esther and her cousin, Mordecai (Esther 2:7), you are aware that she was just an average young lady enjoying her normal life until Queen Vashti was kicked out of the palace for rebellion against the king. A new queen had to be found and Esther’s beauty landed her the part.

Soon, Mordecai overheard a plot by Haman, a man who was above all the princes in the king’s court, to destroy the Jewish people. Mordecai realized that Esther was the only hope they had of getting to the king and having the decree abolished.

Esther called for a fast.

We are all aware that the book of Esther never mentions God, no reference to Him, nothing whatsoever about Jehovah in the entire book. We assume they are serving Him, fasting to get His attention and praying along with the fasting.

But it is never mentioned.

I have always found that intriguing when the rest of the Bible is so full of the Almighty. Let us step outside of tradition, from what we have always been taught in Sunday School, and look at this story with a different set of eyes.

Why doesn’t Esther ever call on the Lord for help? Why doesn’t Mordecai refer to Him in any of his pleas to Esther?

We assume there was repentance; we assume there was prayer with the fasting because that is what we read with all of the other accounts in the Bible. But it is absent in this story.

Maybe the story of Esther is more of a lesson in what fasting is not because it cannot be absent in our story.

They had all of the right actions, the right motions, but God is not mentioned.

Yes, the Jewish people were spared from Haman’s despicable plan and he was destroyed in their place. God was protecting His chosen people. Esther and Mordecai could be called heroes for their brave actions to step in and put their lives on the line for the Jewish nation.

But we need to be careful when we fast that we do it for the right reasons, with a right spirit and a clean heart and God must be first and foremost in all we do!

Mordecai’s famous line, “…who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” is a great example to us today. Truly, Esther was put in that position to be able to stand in the gap for the Jewish people. But whether she and her cousin Mordecai knew Jehovah remains to be seen since there is no indication or mention of His name in the entire book.

What will others say about us? Do we go to church, go through the Christian motions but have no relationship? What will the Lord say about us? He warns in the New Testament of that very thing when the people begin to list all of the things they had done in His name. His reply? “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23 KJV.

Is He mentioned?

Let’s make sure as we begin to close out our Daniel Fasts that this is not our last fast! When we have daily communion with the Lord, learn to make prayer and fasting a regular part of our lives, we can draw ever closer to the One who answers those prayers.

Daniel Fast Recipe for Veggie Tacos!

1 large sweet potato, cubed

2½ cups spinach, fresh

¼ red onion, sliced very thin

1½ Tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon chili powder

Salt and Pepper

¼ teaspoon oregano

Juice from one lime

½ avocado, mashed (optional)

Toss the sweet potato with all of the spices. Add the sweet potatoes to heated oil and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Add spinach and cook about three minutes, until wilted. Serve in warm whole wheat tortillas, or wraps, with lime juice. You may also like adding the mashed avocado to your tortillas as a spread!

Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Good for any fast, it is a great, simple read with devotions for every day of a three week fast. Get yours on Amazon here!

The Daniel Fast: That their eyes would be opened

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Moving right along with 31 Days of Fasting in January, we are almost there! You can read posts you have missed by clicking here.

We have discovered that prayer and fasting together have the power to tear down strongholds, to shake heaven and give us strength to overcome. Today, let’s look at Saul, who later became the great Apostle Paul. You can read the entire story here in Acts 9.

Saul was the biggest persecutor of the early Church. He didn’t just talk about his hatred of Christians, he literally had them hauled out of their homes and into the streets, beaten and then sent to prison! He showed no mercy. On the road to Damascus, he and those traveling with him were struck by a blinding light. The Lord asked him why he was persecuting Him and instructed Paul to go into the city where he would be told what to do.

It is not clear whether Saul (who was later called Paul) chose this particular fast or not. We will assume that he did. After an encounter like he had just experienced, who would feel like eating? He waits the three days. He cannot see. He isn’t eating, and he isn’t drinking.

We can be sure he is doing quite a bit of thinking.

“What is going on? What is going to happen to ME? I have been persecuting these people that are chosen of God for years and now I find out who HE really is. The Messiah! What is HE going to do with ME? Go into the city and wait? Wait, for what?”

Jesus did have plans for Saul. Without Saul, (here Jesus changes his name to Paul), we wouldn’t have 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Jesus had intentions for him to be the rocket that would help launch the Gospel around the world. As he stood before King Agrippa, Paul explained to him in detail what happened on that road so long ago.

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:16-18 KJV.

For this purpose: To open their eyes just as Paul’s eyes were opened.

We have the ability through prayer and fasting, to help open the eyes of those that are lost, those that are blinded by the darkness of this world, and help them to see the Light and the Truth that is in Jesus Christ.

God wants to deliver them from this darkness and bring them into His Kingdom.

That is where we come in. We must have a burden for souls, which only comes out of consistent prayer and fasting.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV.

Humbling ourselves, denying ourselves, realizing without Him we are nothing but with Him we are powerful and unstoppable…then He will heal our land! Prayer and fasting can set our friends, neighbors, and family free from the chains that have them bound so they can be like Paul: their eyes can be opened to see Truth and see who Jesus really is.

Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord. You are breaking chains in the spirit world and preparing yourself to be used in the Kingdom.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Good for any fast, it is a great, simple read with devotions for every day of a three week fast. Get yours on Amazon here!