Fasting Forward
Today I am embarking on my annual season of fasting and prayer. At The Landing we call it Fast Forward. I believe that prayer can move the hand of God and fasting will move His fingers. So during this season I get very specific about what I am pressing through to become more spiritually sensitive to what God is saying to me and what He desires from my life. This year I am doing what they call a Daniel Fast...21 days...vegetables, nuts and some fruit.
In the Book of Daniel, Daniel is brought before they king and the king is trying to prep these subjects for service. So they have a three year training camp. The king wants to make these candidates prime subjects to work in the kingdom and serve. Part of the process is to serve these recruits the daily food and drink of the king. Daniel, however, did not desire to partake of the kings "rich" food but rather had his own personal convictions. So he stuck by what he knew in his heart to do. He ate vegetables, fruits and nuts and after a ten day trial period, his countenance was better than all of the other recruits that were "going with the flow". His mind was sharper and his body was much more productive. He was ten times more skilled than any of the experts of the day because he followed his convictions.
This will be my 7th year to consecrate myself in this manner, kind of like Daniel. I don't do this for anyone but myself and my God. My goal is not to defile myself but rather I want to define myself. I want to make certain that I am doing all that I can to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. And I pray that like Daniel, I will have a more excellent spirit in me that is not only operating efficiently but more effectively as well.
Maybe you have some things that need to shake loose in your life. Remember that there were spirits that the disciples of Jesus could not handle unless they added fasting to their prayers. If you need to get "unstuck", try fasting forward. When you surrender your life, when you forsake food for spiritual purposes, when you wholeheartedly seek His face and His will, He speaks, directs and orchestrates your steps to achieve the best possible outcome. So, are you ready to fast forward?
In the Book of Daniel, Daniel is brought before they king and the king is trying to prep these subjects for service. So they have a three year training camp. The king wants to make these candidates prime subjects to work in the kingdom and serve. Part of the process is to serve these recruits the daily food and drink of the king. Daniel, however, did not desire to partake of the kings "rich" food but rather had his own personal convictions. So he stuck by what he knew in his heart to do. He ate vegetables, fruits and nuts and after a ten day trial period, his countenance was better than all of the other recruits that were "going with the flow". His mind was sharper and his body was much more productive. He was ten times more skilled than any of the experts of the day because he followed his convictions.
This will be my 7th year to consecrate myself in this manner, kind of like Daniel. I don't do this for anyone but myself and my God. My goal is not to defile myself but rather I want to define myself. I want to make certain that I am doing all that I can to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. And I pray that like Daniel, I will have a more excellent spirit in me that is not only operating efficiently but more effectively as well.
Maybe you have some things that need to shake loose in your life. Remember that there were spirits that the disciples of Jesus could not handle unless they added fasting to their prayers. If you need to get "unstuck", try fasting forward. When you surrender your life, when you forsake food for spiritual purposes, when you wholeheartedly seek His face and His will, He speaks, directs and orchestrates your steps to achieve the best possible outcome. So, are you ready to fast forward?
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