Fasting and Prayer

* Fasting and prayer help turn up the "volume" of God's voice. *

When we hear of fasting, some of us instantly think of just starving ourselves. Usually for religious purposes or even dieting for weight loss. In the case of connecting to the Lord this is not the case. Fasting is the spiritual discipline of denying ourselves something (typically food) to feast on the things of God. If you don't go into fasting and prayer wholeheartedly. If you go in only halfheartedly, often times the temptations of carbs and hunger pangs will take over, which in return can make it feel brutal. A lot of the times we look at fasting as a form of punishment, but it's not meant to be viewed that way at all. Fasting and praying Biblically helps one to nourish their spirit, meanwhile one's fears are starved to death. Fasting and praying disconnects us from the world and re-connects us to God. It's a way to show God and ourselves that we are serious about having a relationship with Him. One of the main fasts one may hear of is the "Daniel fast" it is a forty day fast in connection to Jesus's forty day fast in the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil. (Luke 4:1-13) The forty days consist of no Sundays, so if Sundays were included it would be forty-six days.

• 'Daniel Fast' History:

"In the book of Daniel, we find that Daniel fasted two different times in Chapters 1 and 10. The Daniel fast has proven effective for spiritual focus, discipline, and purification for the body and soul. Daniel 1 states that he ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, he ate no choice foods, no meat or wine touched his lips.

As you participate in this fast, you will begin to discover and experience God in a new way. Your relationship with the Lord will grow and your vision, clarity and focus will sharpen." (churchwithoutwalls.org)

• Foods allowed for forty-day fast:

"One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, only the kind of foods you can eat. Examples of whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables." (churchwithoutwalls.org) and more!

• Foods to avoid during forty-day fast:

- Meat, poultry, fish

- White rice, fried foods

- Foods containing preservatives or additives

- Refined sugars and sugar substitutes

- White flour

- Margarine, shortening, high fat products

- All breads

- Dairy (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and so on)

- Junk foods

- Sweets

Other things to avoid during fasting and praying:

- Avoid drugs, even natural herbal drugs, and homeopathic remedies.

- Medication should be withdrawn only with your doctor’s supervision.

- Limit your activity. Exercise moderately.

If you aren't feeling comfortable with that many days just work up to it, that's what I am doing personally. Start off with just a partial three-day fast and gradually start increasing, I promise you'll start to see the difference. Don't go in thinking you will physically see God any or every time, but know that He will definitely be communicating, you just have to be open for Him to do so. Allow Him to open your spiritual eyes!

• Tips on how to fast and pray Biblically throughout the day:

(From Biblestudy.com; Heather Riggleman)

Morning:

Begin your day with praise and worship. Read and meditate on God’s Word. Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you and ask to be mindful of his presence. Pray for God’s vision and empowerment to do his will.

Noon:

Return to prayer and God’s Word. If possible, take a short prayer walk. Journal what you sense God speaking to you.

Evening:

Get alone with God and seek Him. Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community and our nation’s leaders, for the world’s unreached millions, for your family or other needs.

Although, food is a big thing to sacrifice in honor of Lord, we can essentially "fast and pray" from anything in life that has a hold onto our flesh, that gives us temptations such as, technology, money spending, sex to liquid fasts and like I mentioned before, partial three-day fasts. Whichever way you choose, know the Lord is happy with you and cannot wait to meet you where you are! Also remember, you don't have to tell anyone your fasting, let it be between you and God if need be.

• Prayer:

"Prayer is a two-way communication with God: Listening to God and talking to God. In prayer, you will get to know Him better and experience Him more. So, when you pray, surrender totally to Him and tell Him about your desire to glorify Him. Focus on who He is, His character, love, goodness, and greatness." (churchwithoutwalls.org) Praying is important while fasting as you replace food with prayer, which in return gives a stronger urgency to connect to the Lord in Spirit verse in our flesh. One way to get through the feeling of hunger pangs if you are newly starting and haven't done it before, is when you feel hungry, remind yourself the hunger you have to seek the Lord. Fight all temptations to break the fast with prayer. The Bible states that God knows and understands that we do not know how to pray. (Romans 8:26) He is not expecting us to speak to Him like the pastor on Sunday. Lol. Once you begin to pray and stay in the word of God it will just come naturally, as the Holy Spirit is present. Fully surrender yourself and speak to Him as if He's already in the room, like He's your best friend. Speak on everything, be vulnerable with Him. He sees all, but He loves when you just come to Him, and you do it in a sense of "killing" your flesh, humbling thyself; being spiritually open to Him. Prayer is our main communication line to God, as an example, our cellphones we use today to communicate with friends and family. "There's always a way to connect you just need the right "Wi-Fi" source." That popped into my head as I was typing, thank you Holy Spirit! Prayer helps tear down walls, utter us into spiritual breakthroughs, destroys chains, and gives us clarity of God’s answers that we seek in our lives!

If you have never prayed before I humbly ask you to just start off with this prayer I write below. It is the only prayer found in the Bible that the Lord tells us to speak known as the "Lord's prayer". I mentioned it in a pervious blog, but I will again for the topic:

• Matthew 6:9-13:

9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Lastly, I've listed some scriptures from the Bible in which speaks of fasting and prayer.

• Joel 1:14 - Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

• Joel 2:12 - Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

• Acts 13:2 - As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

• Acts 13:3 - And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

• Acts 14:23 - And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

• Acts 13:2 - As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

• Esther 4:16 - Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

• Matthew 6:16-18 - 16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

• Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

• Nehemiah 1:4 - And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

• Ezra 8:23 - So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

• 1 Corinthians 7:5 - Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

I thank you so much for reading and I pray this had blessed you in some way. God bless!

* (I thank you, Holy Spirit, for your guidance and supernatural love. I pray you continue to use me as a vessel and send me encouragement/support as I continue to walk with you Lord, in Jesus mighty name! I praise you; I honor you; I glorify your Holy name! Amen.) *