81. one more time about fasting...
Posted by:
SeLahGirl on
July 24, 2008 at
1:21PM EST
There is so much confusion and almost too much information about
fasting out there. Simply put, fasting is an internal alarm clock that
reminds us to pray consistently and wholeheartedly. I often fast from
my favorite snacks or gum or sometimes food altogether. Cookies are my
ultimate challenge cuz they are my favorite (much harder than skipping
a meal). So that’s what I chose for my fast as I prayed for some teens
that went on a youth encounter recently.
Fasting from
cookies seems like such a small thing, but it is hugely effective for
me. I crave them thru the day and they are mentioned by every voice
speaking around me without fail. And every time I hear someone talk
about them, the craving starts. I begin to pray for whatever I am
focused on praying about… like the teens at Cornerstone. I begin by
telling God that I want him to bless you guys way more than I want that
cookie that I’m dreaming about and drooling over. Sounds goofy, but
have you ever ripped your bedroom/kitchen apart in the middle of the
night, trying to find some morsel of chocolate or some munchies. It
kinda eats at your insides when you crave something like that, it
effects your thoughts and your actions. It gets your complete
attention. That’s the purpose of fasting. To get your full attention,
body, mind, and spirit. Then it’s up to you to focus that complete
attention on God and whatever you’re needing to talk to him about. It’s
about self-discipline and taking control of our flesh and our cravings.
Putting them in their place beneath that of our will, and putting our
will beneath the will of God. It’s a power struggle with ourselves, our
passion for God going up against the weak areas (the easily distracted
areas) of our walk.
You give your full attention to someone
that really cares about you, and they are gonna know it. Not only that,
they are gonna return that same focus and attention back to you, and it
will drive them to go beyond the norm to help you out. There’s a
passage that talks about things being given back to you according to
how you measure it out (Luke 6:38). I believe that that’s true even
with our prayer life, and with our relationship with God as well. The
Bible says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him
(Hebrews 11:6). Fasting helps us to seek him like that.
It adds a power to our prayer.
A skill to our warring in heavenly places.
