Friday, October 12, 2012

Week 2-day 8- Walking after the Spirit-Fasting

I am so excited to start this second week.
This is going to be a challenge.

Fasting is about sacrificing self and submitting your will to God. Saying not my will but Thine be done. The flesh and our own will, wants to be selfish and satiate it's desires any chance it gets.

We really have to have our heart in the right place for fasting to be succesful

Isaiah 58:5-13
[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
[Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
And [if] thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noonday:
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:

Here in Isaiah it shows that God wasn't looking for people to fast for their own selfish gain. He wants us to reach out to the lost, and hurting souls. It's not just about staying away from food, and sacrifice. It's the heart of the matter that counts in God's eyes.
If we fast we are doing it with a purpose of following God's will, God's plan. His plan will always be about His kingdom.

There are different ways of fasting. A full food fast and only drinking water. I partial fast skipping a meal or two. A Daniel fast which is not eating meat. Also there are things like media fasting. Such as no TV or ineternet for however long you plan to do it. I am doing this on Saturday.
I have chosen to do a Daniel fast this week. There is some debate as to what is specifically ok to eat or drink. I am doing basically a vegetarian diet this week. In the bible it says Daniel at pulse and drank only water.
 http://www.daniel-fast.com/
http://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/

Above are a couple of resources. The second looks like an add for a book but there is a food list.

You can prayerfully decide what kind of fast is for you. If you are planning on fasting this week please be certain that you are in good health to do so. Consult your physician if you have medical conditions such as diabetes, or are pregnant.

Give your heart to God this week and let him lead you.

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