Annual New Years fast~

Happy New Year fasting!!!

Praise Jesus for this new year and new beginnings! I think we all agree 2020 has been the worst year ever. I have lost my husband whom I loved very much and my beautiful niece. The painful thoughts and emotions of loss and and grief are sometimes unbearable. In times of trouble we should always focus or re-focus on our relationship with God. He has the answers for everything. He is our healer, our comforter our guide, our God!

Fasting can help us focus on the promises of God as we turn to these for our source of life. Biblical fasting is refraining from food or certain types of food for a spiritual purpose. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said "But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. AMPC" So we see we are to also feed on our spiritual food, the Word of God! Some of the benefits of godly fasting that people have recorded include deeper intimacy with God, answers to prayers, more humility before God, gaining wisdom and understanding, getting authority over demonic strongholds, attaining personal victories, receiving God’s protection, and acquiring a more heavenly perspective on life.

Fasting will also help us clean up and clean out our unhealthy eating and thinking from years past. I often follow Pastor Jentzen Franklin's church and their new years fasting schedule beginning the week after new years. My 21 day fast includes 1 week of eating fruits and veggies-like juicing vegetables or vegetable soups. Week 2 includes a water only fast for as long as I can. Week 3 (or sooner!)I return to eating fruits and veggies. I have done this successfully 5 years and we are so excited for what God will do this time as we walk in faith and obedience to His Word. Biblical fasting is refraining from food or certain types of food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting has always been a normal part of the Christian walk as many of our ancestors in the Bible fasted-Jesus, Moses, Ester, David, Daniel, Hannah, Anna, the people of Nineveh, Nehemiah, Judah and Ezra all fasted when they needed strength and desired to deepen their walk with God.

We believe according to Matthew 6:33- "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided", that when we give the first of our week and worship together with other believers on Sunday, when we give the first of our money in tithing and when we give the first of our year to the Lord He will bless us and we will reap the rewards of this “first” principal!

Fasting can be one meal, one day, a week or 21 or 40 days-we recommend trying a time of fasting this new year and see what God will do! As spirit beings with a soul in a body, we want our spirit to be fed first and Jesus is the bread of life. (Matthew 6:25-40) Our body should be under the control of our spirit, our flesh should not be controlling our life. While fasting a meal or for a time we will be feeding our spirit the things of God-praying, meditating on the Word, watching Christian TV programs and serving others!

Matthew 6:1-18 is where Jesus explains our spiritual exercises. He says “When you give…, when you pray…and when you fast”-not “if you fast” so we believe it is a necessary exercise for our spiritual growth!

Job 23:12 says "I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food."

Amen! Let us intentionally treasure the Words of the mouth of God during this first of the year and praise Jesus that He is our source of life, of everything! May we also remember who we truly are in Christ according to the promises of God. Happy fasting!