Fasting draws us closer to God~
A common misconception is that if we fast and pray God will do something for us, He will answer our prayer or shine His favor on us. I believe fasting actually draws us closer to God and allows us to more easily hear His answers and direction He has for us! He already loves us and favors us!
Each year I kick off the new year with a 21 day new years fast. Week 1 is fruits and veggies and water, week 2 is water only for as long as possible, then week 3 I resume fruits and veggies. I was thinking of this year's 2025 New Years fast and noted I could only do 5.5 days of my water only in week 2!~ That’s still amazing! Fasting is a great practice to give the first of the year to the Lord. Or the first of each month. Or some give one day each week to God in reverent fasting. Fasting is giving up food for a spiritual purpose-to feed on Jesus and His Word during the time you normally would eat a meal to honor and exalt God to a higher place in our life. Remember in Matthew 6, Jesus teaches on when we give, pray and fast. We give and we pray but why don’t we regularly fast!?
Here are my notes from this past January… “I glean so much from a 21 day new years fast! I struggled week 2 on water only for 5.5 days but I made it! My joints and muscles feel so clean and my sinuses cleared up completely. I am back to eating fruits and vegetables this final week-the typical Danial fast taken from Daniel 10:2-3-At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. (Another word for mourn is fast!)
This is what I am discovering as I spend time with the Lord, read my Fasting book by Jentezen Franklin and Spewed-How to cast out lukewarm Christianity through Fasting and a Fasted lifestyle by Beth Ley Knotts.
~ Isn’t it interesting how we seem to run to something when we are burdened? We run to the doctor, turn to food, to drink, to a friend. God wants us to turn to Him and turn away from something-food and fast!
~So many great Bible greats fasted when they needed help, healing and strength- Jesus, Moses, Daniel, David, Elijah, Ahab, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Paul, Peter, Anna, Jonah, Cornelius and we are to imitate them! Hebrews 6:12- We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
~I began to have my detox headache on day 4 while eating fruits and veggies! I plan to commit to several 3 day fasts more throughout the year.(!!)
~Remember we are new creations in Christ! Start the new year off forgetting the past but remembering receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior has made your life new every day as His mercies are new every morning! (2 Corinthians 5:17, Lamentations 3:23)
~I am so excited to give the first of my year to God! I can’t wait to see what He will do this year!
~I made chickpea pasta, sauteed broccoli, garlic and tofu with vegan cheese casserole today! Yum!
Keep up the good work drawing closer to God. Fasting is an amazing spiritual discipline for 1 meal or 3 days or a 21 day Daniel fast! I highly recommend it!"
