The Fasted Life Intro

Last night, we started a new Bible Study called the Fasted Life.  It has been something on my heart for a couple years now.  I believe God is calling believers to a life of fasting and prayer.  What power could we walk in if we took serious the Scripture's mandate to fast and pray.  In the message last night, I shared a writing from about 20 years ago that I wrote after my first full fast from food.  Below you will find the full article, written some years ago, describing that fast.

From the book Thoughts For The Journey:

What is it like when you try to fast?
 
As the death angel loomed over my bed, I could sense the end of my short life drawing near.  My head wracked with pain and feeling nauseated, I pled with God to take me home.  I then drifted off to sleep and awoke in the morning, to my surprise.  What happened to me?  Why was the death angel at my door?  It is called fasting.  Though I exaggerated a great deal, I did experience a great deal of hardship.  After all, crucifying the flesh is not easy. 

For all of you super spirituals out there who can fast without it even affecting you, you might not want to read this.  For those of us that it does affect, take cheer; it is natural.  Fasting is helping to subject your flesh in order to give God more control.  Do not get this confused with punishment. 

A fast is where you decide you are going to give up food, in order to draw closer to God and seek Him.  It is not an easy doing.  It was always easy for me to fast two meals, but to go for three, it was like pulling teeth with no anesthetic.  I LOVE TO EAT and so does my body, however, by fasting you show God you mean business.  Now I don't suggest to anyone fasting a whole day until you can fast a meal.  Likewise don't go on a forty day fast unless directed by God Almighty.  This is serious business.  As I awoke that morning somewhat refreshed but weak, I wondered why did it affect me like this? 

My conclusion is that we are so used to food and all the preservatives, caffeine, and much more, that our body has withdrawals.  The more you fast the more your body will become adapted to doing without those things.  It should never become easy lest it lose its meaning.  It should get to the place that it can be more spiritual.  It is tough for me to pray with a migraine and hunger pains.  I pray better when I have eaten.  We should never fast out of ritual but always with a goal of what we want to see accomplished.  Do not fast just to fast.  Fast for a deeper knowledge of God.  For all of you who can sympathize with these same traits of fasting, can I get an AMEN?

Here is the video from the Fasted Life Intro Message. 

Watch more messages here.

---