Oppostion and Fasting

I wanted to address this subject since it is a very important one that tends to get overlooked. This is in no way intended to scare you, but simply to prepare you and encourage you, since many people have never fasted before and don’t know what to expect. Those unfamiliar with spiritual warfare will benefit from this post as well.

Now, I don’t like to pull out the enemy card very often. I realize not everything that happens is because of him. We live in a fallen world and we make choices. However when it comes to fasting, I have learned that this is one area to always to stay alert, having both eyes and ears open..

Ephesians 6:12 explains it;  (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

As you begin your fast the enemy is going to do everything he can to keep you from it and even to get you to abort it! He knows the power in fasting so he knows he’s on the losing end! He may try and discourage you in whatever way possible. Remember that he knows all of our weakness so he will focus on those things. You may find that your family is tenser or that what seem to be little disagreements may explode into something much more. You might have things happen at work. These are just a few.  

Now those are just the enemy’s tactics! Your very flesh is going to fight you. As you bring your flesh under submission it is going to try and resist. You may struggle with mind battles. You may become irritable and maybe even angry as you come under submission. Know that this is all a part of the process! This is in fact is a good sign. You are beginning to UN clutter all the junk that has attached it self to you.  This is why Satan has invested so much energy towards controlling the subconscious patterns of mankind. He is appalled if you attempt a fast because fasting exposes how much he has been able to infiltrate the destiny of your life.

For example, today I have begun my first day of the Daniel Fast, however I had decided that for the first 3 days I would complete a juice fast, with no food. (I have a juicer, so this makes it nice) Now, when I woke up I didn’t feel any different in fact I thought I was in a good mood, since I had stayed up praying my way into the fast. However, my husband kept asking me what was wrong.  And kept asking me, to the point that I felt like saying, “well nothing was wrong until you kept bugging me about what was wrong!” but of course I kept my mouth shut as I knew that would have been a perfect time to start a conflict. How many know sometimes you just have to pick your battles? Especially if you plan to stay married for very long.

But truly I felt no different, so rather than creating more tension I simply excused myself to go and study. So here I am.

You should understand that when you fast you are going into the enemies territory and you are taking back what was stolen from you! So as you can see the devil is NOT going to be very happy about that at all!!

When you fast you are removing the hold that the enemy has on your life. When you fast you are empowering yourself with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was done with His 40 day fast he was hungry and the devil tempted Him!!  

Last night I was given another perfect example of opposition in fasting when I read over the book of Daniel again this is what I found.

Daniel 10

The prophet Daniel had been praying and fasting for three weeks, seeking understanding from God. When an angel finally came to Daniel to deliver a message from the Lord, he explained that he had been dispatched the very first day that Daniel began to pray but that “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days.” (10:13) Eventually, as the angel explained, the Archangel Michael had been fetched and was able to overpower the Prince of Persia, allowing this unnamed angel-messenger to make contact with Daniel.

You see, even Daniel had opposition. The prince of Persia was the enemy, he fought the angel, to keep him from going to Daniel and the angel fought for 21 days. Another angel had to be called in to help. This brings me to another point. I know many people say that fasting is a private discipline (and it is). However, I recommend that you find someone you trust that can be in agreement with you as you fast.  You don’t have to tell everyone you know and you shouldn’t. But one person can be a prayer covering over you. If you don’t have anyone, you’re welcome to go to the prayer page on my blog and I will be happy to stand in agreement with you! That’s why I’m here.

But I want you to be encouraged in knowing that if you feel led to fast it is because God himself wants to meet with you! And where he calls he also equips, so you will have everything you need to be successful on your journey to fasting. 1 John 1:4 tells us

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Amen!! So know that God is on your side, and while you may have opposition remember that God will never give you more than you can handle. And what God has planned for you is far greater than any opposite you may have to endure for a season.

So be blessed and encouraged because you are entering your season of breakthrough!

Happy Fasting

Preparing Yourself For Fasting

 Well, here we are just days away from our official day of fasting. For those of you joining us, I hope you are preparing yourself. For example, getting rid of tempting foods in your home as well as stocking up on things you can have. For a list of foods, go to current topics on my blog and click on daniel fast food guide. There you will find what you can and cannot eat. (good resource)

Also, as well as stocking your fridge, you should be weaning yourself off of caffeine and sugars. Otherwise your body will begin to detox and you will get bad headaches and possibly cramps in legs etc from withdrawals. Yeah, not fun at all. In addition to all this I have begun getting together some material to study on while I’m fasting.

If you havent already, I suggest you seek the Lord and find out what it is He would have you focus on. Even though we have needs we are fasting for, God wants us to hear from Him as well. I have a couple things I will be studying during this precious time. And truthfully I am very excited about it. If your not sure if you can hear from God, let me assure you that if you’re born again you CAN hear from God. The only thing is learning how God speaks to you!

I believe that God speaks to all of us differently, for instance God uses impressions to speak to me. Or since I am a writer, He will give me a phrase or word and then that becomes my subject to write about. Often times (more times than not) whatever it is I’m writing about, I have found that it becomes revelation for me as I write it. So He speaks to me through my own writings.

Also, if you enjoy music gather up some of your favorite cd’s and have them ready to listen to and meditate on while your fasting. Music speaks volumes to me. Music creates an atmosphere of praise. And God says He inhabits the Praises of His people! So… I don’t know about you but I want to be fully consumed by the Almighty.

I want to encourage you in knowing that if God has called you to fast it is because He is wanting to do something supernatural in your life. I’m not sure about you, but I could sure use some supernatural things in my life!!

Have A Blessed Day!! Sign up for the email subscriptions so you wont miss a thing, theres lots more to come!~Gypsy

What is Christian Fasting and Why Should You Fast?

I want to start by saying that today’s blog is specifically for someone reading. Someone that the Lord is impressing to fast, I don’t know who, but this is a subject I have talked about before. But I just felt led to speak about it again. Which isn’t surprising since it is such a vital part of our Christian walk that very few people know much about.

 So what is fasting? There is much debate about what a true fast is or is not, and I am not here to debate it but rather to share my opinion. Basically biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. And it is not limited to ministers and special occasions.

 From the beginning fasting has been a normal part of a relationship with God. God says when you put him first he will put you first. Basically when you fast you are telling God that he is more important to you than whatever you gave up. When Jesus went up on the Mount in Matthew Ch 6 There were three requirements of a Christian; giving, praying and fasting. He said, “when you give, pray and fast” not IF.

 These can also be viewed as what is called a three fold cord. Solomon made the point that a cord, or rope braided with 3strands is not easily broken. Eccl 4:12. Likewise when giving, praying and fasting are practiced together in the life of a believer it creates a type of 3fold cord that is not easily broken. Most of us have the giving and praying down pat, but many of us don’t fast. And personally I think we don’t fast because we don’t have the understanding of what it really is and why we need to do it.

 So hopefully I can expand your knowledge of fasting. Did you know that every major bible character fasted? From Moses being the first, to Daniel, Esther and David, just to name a few. And lets not forget of course Jesus! Jesus was baptized and then he went into the wilderness and fasted  40 days while the devil tempted Him. But when He returned that’s when He started His ministry and that’s when He started performing Miracles! Coincidence? Not likely.

 So why should you fast? If you genuinely want a desire for deeper intimacy with the Lord, If you want to know Gods perfect will for your life (direction.) If you need a  break through , a miracle or salvation for a loved one. If you need healing or if you want supernatural blessings in your life. It will also release the anointing, the favor and the blessings of God in your life.

 It will also help break (all) addictions and there is no limitations here. Whatever you can think of and cannot break on your own, you can be free through fasting and prayer! Poverty, divorce, drugs, alcoholism, smoking, overeating, homosexuality and pornography are just a few to mention. God wants you to be free of anything keeping you in bondage.

 Remember that bondage is from the enemy and he will keep you there as long as he can to prevent you from living in victory and living your purpose in Christ

 I firmly believe that if God is asking you to fast specifically it is because He wants to do more in your life spiritually. Paul says in Romans 12 “Present you bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Remember when I talked about, giving, praying and fasting? That is how you “present” your body to God as a living sacrifice. Fasting keeps you sensitive to his spirit enabling you to live Holy.

 When you fast your spirit becomes uncluttered and extremely sensitive to the things of God. So how to get started; first pray and ask for Gods direction during the fast. Ask God to reveal anything to you that needs to be dealt with, issues etc. before beginning your fast. If you are truly after Gods heart you will do whatever it takes to make things right before Him.

  So what to fast?- Again pray about it, that’s between you and God, just remember whatever is a sacrifice for you will be a sacrifice to Him. Some examples may be coffee, alcohol, sweets, bread, etc.

When to Fast?- Truthfully there is no perfect time to fast, just make up your mind and do it. If your fasting there will always be dinner parties, lunch dates and birthdays and you will find any excuse not to fast. So just do it!

How to Fast?- Start off small with one item of food and choose how long you will fast it. Or fast one meal for a period of time, work your way up to one whole day. (the easiest way to fast one whole day is to fast from sun up to sundown) You can even fast half days, fast from morning till 3pm, that’s not too hard and it’s the easiest to start with.

 These are considered partial fast. If you decide to do a full fast of no food, make sure you drink water at least. You can also drink 100% juice, i.e. grape juice. They recommend only drinking 100% juice because it doesn’t have all the other junk that causes your stomach to go into hungry mode. Don’t drink citrus though because it may irritate your stomach. Drink juice In small amounts throughout the day as needed or desired.

 There is even a Daniel Fast which is found In Daniel 1:12, Eat no sweets, no meat and no bread. So basically your eating fruits and vegetables and whole grains. No sweeteners and no food with any chemicals, processed etc. This is the fast I will be on this year beginning Jan 10^th-30^th 2010. And I am very excited about what God is wanting to do. Truth be told I have never tried a 21 day fast. I have barely made 3 full days. (And Only by Gods grace was that possible, cause lets face it, we all like to eat, or at least I do.)

 Truthfully there is no real formula I can give you to help you decide which type or length of fast is right for you. Just pray about it and the Lord will guide you. But remember when ever you fast if it doesn’t mean anything to you it wont mean anything to God. Without being combined with prayer and the Word, fasting is little more than dieting. But I want you to realize something very important, fasting itself is a continual prayer before God. But if you should break your fast, don’t beat yourself up, just keep trying. God sees your sacrifice. In closing, fasting is what prepares you for a new anointing. Fasting prepares the way for God to give you fresh revelation, fresh vision, and clear purpose. I would also encourage you to write down whatever it is your believing God for and be specific! That way you can pray for them daily as you fast and you will begin to see Gods favor on your life and prayers being answered.

So what are you waiting for? Get going and Happy fasting.

*Fasting is safe and recommended by doctors and health professionals  but if you have any health conditions you are concerned about, ask your doctor. Do not stop taking medications while fasting unless directed by your doctor.

If you need more information on fasting you can go to www.jentezenfranklin.org

Or check out the Daniel Fast Blogger here on WordPress… Be blessed.

Food List For The Daniel Fast

*Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast*

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy. All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn. All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter. All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans. All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame. Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters. Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.  

 *Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast* All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish. All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs. All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice. All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods. All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips. All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat. Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol. Remember, READ THE LABELS! *Food List Provided By Susan Gregory The Daniel Fast Blogger

Join Me In My 21 Day Fast For Breakthrough

Thanks for stopping by! I have decided to start a blog so that everyone can get involved in what God is wanting to do this coming year! I believe God is going to move in a powerful way in 2010. And I want to be a part of whatever God wants to do!During prayer I believe the Lord impressed upon me to fast for 21 days doing the Daniel fast. The fast will begin, January 10th 2010- January 31st! So I have time to get the word out:)A Daniel Fast is basically where you eat no meat, no sweets, and no bread. Drink only water and Eat fruits and vegetables. (Read Daniel 1:12. )

 

Wow, lets not just think about the spiritual aspect of the fast, but in addition to that, imagine how well you will feel and look after 3 wks of healthy living! Count me in!

Now I am not just doing this fast to feel better, I am fasting for a purpose. You see I believe there are some things that we want or need from God that require more than just prayer. When many of the people in the bible wanted God to move on there behalf, they fasted. Esther, Daniel and lets not forget that before Jesus performed signs miracles and wonders he fasted for 40 days! Hmmm…any correlation there?

I am so excited about this because I just Know that God is going to do something awesome. In addition to wanting to bless me, I know He is wanting to bless the body in general. That’s why I believe He has impressed on me to start this BLOG.

In all honesty this is the first one I have ever done, and I’m pretty excited to see where it is going to go.

 

But seriously, God is up to something big!! He is going to bless His people like never before! Not just financially, but spiritually and even influentially! He is raising up leaders to do His will. In fact he is wanting to do something right here in our community, along with cities all over the world. But before I conquer the world, I will have start right here in my own town:)
God is wanting to reach into our community and pour his heart into His people so they can reach the hearts of the lost.

Friends, if we are going to see ANY change in our communities its going to start with us. God is waiting for us to touch the hem of his garment! How desperate are you to have God move on your behalf? How much do you want to see a change in your city? Then its going to take more than just prayer, its going to take action. And I believe that action is fasting with prayer!

I don’t know about you but I am SO hungry for a move of God. I am tired of mediocrity. I am tired of being a lazy christian and only having concern for my own home. My prayer is that God would give me his heart for his people. That my eyes and ears would be open and looking for opportunities to bless someone.

I have to say that God has been dealing with me about thinking, “too small”. Initially, I was just going to do the fast myself. But then I felt impressed to share it with my church body, But even that didn’t feel like enough. God impressed me to take it to the community and even to start this blog to get every person I could connected and involved. So I will be writing about it in the paper as well as keeping up with this blog.

Bare with me as this is my first one and I am unsure of exactly how this is all going to work. I just know that its going to be fun to find out.!

So in the near future I will be posting some information on fasting and different types of fast. Pastor Jentezen Franklin a TV minister, is my mentor. ( and doesn’t even know it!!) But all the valuable info that I have on fasting is from his ministry. If your interested in knowing more, and don’t want to wait for me you can go to his website. http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/
Thank you for reading and I believe there is something in your life that you need God to touch. If so wont you prayerfully consider joining us! Remember there is power in numbers! Not only will you join with me, but you will be joining individuals and entire church’s all over the country!

Also remember that you don’t have to fast for the full 21 days. Do whatever God places on your heart. And ask Him even what Fast you are to do. He will guide you.

Remember this will be a place of information, encouragement, prayer updates and praise reports. We will even be shareing recipes for the Daniel Fast.

PS if you have any ideas, comments or suggestions please feel free to let me know! ~Gypsy