Scripture:
"Then your light will break through like the dawn,
and you will heal quickly. Your righteousness will go ahead of you, and
the glory of the Lord will guard you from behind."
Isaiah 58:8
Yesterday, on the way to church, I saw this car tailing a very slow car.
He was obviously in a hurry but refused to get into the open lane next
to him! I was so confounded! "Why doesn't he just change lanes?" But
then I thought, Wow, I've been doing the same in my own life! There are
things I so badly want, but I have been stubbornly trying to do things
my own way, unwilling to get in God's lane. It's like I'm tailing a slow
car in front of me, so frustrated, when there is a clear lane next to
me, if I will just take it. Maybe you feel stuck too-praying for the same things for years, with zero progress.
Jesus understands that we get stuck sometimes, and He gave us the key to getting unstuck
here in this story: A desperate man came to Jesus because his son was
always trying to kill himself. He had actually come to Jesus' disciples
earlier, but they couldn't do anything for him. So Jesus just spoke to
what was troubling the boy, and he was immediately cured. But later,
Jesus' disciples asked Him why they couldn't heal the boy. And what
Jesus said is so interesting :
" Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:20-21)
Jesus told His disciples (us) that faith can move mountains, BUT He also said that some things will not change UNLESS you pray AND fast. So what is fasting? In a strictly food sense, fasting is not eating or drinking certain things, or at all. But in a spiritual sense, it's so much more. It's saying NO to something you normally do in order to say YES to something you really need. Fasting is the key
that unlocks the doors that you can't seem to open. It's like if you
have a can of milk and try to open it with a spoon, a fork, a knife:
nothing works. What you need is a can-opener. Fasting is the can-opener to your answered prayer.
God Says Fasting Brings:
- Salvation
- Healing
- Direction
- Protection
- Quick Answers to Prayer
My Story
There are a lot of things I want, but all of my efforts to find those things on my own are not working. And believe me, I've tried. So recently, when my pastor invited my church to fast together, I said yes, because quite frankly, I need help! So I have decided to give up shopping. I shop a lot. It might sound ridiculous to you, especially if you are a man; but shopping for me is a band-aid I use to comfort myself when I'm lonely or stressed; and it takes a lot of my free time. So instead, for the next 2 weeks, I am choosing to go without shopping in order to spend time with God instead. I'm going on walks to ask Him for what I need, listen to His thoughts, and tell Him mine. And I'm already feeling a difference.
What Are YOU Desperate For?
Is it healing in your family? Restoration in your marriage? Help in finances? I invite you to fast with me! What do you want to say NO to in order to say YES
to what you need? Here's some examples of things you could fast: food,
drinks, entertainment, negative thinking/talking, or empty social time
to spend time with Him. God doesn't care about what you fast; He cares
about you opening your heart to Him. Jesus said, "But when you fast,
comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are
fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your
Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Matthew 6:17-18
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