For the past two weeks I've had this nagging thought in the back of my head. I've had set backs on this fast, not in my food but in other areas that I said I wouldn't do. Not that the temptation was that strong, it was due to other things that came into play.
The thought that came to mind once in a while was that Daniel spent the three weeks camping out during his fast in continual prayer. He had his servants that were there with him during this time, but he was alone for the most part. God took care of him there and showed him visions of what would take place from that time to the events of today and beyond.
I know that some who are regular fasters would think that I didn't take this fast seriously. I did at first and I still am. My hard areas have been the weekends when I'm home with hubby, and its raining. I do have lots to do anyway and so watching tv isn't that hard to stay away from, but it is on most of the time during the weekend. I did finally give up this weekend of not sitting in front of the tv.
Its also hard to stay away from life as it goes on around you. People need things, you have to work, and you see people everywhere you go if you go outside of your home. And if you stay in your home for three weeks people start to think somethings wrong.
I guess the voice hear is someone that I admire for his fasting experiences. And I agree with that voice that I don't think as Americans we really know how to fast as they would in a third world country. For a person to say "I'm going to go and pray for three weeks" there would be more understandable then if I were to say it here. It would take scheduling, budgeting and other things to put into place before I take off by myself for that period of time.
I've listened to people commit to fasting for lunch but then at 2:00 stop and get something to eat.
Fasting is committing yourself to a sacrifice to hear God better. We allow so many things to distract us in our lives with ipods, tvs, cell phones and internet that we don't hear Him clearly. We nod and say "Amen" to something that we think is great that the pastor said that Sunday but we forget what the sermon was about after we've left the front doors to the church. (Ours was about our 1977 Birthday of the church).
Fasting means to give up that which controls you. If food controls you give it up and let the Lord sustain you. Do you know He commanded the ravens to bring food to Elijah? The ravens obeyed Him, why can't we? If your calendar is so full you can't even take time out to breath, toss it. He wants you, not your schedule.
I've got one more week on this fast. I'm sticking to it as its the goal I started. I'm considering and praying about the next one I do. Because that is the one I want to be able to hear God better as my goal then is to prepare me for my trip to Uganda in November. I want to be used by Him fully with no outside influences to deter me from what He is calling me to do while I am there.
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