Turning to God through fasting

Derek Prince says:  " I believe the essential nature of fasting is renouncing the natural to invoke the supernatural. The most natural thing for us to do is to eat. When we give up eating, we are deliberately turning away from the natural by turning to God and to the supernatural."  This has deep significance.

I realize that sometimes when I fast I am cranky. I can easily become an unloving person. Then I think about our Sunday's sermon and Pastor Pete's comment about love. "Love is more miraculous than the miraculous. Nothing is more important than growing to be loving people".  I think love is miraculous. For me to love people the way Christ loves me would be a miracle. My love is full of self interest and bargaining ("I will love you if...."). 

When I fast I can be in touch with that part of myself and lay it before the cross. So, I look for and hope for the continuous working of the miraculous in my life as I seek to love as I am loved.

Grace is a wonder huh?

Why do I fast?

Fasting is not new to me. I embraced a routine as part of my prayer discipline many years ago. I am not sure why I stopped - but I did. This recent “call back” to the discipline has taken me to a different “place.”

As I fast now I see it as an opportunity to rest my interior - my “soil”.

 I  am seeking to incorporate a rhythm for my body of eating and

“ resting.” When I fast - life actually becomes a lot simpler for me. I can center on God without the “noise” of thinking about food. When I experience hunger I seek (and sometimes fail) to be  present with my humanity and my limits. I can think of those who experience hunger everyday and pray for them. I also realize how much I take eating for granted.  I find I am asking myself a whole new set of questions about how I live my life with food.  I am also more thankful - good food is a gift I am privileged to receive.

Take some time today to pray for those who experience hunger every day.

Pray for yourself and ask the Lord to open your eyes to things you normally do not "see".

Have you been journaling? How about adding the Examen? At the conclusion of your day of fasting ask yourself these questions?

• Where did I experience life (joy) today?
• Where did I experience death (pain) today?

Offer both to the Lord in prayer.

Scripture Meditation: "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received as an offering!"

How can you pray or "give a gift"  this week? Who are "the poor" in your life? Are you one of "the poor?" In what way? Offer those thoughts and prayers to the Lord?

How is it going?

Hey,
Glad you could join in! This is a place where we can share our fasting journey (the good days and the bad).
What we are learning and where God is speaking. Hopefully we can all learn and grow together!







BTW, if you are in need of general prayer please post on  NLF pray our internet prayer chain.