In these articles on “Who Takes The Initiative” I have been trying to build a case for not waiting for God to command us to do something but rather to take the initiative in desiring God to approve what we see is a current or pending need. I have encountered many believers who have come to the false understanding that if God wants us to do something he will tell us. The point I made in the second article was that God created us to be like him and therefore he gave Adam the first task of naming the animals. God wanted us to take the initiative in creating and managing the world we are in. If you haven’t read the first two articles please do so before proceeding. 

Many churches are encouraging their people to consider prayer and fasting in the month of January. They are trying to start out the year with greater understanding and insight as to the mind and heart of God rather than living life as “doing business as usual” mentality. A high and lofty goal, combining fasting and prayer use to be part of the fabric of the Christian culture through the centuries, but since the 1900 many Christians have lost the idea, let alone the practice. Since the 1970s a Holy Spirit stirring has being happening where believers have seen that they have embraced their freedom in Christ and often abandoned many of the disciplines Christ taught, one being fasting.

The question that needs to be addressed is “Why & How” should we fast, not if.

So, as we are nearing the end of this journey of self-denial, and I wanted to encourage all of you for stepping up to the plate in your spiritual life. Few believers today even consider self-denial, let alone practice any. I’m reading 2 Corinthians this morning and Paul talks about how much he and other believers have struggle with suffering in their Christian life. Some suffering by others and some purely because they live in broken world. He says –

2 Cor 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
[5] For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 

I trust you all are looking to the Lord to impart “Something New” into your soul and you’re holding onto the promise that “He” is able to impart to you more than you can think or imagine.

I had a few Scriptures written down that I wanted to use as encouragement during our fasting time, and I went to bed last night with my right eye starting to water and hurt. When I got up this morning, my lower eyelid was swollen and hurt like I was getting a sty. I used to get these when I was young because of eye lid operations when I was 6-7 years old, but haven’t had them in over 50 years.

The reason I’m sharing this is because of the scripture God put on my heart to share about today. Psalms 139 & Luke 24. Hopefully it will make sense by the time I finish this post.

As we continue down our path of fasting you may be asking yourself, where are we trying to go with this fast and how come I’m not there yet?

First, in the Bible, numbers mean a lot. Seven is the number often associated with God. It reflects “completeness” and “perfection”.

Secondly, in the Bible, the number Eight is related to the concept of “New Beginning”. Jewish writings say it is “One Step Above the Natural Order” where the supernatural is entered into.

I want to declare to you all that you are entering into the beginning phase of the supernatural where the Holy Spirit will start to pull back the covers to the spiritual realm and give you access to understanding and inheritance. Here is a beautiful verse in the book of Psalms that should capture our hearts.

I wanted to share a little glimpse into my personal experience this morning in a church Sue and I have been investigating that so moved both of us.

When we fast, the Holy Spirit will and should be tenderizing our hearts and soul to be more perceptive. Sometimes it takes longer to come into the place and at other times we seem to easily and quickly move into a deeper spiritual perspective.

Well, If you have hung in there in your fast since Monday, you have now reached the half-way mark to completing this awesome journey with your fellow fasters. We are going fast!

Many times we fail to observe healthy disciplines because we try to develop them alone, and then the enemy tries to discourage any spiritual growth. If we find other believers to link up with in our proposed spiritual disciplines, whether of reading the word, praying, tithing or any other pursuit, we gain the courage and the passion to push through to our goal and not let the pain hold us back. All because others are cheering us on.

My heart is warm today as I have read your many stories of your own personal fast. How you felt you couldn’t or wouldn’t fast, and yet you watched your brothers and sisters doing it and gave into the voice of God to fast yourself. Never underestimate what God can do if we are just willing to trust the Lord and not our fleshly appetites. 

By last night, I so…wanted to eat something, anything! Watching TV they were showing mac & cheese, and I so wanted that. Going to bed I told Sue I wanted a bagel & egg sandwich when I got up in the morning! I didn’t do it, but I wanted it!

Once you have passed three days of fasting, the hunger pains can become minimized, but the “Mindset” of needing food can intensify. If you are experiencing these craving understand they are normal and won’t kill you.

I would like to focus on a passage of scripture in 2 Chronicles where Solomon has just completed the temple, and has been praying and offering vast numbers of sacrifices to the Lord for its dedication. The Lord comes down with fire to consume the sacrifice. That had to be scary! The “Glory” of God was so intense the priest could not enter the temple. I pray the glory of God defends on our ministry!

I have been so encouraged by the honesty many are posting about their fasting. Your all are being transparent about your struggles to get a handle on your own personal fasting. This reveals that the Holy Spirit is truly helping us go deeper than our normal routines, and this can only mean greater growth and maturity for us all.

Today, I would like to look at Paul conversion in the book of Acts because it reveals his own personal struggle to understand what God was doing in his life, and the discovery that he was going the wrong way.

Acts 9:3-9 Paul’s Defining Moment

As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”