I've been doing a lot of thinking about fasting lately.A good friend picked up the book "Seven" by J. Hatmaker not too long ago and on her recommendation I ended up reading it as well. It turned my thinking back around.
So, I will be doing "Seven" ("Eight" for me) with a handful of other ladies from now until next March.
AND I AM SO EXCITED!!
In the course of preparing my heart and mind for this fast series my husband, Larry, and I have been getting into some fasting conversations.
The following thoughts are a succinct version of a several hour conversation between Overland Park, KS and Paducah, KY a few nights ago.
We were reflecting on fasts we had done in the past, our reasons for doing them and the ramifications in our own hearts and in regards to our relationships with Jesus.
We then landed on a discussion of the "warfare" aspects of fasting.
Yes, it changed us. Yes, we noticed a deepening of our relationships with God.
But what about warfare?
Is fasting one of the "weapons of our warfare?"
Since, as is oft said in Christendom, we are warring against "the world, the flesh and the devil" then, we wondered, can fasting have any affect on this?
We concluded that, yes, it can.
The world is set against us and is constantly trying to pull us into itself.
How can I keep myself from falling into things that I know I should not be a part of?
How does one stay away from its temptations?
You fast.
You fast TV.
You fast radio.
You fast internet.
Fasting can be war against the things of this world, the things that would distract us from God.
The flesh is the self. It's me.
I battle against myself and my own wants and desires that, again, can easily distract me from God.
Can fasting help me temper myself?
How does one control the flesh?
You fast.
You fast food which, as odd as it may sound, weakens the desires of the flesh.
I know a man who wanted to deal with his "guy issues" (let the reader understand) so he went on a 40 day food fast and came out of that time with no more "guy issues."
The devil.
Satan has "schemes and wiles" and he is "prowling like a roaring lion" seeking to devour us.
Can fasting help here?
How can fasting help one combat the devil?
There is much that we do not understand about the supernatural but somehow, someway fasting does strengthen us spiritually.
And spiritual strength, a greater closeness to the Savior, does help us combat the devil and his schemes.
It has been a while since I have done any fasting on any level.
I am excited about all I trust the Lord will do through "Seven" and am intrigued to see how it can become a "weapon of warfare."
