Category Archives: Fasting

Fasting? Protect Your Heart!

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You can read the first three posts in our fasting series here, here and here. We are still talking about the Armor of God. Suiting up with that armor EVERY DAY means we are always prepared for spiritual warfare. Fasting, coupled with prayer is an integral part of that armor! Today, we are putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness.

Have you heard the story about King Ahab? Yes, the same one who had Naboth killed so he could have his vineyard, but that’s not the story I am talking about.

In the 16th chapter of 1 Kings,  Ahab “…did what was evil in the LORD’s sight more than all who were before him.”

Jumping over a few chapters, we are told that prophecy revealed to King Ahab that he would surely die in an upcoming battle.  Ahab thought he could take control of that situation by disguising himself, yet he instructed his ally, King Jehoshaphat, to go ahead and wear his royal robes.

The catch was that the enemy had been told to “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate…And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot.”

Ahab’s  plan didn’t quite work out, first of all because God’s Word never returns void and secondly, his demise was due to a small opening in his armor, his breastplate.

This breastplate could save a soldier’s life! It protected the vital organs, especially the heart.

Putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness is an intentional act, as are all of the pieces of armor. We make the choice to seek His righteousness and acknowledge we can do nothing apart from Him.

We can also have a “small opening” in our armor and not be fully protected! Could it be said that our breastplate isn’t as effective when we aren’t praying, haven’t fasted in forever, we are not reading the Word or following it, when we have obvious sin, or even when we think we can get by on our own merit? 

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 ESV.

We can’t afford to be without this breastplate of righteousness! The enemy is watching and waiting for us to be careless and when we aren’t maintaining our relationship with the Savior, we are “taking off” pieces of our armor and leaving ourselves exposed to an attack from the enemy of our souls.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12.

Fasting, with prayer, makes us stronger, our armor more secure because we have determined to be closer to our God. We don’t let a day go by where we aren’t putting on the whole armor of God…that we may be able to stand, not in our own righteousness but in His! 

See you tomorrow!

Do you have your copy of my easy-to-read Fasting Devotional? Don’t let the title fool you! It is a 21 day devotion for ANY FAST. Each day is an example of someone in the Bible who fasted, some for the wrong reason as well, and what we can glean from them. There are also Daniel Fast recipes and instructions for following that fast as well. Available at Amazon.com

 

The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up!

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The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up! Today is the final piece of armor and it is of utmost importance; it is the Sword of the Spirit; the Word of God! You can read all of our posts since January 1 here. But we are far from finished; we will continue with a fasting devotion every day for the rest of the month. Stay with me!

“…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:17-18

This last piece completed the Armor of God that we are to put on every day but it is not something you wear like the other items, it is something you take up and is used offensively or defensively.

Remember, Paul’s analogy of the Armor of God was taken from the Roman soldiers armor, one he saw every day in the prison where he was writing.

The Roman soldier carried a two-edged sword which was easier to penetrate and easier to cut and easier to wound or kill the enemy. It was a smaller sword, more like a dagger, and the soldier would have carried it with him at all times.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The soldier was equipped with all his armor fitted and put on in the right place, every day.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Then, he takes up that sword. And like the Roman soldier, the child of God takes up that Word, that Living and Active Word of God that is sharper than any double edged sword!

Matthew Henry says so aptly what I cannot and it is so good: “It…makes a soul that has been a long time of a proud spirit to be humble, of a perverse spirit to be meek and obedient. Those sinful habits that have become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, and become in a manner one with it, are separated and cut off by this sword. It cuts off ignorance from the understanding, rebellion from the will, and enmity from the mind, which, when carnal, is enmity itself against God.

This sword divides between the joints and the marrow, the most secret, close, and intimate parts of the body; this sword can cut off the lusts of the flesh as well as the lusts of the mind, and make men willing to undergo the sharpest operation for the mortifying of sin….The word will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let him see all that is in his heart.

So, you might ask, what does all of this have to do with fasting? When we fast, we are spending extra time in prayer and reading of the Word. We are making effort to be with God and come closer to Him and hear His voice. Fasting clears our minds and our hearts and allows us to hear what He would say to us, what the Word is speaking and how it affects us as His children. Jesus said some things can not even happen without fasting and prayer!

It isn’t necessarily that you receive new power or more power, you already have it with the Holy Spirit living inside of you. It’s just that, because of the denying of the flesh, you are recognizing what you have and are activating it by taking up that Sword every day. Then, when you need it, it is active, it is living, it is ready for whatever comes your way!

Finally, Paul’s description of the Armor of God doesn’t really end with the Sword of the Spirit. “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” He continues in the same sentence that we should be praying at all times and for those around us. Fasting, with prayer, makes our spiritual vision come alive and we start seeing the needs of others around us and awaken to things happening in the spirit world. And if we have that Sword in our hands, that Word of God in our hearts, we will be well equipped to do the work Jesus has us to do.

Come back tomorrow for another fasting devotion as we look at what NOT to do when fasting! 

 
 

Need your own copy of The Daniel Fast, A Devotional? Get it on Amazon by clicking here!

When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith

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When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith. How is your faith today? It takes faith to fast. There has to be a reason for you to go without food, or go without certain foods, maybe even social media. Sometimes people find it much more difficult to go without Facebook for a full day than to fast three meals in a row! Today we are looking at the shield of faith. You can read all the other posts here, here, here and here.

We fast because of our faith. Learning to trust God, we believe in Him and His ways. We want to be more like Him and draw closer to the God of our salvation.

We also fast to increase our faith. When we are denying ourselves certain things that we love, or even think we can’t live without, we are telling God that He is more important to us than these things. Fasting clears our minds and hearts so there is more room for the things of God and His Word. When we begin to empty our lives of things that get in the way of our spiritual walk and replace them with the spiritual, it can’t help but increase our faith! Fasting strengthens us.

Ephesians 6:16 “…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ” 

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians from prison. He knew the Roman soldier well and he knew their armor well. The Roman shield, also known as the scutum, had a big metal knob in the middle called a boss. This shield was about three and a half feet tall and approximately three feet wide! They could thwart an attack and protect themselves from the fiery arrows that were being catapulted their way.

When we take up our shield of faith, and allow our faith to be active, then that faith will become our defense to the attacks of the enemy. A sure fire way to increase your faith is through prayer and fasting. Fasting will draw you closer to your God and you will be able to see things you didn’t see before. He will give you wisdom that only comes from spending time with Him; strongholds will be broken and you will be strengthened. But…

We don’t fast to get things.

We don’t fast to manipulate God.

We don’t fast to be seen or look spiritual.

Sometimes, when under attack, then they would close ranks and form a rectangle; their testudo, this was known as a tortoise formation. The soldiers on the outside would make a wall and those in the middle would lift their shields over their heads and keep them from getting pummeled from the air. Working together, they were unstoppable; they were protected and strengthened for the battle!

If your church is participating in a corporate fast, what a blessing! To fast with others who believe and desire to know the Lord better will increase your faith. There is strength in numbers and when an entire church fasts and prays, then you will see a difference; it might even encourage you to fast on a regular basis!

Take up that shield of faith today, know you are protected from the attacks of the enemy. Be encouraged knowing that you have a host of brothers and sisters that are doing the same. Together you can see walls come down!

Do you have your copy of my easy-to-read Fasting Devotional? Don’t let the title fool you! It is a 21 day devotion for ANY FAST. Each day is an example of someone in the Bible who fasted, some for the wrong reason as well, and what we can glean from them. Inside the book, you will also find Daniel Fast recipes! Available at Amazon.com