Tag Archives: The Daniel Fast Devotional

When Ye Fast: Tighten that Belt!

Leave a reply

When Ye Fast: Tighten that Belt! Today we are talking about putting on the Armor of God. We are posting every day in January for those that are beginning the New Year with fasting! You can read yesterday’s post here, here and here.

Jump here and read the scripture first! I will wait for you! It’s a little long but necessary.

Awesome, so now we know that putting on the armor of God gives us power to resist the enemy. Paul tells us the battle is not with people, it is “against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.

Spiritual warfare. This is serious stuff. In order to stand, in order to be effective in our own circle, to be a witness, to have the strength and wisdom to recognize an attack from the enemy and how to resist, we must put on that armor every day. A soldier wouldn’t think of going out to face his enemy without his suit!

Today’s average soldier carries at least 60 pounds of gear, including weaponry and body armor, which we will discuss later. If they are going on an extended mission, that weight could double! And their cold weather load could be over 100 pounds. Yikes!

They have to be strong, they have to be prepared to even suit up. The soldier will have spent hours upon hours in training and much practice on how to even get all of his gear on.

While on a fast of any kind, we must be aware every day of what we are putting on.

  • Is it godly?
  • Is it necessary?
  • Is it beneficial for the Kingdom’s sake?

Fasting is not just going without food; if we are not praying and asking God to reveal our shortcomings and ways to draw closer to Him, we are wasting our time. God will speak to you during your fast and begin to show you things that are not part of your necessary armor. And He will also reveal those things that you may have discarded that are crucial to your walk.

So, whether you have begun your fast or not, consider things that might be getting in the way of your armor. Remember, the armor of God will strengthen you, not drag you down! Ask God to show you things that have crept in and you might need to address.

As you can see, the first thing mentioned is the Belt of Truth. There is no point even trying to put on any of the other pieces of armor if we are not girded, completely wrapped in truth! Winning the battle, any and every battle of spiritual warfare, doesn’t require us to take on the devil alone, no, to win this battle we submit to our God, put on truth and all of the armor of God and the devil doesn’t stand a chance!

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. 

The Apostle Paul based his reference to the armor on the Roman soldier of his day. This was a soldier prepared for battle. Their belt was not like we wear today to hold up our pants or as a fashion accessory. This belt was a thick leather and metal band which also had a protective piece hanging down from it in the front. This belt held their sword and other weapons. Did you catch that? This first piece of armor that we are to put on, this Truth, holds the Sword, the Word of God! “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17. The Word is Truth!

Think of the power portrayed here. Think of the power given to us, to you, when you put on the belt of truth. This is the foundation for all other pieces of armor, this is the foundation of our faith. When we are rooted and grounded in Truth, we are unshakable and we are able to stand against the attacks of the enemy.

The best way to do that, to be on guard, is to fast and pray.

Temptation will come while you are fasting, expect it. Jesus, who was hungry the Bible says, responded to temptation with the Word of God. He declares that it isn’t the temporary things of this world that will sustain us in difficult times, it is the Word, that foundation, that Truth that comes directly from GOD, the Creator of the Universe, that will

  • Keep us
  • Protect us
  • Fulfill us
  • Convict us
  • Strengthen us
  • Provide for us
  • Watch over us
  • Save us and much, much more!

The Bible says to “gird your loins”, not a phrase you hear much of any more for sure. But the meaning is far reaching and pretty awesome. Gird means to tighten your belt, to get ready for a dangerous situation, prepare for a military attack, be ready for any confrontation!

Tomorrow we will look at the Breastplate of Righteousness. Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord, whether you are fasting now or later in the month, I pray you are encouraged to STAND.

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 in Kindle or paperback!

31 Days of Devotions and Encouragement for your Fast

8 Replies

Happy New Year! We celebrated 2019 waltzing into our lives with one of our granddaughters, Norah Jayne. We bought noisemakers at the dollar store and you would have thought it was Christmas all over again.

A New Year brings new possibilities and fresh starts and the hope of finally “getting it right this time.” So we make resolutions that usually are forgotten before the month is over. We determine we are going to read more, especially our Bible. We are going to be intentional when it comes to our walk with God. But life gets in the way and before we know it we are right back in 2018.

It doesn’t have to be that way this year! If you are reading  this you have likely decided to fast in January. Maybe your church is doing a corporate fast, which just means they are doing it together. And there is your key to victory: fasting. It doesn’t change God, it changes you! Fasting for the right reasons will reset your focus and desires and get you on the path to “getting it right”.

For the month of January, Hope in the Healing is committed to helping YOU as you fast and pray unto the Lord. Some are beginning The Daniel Fast today or next week, we will be talking about that too. Others are fasting social media or things that are a vital part of the way they spend their time. All of them are good!

Anything that is a sacrifice to you is a sacrifice unto the Lord.

Click To Tweet

For those that are choosing The Daniel Fast, it is typically a 21 day fast. Very few actually begin on New Year’s Day so we will start with the first three days explaining the need for fasting, different types of fasts and more details about The Daniel Fast in particular.

The Daniel Fast DevotionalTo help you even further on your journey, I encourage you to get my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional! It is a great tool for ANY TYPE OF FAST. 21 days of devotions, examples of others who fasted in the Bible, why they fasted and what we can learn from it. It’s available at Amazon.com here. I also offer discounts for multiple purchases, email me at ynannette@gmail.com for pricing!

Even the early Church fasted and prayed regularly after they received the Holy Ghost. We have a continual war going on between the carnal and the spiritual that will not end until after the Lord comes back for His people, the final battle is fought and Satan has been put in his place. Forever.

In order to be overcomers while we are living in this world, we must have a relationship with Jesus Christ and we must learn how to pray and fast to keep our bodies, our flesh, under subjection.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10 KJV.

Fasting will kill that inner man. You will be filled with the power of God so you may be able to overcome.

The most important thing is that you take that time that you would normally be eating and spend it PRAYING!

Fasting without prayer is called a diet!

Click To Tweet

Fasting together in January Series!

When the Church is fasting, the enemy is intimidated. Satan isn’t worried one bit when we are content with the status quo. But if the Church ever realizes the power it possesses through prayer and fasting, the devil would be on the run.

His Word says some things only come about by prayer and fasting. “And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? So he said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:28, 29 NKJV

Fasting puts Satan in his place! And through fasting, you can take back your God-given spiritual authority over your life.

Fasting can literally change you from the inside out. It will draw you closer to God, help you see things about yourself that you need to change, allow God to dig out the ugly and replace it with His grace, and lift those heavy burdens from you that you just don’t need to carry or worry about any longer.

Let’s do this together! Join me for the next three weeks and encourage one another in fasting and prayer. Unity in the Body is necessary for the revival we want to see happen in our families and communities. Blessings to you as you fast unto the Lord.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to either comment here or message me at ynannette@gmail.com. I would be happy to help.

signature 1

 

The Daniel Fast: What if my prayer isn’t answered?

4 Replies

The Daniel Fast: What if my prayer isn’t answered? How are you doing on your fast? If you have already started your fasting, whether it is a complete fast, a partial fast, juice fast, Daniel Fast, no matter what you have chosen, you have probably already encountered a bump or two in the road. Do not despair! Just keep going, start over, whatever you have to do. God isn’t sitting in Heaven with a ruler in His hand ready to smack you every time you make a mistake. Just determine to stick with it and remember to pray; that is where your strength comes from.

Today, we are talking about what to do when you fast, you pray, you petition God but He doesn’t answer your prayer the way you had envisioned. (Catch up on missed posts here!)

In the 11th and 12th chapters of 2 Samuel, we read the shocking and heartbreaking story of David and Bathsheba. If you aren’t familiar with the story, you can read about it here. The shortened, condensed version is that David had an affair with another man’s wife, Bathsheba, and had her husband killed. He then took Bathsheba as his own wife and that is where we enter the story with Nathan, the prophet, confronting David about his sin:

“Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’’” 2 Samuel 12:7-10 ESV.

King David acknowledged his guilt and Nathan goes on to tell him his sin has been “put away” but the child born out of the sin will die.

What does David do next?

“And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.  David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.” 2 Samuel 12:16-17 ESV.

David was a man of war, a mighty man of valor but he was also repentant and always readily admitted his sin. He was humble and petitioned for the life of his son even though this child would be a continual reminder of his sin! He knew HE was the reason for the Lord’s displeasure and so he humbled himself with prayer and fasting in the hope that the Lord might change His mind. And, surely, he even felt it was his DUTY to petition on behalf of his son.

David fasted until the seventh day but the baby died.

“Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

The members of David’s household were confused and told him so. David replied that he was hoping the Lord would be gracious, that He would spare the child’s life, yet it was not to be. There was no need to fast once he was gone. Matthew Henry’s commentary says it so well here:

matthew-henry

“Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped…” David worshiped the Lord because He knew that God had spoken, He had answered and He was sovereign. If God does not answer your prayer the way you think it should be answered, and you even accompany that prayer with fasting, it doesn’t mean your fasting was in vain! Remember, we talked about the fact that fasting changes that inner man, it changes YOU (and me!). David knew life was to go on; he had repented, he had prayed, he had fasted and God had answered. Yes, he had sinned but he had found forgiveness and restoration through his repentance and humility.

He fasted and prayed because there was still life and when that life was gone he knew to worship God.

“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” Job 1:21 NIV.

Obviously, in this post, we are looking at David’s mistake, his sin that cost him, big time. But your prayer may not have anything to do with your actions. But yet, God’s answer is not what you wanted to hear.

Fasting prepares your heart for God’s answer, no matter what it might be. We may not get the answer we want but we can rest assured God is working all things for our good. If He says, “No”, we can trust Him that He knows what is best, He can see down the road! Remember, we don’t fast to change God, we fast to change US; to make us more like Jesus and cleanse us from things that would hold us back or cause us to stumble.

Fasting brings hidden things to light! And while fasting and praying, God can reveal things to us that may be a hindrance in our walk. Because we are fasting, our mind becomes more clear and nothing is in the way of our hearing His voice.

So be encouraged today, if your prayer isn’t answered the way you preferred, it doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you, in fact it means HE DOES LOVE YOU, He is protecting you, covering you, leading you and He knows that His answer is the best answer. And you will too, one day soon.

Be blessed as you continue to make fasting a regular part of your spiritual walk.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Good for any fast, it is a great, easy read with devotions for every day of a three week fast. Get yours on Amazon here!