Fasting: What’s in your heart?

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Fasting: What’s in your heart? You can catch up on the earlier posts in the series here!

Poor Jonah…If you do not know the story of Jonah and the whale, which is actually a big fish, here is the short version:

God tells him to go to Nineveh to preach to the wicked people and say that if they didn’t change their ways He would destroy them. Nope, no way in this world is he going to do that. So, he makes a beeline for Tarshish, via Joppa, and hops a boat, where he makes all kinds of trouble.

Think about this: Jonah actually lived in Gath-hepher, which was close to Nazareth in Israel. Jerusalem was approximately 30 miles NW of Joppa. But Tarshish? The contrast here is amazing. Nineveh was EAST of the Tigris River in what we call Iraq today. It was more than 500 miles EAST of Jerusalem! Tarshish was WEST of Jerusalem and Jonah’s hometown. It was at least 2200 miles from Israel and it was in the OPPOSITE direction, way down in the southern tip of Spain!

The men on the boat discover Jonah must be the cause of the mayhem, since the ship is about to sink, so he confesses that he is the lowlife they are looking for and even though they do not wish to do so, they finally throw him overboard.

Picked up by a giant fish, he spends three nights in the belly of this overgrown sea lion, not the most pleasant of accommodations. “Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly…” Jonah 2:1.

Confession is good for the soul…especially in Jonah’s case. ”And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10.

Now what? Surely saying he was sorry was good enough and he could go back home.

Not so fast Jonah. “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” Jonah 3:1,2.

The second time. But this time Jonah was in no position to argue. He wasn’t about to; he didn’t even want to imagine where he might end up next!

Jonah heads straight for the city of Nineveh, a most wicked city where they burned their children alive! The third chapter of Nahum describes how the city of Nineveh had fallen into such depravity and wickedness. So Jonah immediately follows the commands of the Lord: he begins to preach. He tells them they must repent because in 40 days the city would be overthrown.

Do you know what the amazing thing was? The people believed God!!

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

The city of Nineveh believes what Jonah tells them, they heed his warning and believe in his God. They proclaim a fast and put on sackcloth (a sign of repentance and humility) even down to the least of them.

Word comes from the king himself, he takes off his robe, covers himself in sackcloth and proceeds to sit in ashes! He said,

“Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger,that we perish not?”

The entire city believed the Word of the Lord! The entire city repented! The entire city, and all of their animals, fasted! They did not even drink water for what appears to be three days. They humbled their souls with fasting and what happened?

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” Jonah 3:3-10.

Did they change the mind of God? God is sovereign and He never changes but Nineveh DID change and the people were repentant so God showed MERCY on them which is reminiscent of His character. Repentance, a broken spirit, turning from sin and turning TO God for forgiveness will cause the Lord to reach out a hand of MERCY!

This is what Jehovah wanted them to do. It was not His desire to destroy the city or else He wouldn’t have sent Jonah there to warn them. It was His desire that they repent and turn from their wicked ways. Thankfully, this king had a repentant heart and turned his people back to God.

He humbled his soul with fasting and his people followed him. He saved an entire city from destruction by the humility of prayer and fasting!

“And God saw…And God repented….And He did it not.”

God always acts consistently with His Word, He never changes but if WE change, He will again honor His Word and show Mercy.

Two huge things to notice here.

  • God hears the cry of the people when they are warned and they humble themselves with fasting and repentance; God then spares their lives.
  • But Jonah had to be changed too. His heart was a mess! He didn’t want to share his God with such heathens; he literally needed a heart-change. He wasn’t even a happy fellow when they repented! You can read more about that here.

Remember, God may send you to Nineveh, to a specific place or a specific person, maybe someone you think is beyond hope or would never be interested in the Gospel. Maybe you have resisted that nudging from God because you just simply don’t care for this person. Today, consider they just might be like the people of Nineveh and respond to the Word. Look at your own heart and then heed the call of God. You just might help save a city!

If you are fasting for a specific purpose, salvation for a friend or family member, a job change, a financial need, a loved one with cancer or whatever the need might be…God hears your prayer. How He chooses to answer that prayer is entirely up to Him and His will. Petition your need, pray for His will and then allow Him to work on your heart, preparing you for whatever the answer may be. That is what fasting is all about, drawing nigh to Him so He will draw nigh to you and ultimately make you more like Jesus.

The Daniel Fast DevotionalSharing a recipe out of my book, The Daniel Fast Devotional. There are recipes after every devotion in this easy-to-read tool. Have you received yours yet? Get it here on Amazon in either Kindle or paperback version. It’s great for ANY FAST!

Cashew Salad

1 cup salted cashews

3/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

6 green onions, chopped

1 head Nappa cabbage, chopped fine

Saute’ the nuts and sunflower kernels in a tiny amount of olive oil until just barely browned. Add to the cabbage and onions and top with oil and vinegar dressing. It’s delicious! Fasting unto the Lord, Nannette

 

Please, stop judging the fast that another has chosen!

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You can catch up on our series, 31 Days of Fasting in January here!

During the first month of the year, we hear of people fasting quite often. As we have stated in the last week, it is a time of renewal, refreshing and reviving of our spirit and denying our flesh. Kind of a fresh start to a new year. Naturally, The Daniel Fast has taken the Christian world by storm and there are plenty of helps out there if that is the fast you have chosen. Yes, I even have a book on the subject and yes, I share it here on Hope in the Healing. It isn’t required, it is available.

But, along with anything so popular, there must surely be something that is wrong with it, right?

No. There is never anything wrong with a fast unless it is done to be seen by others or you think you are getting extra credit points with God. The Bible talks clearly about that, they already have their reward! Being seen of others is sadly all the reward they will ever have.

 Luke 18:9-14. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
                     themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up
                     into the temple to pray. . . The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
                     God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are . . . I fast twice in the week,
                     I give tithes . . . And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
                     as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to
                     me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to this house justified rather than
                     the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
                      humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

When you fast, don’t walk around with a long face and a plastered grimace that tells the world you are about to fall in the floor because you are so weak from fasting. This draws attention to YOU and it isn’t about you. Fasting is denying your flesh things that it would normally enjoy, and when you do without, then you will have more time to focus on HIM, on Jesus Christ and His will for your life!

Fasting isn’t a magic pill, forcing God to move;

it’s an act of humility and submission to His will!

I grew up thinking that if anyone knew I was fasting that I had failed and it was all in vain. Where did we get that? There are many times that you and a friend may fast together or you and your spouse might go on an extended fast for a particular purpose. That is called UNITY; you aren’t putting on a show for others, you are binding together with another child of God in one mind, one accord.

Did they do that in the Bible? Did they have what we call today, Corporate Fasts?

Yes!

Here are just a few examples:

  • Esther called for the Jews to fast for her for three days and nights before she went in to petition the King in Esther 4.
  • Church elders fasted and prayed before sending Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey in Acts 13.
  • The people of Nineveh called for a fast after Jonah preached to them in Jonah 3.
  • Samuel and the people of Israel fasted after bringing the ark of the covenant to the house of Abinadab in 1 Samuel 7.
  • In the Book of Judges, the people fasted in relation to a certain battle they were about to fight. They needed direction from God so they all fasted together.
  • Ezra called a fast! “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods….So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” Ezra 8

There are many more examples, do a study on it and get excited about the prayers that God answered when His people humbled themselves, prayed AND fasted, together or in private!

God cares about the motive behind the fast;

if it’s just to be seen by others it is all in vain!

Back to The Daniel Fast: Yes, it has gained popularity in recent years and some criticize the fast as just a vegetarian diet. If that is someone’s purpose, just to go vegan for a week or two (or three!) then yes, they have it all wrong. But fasting is denying yourself things you would normally enjoy. I think most of us enjoy sweets, treats and meats.

The Daniel Fast is a great introduction to fasting for those that haven’t been on many longer fasts. It gives them confidence, for lack of a better word, that they could try a complete one-day fast, drinking only water. Then, maybe they could work up to a three day fast or try a longer juice fast.

We have repeated many times here on Hope in the Healing that The Daniel Fast isn’t a time to become a gourmet cook and fix elaborate meals every day. It is also not a time to pretend you are a contestant on The Food Network, have only been handed vegetables, and must make all the ingredients taste like pancakes and bacon.

You should prepare simple meals and not overeat, just normal portions. Some even have a light snack in the afternoon or mid-morning, there aren’t any RULES, but pray about what God would have you to do. The point is to DENY yourself things that you love. Maybe give up the Starbucks for the fast and resist the desserts and loaded potatoes. Eat simply and light and don’t spend all of your time trying to recreate all of your favorite dishes.

The bottom line is this:

Just because you fast with only water doesn’t mean it doesn’t count with God when someone else chooses a vegetable and water fast.  Let us be thankful that The Church is returning to fasting and that even what some would call an easy fast does count with God when done with a right spirit.

If we are spending all of our time finding fault with the way someone else is fasting maybe we need to look inward at our own selves and our motives.

Fast unto the Lord! Whatever you choose, combine it with prayer and make it a priority to spend more time with Jesus, listening for His voice. You will find Him there, you will gain strength through His Word and be able to hear Him more clearly when you are denying the flesh of things that it loves.

Be blessed in your fasting, whatever you choose and give grace to your brother and sister, praying God would bless them abundantly for their sacrifice.

Fasting unto the Lord, Nannette

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!

Bind the strong man!

Fasting: Binding the Strong Man!

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We have discussed in earlier posts that Jesus told His disciples that some things do not get taken care of except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:14-21.

If you are fasting for others, a loved one, a prodigal, someone dear to you for whatever reason…these battles of spiritual warfare will take dominion over the power of the enemy!

Ephesians 6:12 KJV. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Our fight is not with flesh and blood, or with people, but it is against the powers that influence people.

This is a spiritual battle, seen or unseen. We must have a disciplined prayer life and couple that with regular fasting!

Fasting breaks strongholds! It can literally set people free from the chains that bind them. But in order to do that, that strong man must be taken care of first. 

Bind the strong man!

“…Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” Matthew 12:29 NIV.

Did you catch that verse?  Jesus was speaking here explaining that the strong man is Satan and he has slaves that do his bidding and they keep people yoked, or bound, to wickedness. We must tie him up and bind him in Jesus’ name.

[Tweet “Prayer and fasting can literally break that yoke and set people free from bondage!”]

Then they will be able to come to God without hindrance. 

But if the enemy has taken up residence in your house, you will not be able to help deliver others from the power he has over them! We  must die out to sin DAILY. We cannot let sin “reign in our mortal bodies.”  Playing around with sin, tempting God, flirting with the things of this world, one foot in and one foot out, all of these things hinder the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We won’t be able to help others because we are too weak to bind that strong man.

Remember, we saw in Daniel 10, when he was fasting for 21 days, that angels were loosed to fight on his behalf. They literally had to fight devils in order to get a word from God to Daniel. His prayer and fasting were shaking things up.

Prayers were answered; chains were broken.

So, what are you fasting, praying and believing God to do for you? Get that Bible out and start reading scripture out loud when you pray. Take authority in the Spirit and watch what happens while you are on this fast. You may face opposition…but keep pressing in and pressing on. The battle is the Lord’s; you are just clay in the Potter’s hands. He will take care of His own!

Remember as you fast, you are not on a diet; you’re are striving to be more like Jesus. Paul said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…” Philippians 3:10 KJV.

God is well pleased as you sacrifice what is pleasurable to you on a daily basis.

The Daniel Fast DevotionalThe Daniel Fast Devotional is a great tool for ANY FAST! Devotions for 21 days, if you choose to go that long, and recipes in each chapter if you are on the Daniel Fast. Get yours on Amazon today!

Fasting unto the Lord, Nannette