As a fairly new Christian I am still learning and questioning so much. Right now in my Church and in my MOPS group there are a lot of people who are under attack. They are carrying many burdens, and finding it difficult to take that next step as their load is heavy. It has been suggested in my Woman's Group that we will have a group Fast. I was told basically you could choose to give up food as a whole or a particular vise for you (for example: caffeine, the computer, chocolate).
Now I have heard about fasting but honestly I have never done it. I have been thinking a lot about it and came across my problem. I'm ignorant. I don't want to do it if I truly don't understand WHY I am doing it and HOW to do it. Hopefully this is making sense.
I know a lot of my readers believe in Jesus, and so it is you I come to with all of my questions and my plea for help!!!! I have done research on the web and will post the sites I have found at the bottom.
1. Why fast?
2. How does fasting change my daily prayers?
3. What is your experience with fasting, if you can share why you fasted that would be great!
Thank you for all of your help in advance!!! I want to have this choice be mine and mine alone and for the right reasons.
http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/
3 comments:
I honestly have never fasted. I have given up vices though. My vices were not food, they were things like cussing, negative thoughts, that sort of thing.
I truly believe that the Holy Spirit has touched me on physical levels on 4 different occasions. All those times, fasting was no where to be found in my life. What was there was a desire to change, being around other Christians of strong faith and my family at a time of great loss.
I believe that fasting can be helpful. You are showing God that you fully rely on Him for your basic needs. There are no other basic needs than air & food. I have heard others speak of it. I do know that you only have to fast during the day and have a small meal at the end of the day. Our youth group fasted for 10 days. They really felt like it helped them in their walk with Christ.
I think one of these days I might post on how the Holy Spirit touched me in my life. Do you think it would be ok, especially with all my non-believing readers?
Fasting shows our carnal man that our spiritual man is in control.
Very nicely put Lillie. That makes more sense than anything I've heard on the subject.
Martha, I do fast during Lent, as you know, so here is a quick answer to your questions:
1. Why fast?
I fast during Lent to prepare for Easter, to, in a very small way, try to experience what Jesus went through those 40 days before He gave his life for us. I don't do it to punish myself (a common wrong concept people have about fasting) but rather to prepare myself.
2. How does fasting change my daily prayers?
It changes how often I pray, because everytime I refrain from eating whatever I am giving up I remember to pray.
It also changes the way I pray because it helps me better undertsand how grateful I should be for all that Jesus went through for me, it helps me to value what I have and it helps me to focus on the important things.
3. My experience
As I said, I usually give up certain things (the ones that are harder for me, like chocolate, and sweets, and coke). I started doing it when I was a kid because that's what my sunday school teachers told us to do. Now I do it because I find it helps me better prepare for the most important holiday of the year, the time Jesus gave His life for us. It really does make Lent a diferent time for me, a time to pray and to think and to rejoice in what I have been given.
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