Have you ever noticed the power, unity and special bond that are discovered through sharing experiences with others? Through social media and conversations with friends around the world, I see that many churches are fasting right now. And like those churches, Fellowship Church is in the midst of an amazing 21-day fast! I can’t help but think how amazing it is that we are joining forces with people from different locations, different walks of life, all with the same goal—to seek God!
Through the years we have done various fasts. And each experience is challenging, but rich in blessing.
The challenge lies with the fact that we all love to eat. We often revolve our entire social calendars around meals. The blessing is that fasting helps us put everything in perspective. By simplifying our meals, we are better able to focus on prayer, Scripture and celebrating the majesty of God.
As I was praying last night in bed (this is not unusual, as I often lay in bed awake…praying or thinking about random things), an acrostic popped in my head for F A S T. This acrostic has helped solidify what the fast is all about for me, and I hope it will help us all grasp the blessings that are in our midst.
Focus – Fix our eyes on Jesus, and look to Him for strength.
Hebrews 12:2-3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Ask - Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us through reading the Bible and through prayer time. What needs to change in our routines, in our priorities and in our commitments?
Psalm 139:23-24, “ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Submit - Submit to the will and ways of the Lord. He wants to grow us up; and in order to do that, we have to be willing to get under His authority in every area of our lives.
James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Thank - Thank God for every detail of life. Thank Him for the great things that are happening, but also the trials and difficult circumstances. Often, God uses the hard times to draw us closer to Him and to shape us up. (I am a living testimony of this!)
Psalm 100:4,5, “ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
As we continue this fast together, my hope is that you will experience the blessing of that common bond shared with others. I pray that you will continue to seek God's will. And I look forward to the harvest of change that will result from this time!
Leave a comment and let me know how the fast is going for you. And together, let's strengthen the bonds and experience the blessings!
I agree with Jill. This is my 5th year to do the fast and it seems to be the easiest. Although I am trying new recipes, I've realized not to think about and focus on so much of the food. It's all about remembering Him!
Posted by: Holly | January 19, 2011 at 12:12 PM
Wonderful devotion for us doing the Daniel Fast here at Fellowship Church, Miami! Love you Lisa! Giselle Gras, Hospitality Volunteer at FC Miami
Posted by: Giselle Gras | January 15, 2011 at 07:50 PM
Our church is fasting too and we're asking for an Awakening first in our own hearts and next in our Albuquerque community. We're listening to the Bible through bible.is for 40 days and encouraging prayer meetings 7 days a week. I loved your acrostic and will share it w our church!
Posted by: Mercy Alarid | January 14, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Hi Lisa,
This is my very first fast ever in my life. I have to say, it is not as difficult as I thought it would be. I do have some food cravings but once the specific food is out of sight, it is out of my mind. During this fast, I have committed myself to journaling and reading 2 chapters of Daniel every night. I didn't realize how much Daniel went through. Despite everything, he always put God first and by doing so, he showed others just how powerful our God is. This was very motivating to me because learning about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego surviving the fire and Daniel surviving the lions, there is nothing our God won't do for us as long as we put him first in our lives.
Another thing that has helped me in this fast is realizing just how truly blessed I am. I used to complain about not having everything and in these last couple of days, I see that not having everything is a blessing in itself. When one has everything, they have no need to seek and know God. I really appreciate you sharing your acrostic. It does help me understand a little more about the purpose and direction I should be making in my fast.
Blessings,
Alcine
Posted by: Alcine Gross | January 14, 2011 at 01:23 PM
Thanks for this encouragement Lisa. This is very challenging for me. But, I have found as I have complained, that God reminds me of those who live their whole lives with nothing but rice and often unclean drinking water. It is all a matter of perspective. Life is not fair and we come out WAY AHEAD. To whom much is given, much is required.
Posted by: Julie Cook | January 14, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Thank you for that word Lisa. The fast has been such a great time of refocus for me and my family. I find that when I am intentional with planning healthy meals, feeding our bodies with food by God, focusing on a more consistent dialog with God and spending time in the Word...there is a peace that comes over me, I thirst more for Him and not the things that I allow to steal my time (tv is my pitfall...). I just love how He speaks revelations and i am present enough to hear.
I pray we can continue with this lifestyle well after the actual fast (with some meats!) to glorify Him with our bodies, mind, and spirit. Absolutely love sharing this experience with my Fellowship family!
Posted by: Julie Plentl | January 14, 2011 at 11:50 AM
This is the fourth year we've done the fast, and it's by far the easiest year. Before, I was so consumed with the "rules" of it that I was losing it's meaning. This time, I'm not focusing so much on what I can and can't eat, but rather strengthening my relationship with Christ. By not focusing so much on the list of foods, I've found that not eating what I'm not supposed to comes so much easier. I am so thankful for this fast. It couldn't have come at a more perfect time in my life.
Posted by: Jill Crawford | January 14, 2011 at 10:33 AM