DAY 12 of My Fast - How Can We Know God is Calling Us to a Fast?

Nancy and Karen cooking Thanksgiving Dinner 2008

At the beginning of this past summer, my daugther, Ashton, joined me and my close friend, Nancy, for breakfast at a neighborhood deli that is just wonderful (shameless plug for TooJay's of Lake Mary, Florida!!!). I hadn't seen Nancy in quite awhile and was looking forward to experiencing the joyful fellowship in Christ we always share. Ashton asked me where I was headed to that morning, so I told her to meet Miss Nancy. (Yes, MISS Nancy! Shugah, fo gudnez saikes, ya'll, I em from the South and we refah to evary lovely ladah as "Miss", an they arah jus fine with it.) She asked if she could join us. I smiled to think that this beautiful young woman, my baby girl "forevah", wanted to spend time with two ole dames like Nancy and me. I had a feeling God was in this unplanned social event.

Ashton drove in her car so she could meet friends after and arrived after Nancy and I were already there. We were having breakfast, laughing and sharing what Christ was doing in our lives and the lives of our families. I must have said "God spoke to my heart" as we talked, because Ashton stopped and asked me what I meant. Did I hear His voice outloud? Was it just a feeling? Was it a voice in my head? How did I know it was Him? I knew she was seeking to own her own faith at this point in her life and I can understand why she might not understand that terminology. Some call it Christianese, and imply it's something negative. But, I think speaking in terms the Bible speaks to us is okay.....well, actually, it's biblical to be exact. I'm not ashamed if someone says I speak Christianese and just offer to teach them. Now, there'a a novel idea....teaching the world how to live life in Christ as opposed to having Christ fit into the lives of the worldly.

Nancy began to share with Ashton how she hears from God and knows it's Him. I reinforced her as she spoke that this was indeed the way I hear the voice of God too. I saw the light go on in Ashton's eyes that morning. She knew what we meant and she would be listening for it. God works if we give Him time. Just like with fasting. It takes time to understand and practice it as a part of your life.

Do you know when God is speaking to you? Can you discern His voice from yours or the devil? When my faith was young, that was difficult for me. As I walk with Christ year after year, I hear much faster and clearer. Once in a while I get "static", but I just keep praying and listening to Him.

Ways That God Speaks To Us:

1. You may hear Christians speak of the "inner leading of the Holy Spirit". This refers to an urging, leading or direction they feel as they pray or study God's Word. Some call it a feeling in their heart or a still small voice in their thoughts. Isaiah 30:21 (New King James Version)
says, " Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “ This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand . Or whenever you turn to the left. " So, do not scoff at someone if they say they heard the voice of the Lord and they mean they REALLY heard it because that can be biblical.

2. Make sure what that small voice is saying lines up or agrees with Scripture. God will never tell you to do something that defies His Word or Scriptures.

3. Don't let a feel of peace alone be your confirmation that this leading is from God. I once counseled a woman who came to me very excited because she said God was giving her a new husband and allowing her to divorce her present husband, whom she had no grounds to divorce. She said because he didn't make her feel loved or beautiful and God wanted her to be happy, God had found her a man in her church to be her new "Godly" husband. She had total peace about it. So, when I brought out the Word of God to show her that this could not be from the Lord whether she had peace or not, she did not receive it. Sometimes, we make our own peace in our hearts so that we can do what we like and fulfill our own desires. Peace while you are disobeying God's Word is a sign that your life is not right in Christ and you need to search your heart and come back to Him.

4. If God is speaking to you about something, He will make a way for it to happen. Doors will open or close as you move along the path set before you. In this way, He can also direct your path.

5. There are those in the church with gifts of knowledge and prophesy that God may use to CONFIRM what He has already showed you. In that order! He confirms in YOUR heart and then confirms OUTSIDE your heart to follow. This is a less reliable form of seeking God's will, but cannot not be neglected in terms of how God speaks to His people even today like in the bible.

6. Now, don't come after me for this one, Ladies, but if you are a married woman, I Peter 3:1 tells us, "Wives, fit in with your husband's plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words." If you feel God is telling you to do something and it does not fit into the life that you have with your husband OR he is not open to it, then continue to pray until God changes His mind or yours. God would not call you to anything that would cause you to violate that scripture in your marriage. However, do not confuse this with meaning that if your husband doesn't agree with you on something that you do not have the right in Christ to have your different opinion. You do, but it's God's will that you respect your huband's headship in your home and marriage, and continue to go to God (not the husband) for God to work between you. You are JOINT heirs of your inheritance and salvation in God. Equal but with different roles. Yes, I do believe in the principle of submission - both mutual and also by voluntary acknowledgement by a wife that the man is her head, and Christ is the head of the man.

I knew I was being called to this fast a month ago. In my personal prayer time, I felt a soft urging to think about a longer fast in response to some serious needs with our family, the move and my work. Each day, God would take me to Scriptures where fasting was entered into and miraculous results occured. He would bring books about fasting to my mind. I started re-reading them and my faith was being built. I hadn't entered into a 40 Day fast since I was younger. It scared me to be honest with you because of my health issues. But, as some situations in our family became acute and I was in the middle of dealing with their desruction to the ones I love most, I ran to prayer to talk about this fast with my Heavenly Father. At that point, I didn't think anymore about and just planned when I would start it. I now know because of my health issues, I needed to make a wiser plan than I have for such a longer fast, but I am not going to be legalistic or prideful about this and remember what matters is my denial of self.....not the destruction of self. Satan would love to even make fasting an idol in our lives. I realized today, that I have let it become more about the "how's" of fasting instead of the "why's".

I cover each of you in the Blood of Christ and ask Him to protect you and your families now and always. Put on your armour daily, Family of God. I wish I could meet each of you. Write and introduce yourself if you don't know me. We are already related in Christ! To my precious husband, Ross - Sweet Dreams.....this fast will bring me to you, Beloved.

Treasured and Loved,
Karen

Day 11: The Lights Went Out Today

Where's the Fasting Police when you need them, huh? I guess I'm going to have to make my own Fasting Citizen's arrest today. Can you do that? I mean, arrest yourself in the event you have committed a fasting infraction? Just seemed like the right thing to do. After all, God was my reporting supervisor on this project.

I told you I was keeping this blog to be accountable, so accountable I must be. Today I fell off the wagon. BUT, not by choice, mind you. I fainted earlier in the day and then later at Sam's Club, I got so dizzy I couldn't drive home. (I later realized that if you are anemic you need to be careful about fasting, so Miss Anemia Florida here learned the hard way!) As fate would have it, I had a bag of frozen strawberries I had just bought(to augment and make my juicing more affordable) in my car, so I opened it and shakingly crammed a couple in my trembling mouth. I also found about 8pecans in my purse ( MUFA leftovers from the Flat Belly Diet, Girls) and consumed them as well.

What a dilemma! At that point, sitting in my car trying to decide if I let my frozen fruit thaw out in the back and wait for the moment to pass, the choice was being involuntarily. That involuntary action being the cramming of fruit in my mouth. (I wished I had bought some kind of chocolate at this point when in Sam's) I determined later that I was being legalistic about this. God wasn't going to make me go back on the "Do not pass go...do not collect $200......go directly to fasting jail" spot was He?. Not for a couple strawberries and a few pecans! I would like to say I immediately knew the answer to that question was NO, but the False Guilt Guard rudely but in at that point to say "YES! Yes, He will, Karen. You have failed Him."

I can't believe I actually entered into this battle in my head over a few strawberries (juice in another form!) and nuts (surprisingly, nuts don't juice well, folks). I got home, put my things away, and sat down to cry. Seemed appropriate. Ross would undestand. Stress management for the feminine heart. I prayed and asked God to forgive me. I needed forgiveness. I wanted to be the perfect faster. I wasn't. I know He was shaking His head at this point saying, "Karen, Karen, Karen.....you are missing the point". And I was.

The point is that He is here when we fall off our wagon. I can't do this fast without His strength. Today proved that. I was relying on my daily routine.....the one that I had put in my fasting box plan and felt secure in. I neglected to factor in what happens when you can't juice and weren't home. Fasting 101 - Certain medical conditions like anemia affect how you can fast. They WON'T stop you from fasting, but they do require additional measures. And not to speak of that fasting can be in many different forms. Some people fast media like staying off the internet, not blogging, no Facebook, no news (yes, Ross, some people do not check the Phillies News everyday!) or they give up something they truly love.

Today, I learned it's about the element of sacrifice and denial that God is looking for from us. I am the one who chose to only do juice and hot broths. He helped me understand what I needed to do to make that happen. Today I had to offer this fast back to him. For me to fail was about pride instead of faith. When I read Dr. Bright's fasting guide, there was one part where he talked about a "violation of the fast". Ouch! I remember thinking as I read that if that happened to me, Satan would win and nothing I was fasting for would happen. There it is....the LAW! My bent towards perfectionism, one that I never measue up to in the flesh. God is wanting to transform me and I am fighting to stay back in my playpen! Wow, this fast seems to have turned back my spiritual clock in some ways, while at the same time pushed it forward. It's bringing out some deep issues I thought I had mastered and yet they are reappearing. My failing perfection today showed me that. I'm not ashamed to admit that to you. I know truth, but I feel exposed by this fasting. I cna't explain it yet.

Okay, so, I've documented my fasting glitch to all of you for accountability. I'm over it. Juiced tonight and am back on the plan tommorow. Not in my strength, but in God's. That's the key. Don't let this stop any of you from fasting! Just be smarter than I was if you have a medical condition and check with your doctor first. I did check with mine awhile back, but I didn't know I was amemic then. I goofed! So, if you are going to throw pies, please make them chocolate cream. :-)

Thanking God for My Brothers and Sisters in Him,
Karen