Tag: life lessons

What Every Christian Should Know About Fasting

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fsting

Fasting is not an option. If you are a Christian, fasting should be part of your Christian walk. If you have never fasted, I highly suggest you do it. However, before your fast, there a few things you should know.

1. Not everyone is ready for 25 days on water.

When I was in my early 20’s, I could fast for three days (water only) with relative ease. But, my diet was also a wreck so I had extra fat reserves. Now that I’m healthier, older, thinner and have a child,  I’m ready to fall on the floor the second day of water fasting. My husband, on the other hand, could fast 25 days on water with ease, but he’s also a superhero which is another story. I felt guilt about my inability to fast for long periods until I watched Marilyn Hickey speak on fasting.  She explained that three day water fasts don’t work out well for her either, so she lives a fasted life. Each day she foregoes a meal or two. I made a commitment to live a fasted life.

2. A fast from television is NOT a Biblical fast.

With that said, everyone should fast from tv and technology because many people (including Christians) are addicted. However, Biblical fasts always involves food – it never involves entertainment.

3. When you fast you should avoid tv commercials.

The only thing that you’ll see on television during fasts are burgers and pizza. Also, people will invite you to birthday parties and dinner parties. A million people will call you at once to invite you to eat. This happens to me every time I fast. Don’t fall for it. Be socially prepared for fasting and prepare to turn invitations down because whatever you are doing for God is more important than what you were going to do with friends or family.

4. The devil will throw the kitchen sink at you when you fast.

My husband and I went on a forty day fast together several months ago, and the spiritual warfare was intense from day one!! It’s not uncommon to encounter spiritual warfare during a fast – be prepared – wear the armor of God. God knows you are fasting for His glory and He will help you.

5. Fasting breaks chains, demolishes strongholds, and it sets people free.

Fasting provides revelation – fasting can give you answers. Fasting is one of the most beautiful and powerful weapons God has given us. Use fasting to your advantage.

Lessons in the Water

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Via Unsplash
Via Unsplash

I see parables everywhere.  While picking fruit in a grocery store, I may think about how each fruit represents a certain personality type and then laugh when I view the lemons.  As I’m driving home, I may envision how the road symbolically applies to my journey of life, and then sigh when I realize I have to make a U-Turn.  Or when I drive by the many gorgeous lakes in the beautiful, Pacific Northwest, I see lessons in the water. Below are a few lessons I couldn’t help but notice in the water.

We will never see the ocean if we refuse to lose sight of the shore:

There are so many possibilities that are beyond our minds but within our reach.  All we have to do is step out of our comfort zones.  The shore is the place where we feel comfortable and secure in our life, and we anchor ourselves there for security.  There is more to life than the shore, but we will never know what is out there if we are too afraid to leave our comfort zones.  If you want to see the ocean then we have to have enough faith to leave the shore.

If the water gets choppy, “fear not.”

In the biblical account of Mark, chapter four, the disciples of Jesus were afraid for their lives when a storm approached the boat.  They thought that they would perish, and Jesus told them very simply “Fear Not.”  Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind died down, and it was completely calm.

Storms will come, and if we are consumed by fear and worry we won’t be proactive when they come, we will only be reactive. When storms come, have faith and allow Yeshua to take control.

Even when you feel like you’re drifting, there is a still a destination planned for you.

Nature takes its course with the waves.  It directs messages in bottles, pieces of driftwood, and old FedEx packages to land eventually.  Even when we feel like we aren’t doing anything at all, our life is still going somewhere.  Drifting takes us to a destination… but… if we want to take control of our destination, we must direct the sails.

When a boat runs ashore, the sea has spoken.

Everyone on the water gets sanded on the beach every once in a while.  The secret to success is to get back into the water with your faith, without fear, adjust your sails, and raise your anchor.  The sea may speak, but it doesn’t have to have the last word.