Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2011 January Fast Day 12
Physically, I am doing very well on the fast, except for my "free" food issues. And, I've not had any sweets even though I ate some cooked food (crackers) at the NW Christian Writers Association meeting. Spiritually, I feel that I need to press in harder with the Lord. I haven't had the gas to go to the prayer room every day and I wish that I did because that focuses me on praying while praying at home sometimes seems as if I get sidetracked to other things not of the Lord. However, tonight I will be at a prayer/intercessor meeting with Danielle and Skip Moody, praying for their next movie and I pray that will be a "bringing closer" experience. Also, on Friday, I plan to go to the Friday night service a few hours early in order to pray.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
2011 January Fast - Saturday and Sunday
1/8/11: All week, I’ve stayed on the 80/10/10 fast with absolutely no slips. Yea!
This morning, when I tried to leave my house, my front door would not open. The dead bolt was not on, yet I could not open the door. I could see that the tongue of the door handle was not moving even though I was pushing the handle down. I tried for about 20 minutes but was totally unsuccessful in getting it to open.
I was already late to a “Quickening” seminar (a Klemmer Personal Mastery seminar with Christian emphasis) and so I thought I would just deal with it when I got home after the going to the seminar and then leading worship at the Pierce County Christian Singles meeting.
During the meeting, I had another one of my problems with “free” food and I did eat some cooked food. I was not happy with myself but tried to give myself grace about it.
In the morning, I had gone out the back door and had locked it so that no one could get into my house. When I got home after 10PM, I could not open the back door! My key wouldn’t even go in at all! Every house I’ve ever owned had the same key for all the outside doors and it had not even occurred to me that this house was different when I went out the back door.
I went back to the front door, praying the whole time that it would open……it didn’t. I went back to the back door (all these trips were in the rain because my carport is only on my front door side) and the key still would not fit in. By this time, I was not only praying, but crying out to God about my need to get into my house so I would have a good night’s sleep before being on the worship team at IHOP NW in the morning.
I’m not even sure how many times I went back and forth but nothing opened no matter how much I prayed. Just as I was coming around once again to the back door, there was a car turning in to a house just down from me and so I went down there and asked them if they knew how to break into a house. Amazingly, they said they used to help a locksmith and they might be able to do it! What are the chances?
But, they weren’t able to get in. However, they knew another guy who they used to work with in the locksmith business and he might help and he lived about 5 houses down. Again, what are the chances. And, what are the chances he would be willing to come help at this rude hour of the night?
But, he did come. Unfortunately, the back door lock was frozen (as in had not been used in so long that it wouldn’t work). We all went around to all the windows hoping that I had not been efficient in locking them all. No luck, they were all very well locked.
However, I had never removed the air conditioner when I got the heat pump and all four of us finally, after much grunting and straining, were able to get the air conditioner out of the window and I climbed into my house through it. Whew!
As I pondered these events I realized that first of all, God takes our “fastings” seriously and I fell off by eating cooked food at the PCCS meeting. This opened a door for the enemy to work in my life.
So, I was unable to get in by the front OR the back door. However, God is gracious and provided a way out! The fact that my neighbors came home just when I needed them, the fact that they had ideas about how to get in, the fact that they knew the guy who was a former locksmith (and who was strong enough to help with getting the air conditioner out when he was unable to pick the lock because the door knob was frozen) are all examples of God’s grace for me even though I was not obedient to the fast.
I praise His Holy Name!
By the way, today I’ve been good all day long and plan to stay on the fast the rest of the time.
This morning, when I tried to leave my house, my front door would not open. The dead bolt was not on, yet I could not open the door. I could see that the tongue of the door handle was not moving even though I was pushing the handle down. I tried for about 20 minutes but was totally unsuccessful in getting it to open.
I was already late to a “Quickening” seminar (a Klemmer Personal Mastery seminar with Christian emphasis) and so I thought I would just deal with it when I got home after the going to the seminar and then leading worship at the Pierce County Christian Singles meeting.
During the meeting, I had another one of my problems with “free” food and I did eat some cooked food. I was not happy with myself but tried to give myself grace about it.
In the morning, I had gone out the back door and had locked it so that no one could get into my house. When I got home after 10PM, I could not open the back door! My key wouldn’t even go in at all! Every house I’ve ever owned had the same key for all the outside doors and it had not even occurred to me that this house was different when I went out the back door.
I went back to the front door, praying the whole time that it would open……it didn’t. I went back to the back door (all these trips were in the rain because my carport is only on my front door side) and the key still would not fit in. By this time, I was not only praying, but crying out to God about my need to get into my house so I would have a good night’s sleep before being on the worship team at IHOP NW in the morning.
I’m not even sure how many times I went back and forth but nothing opened no matter how much I prayed. Just as I was coming around once again to the back door, there was a car turning in to a house just down from me and so I went down there and asked them if they knew how to break into a house. Amazingly, they said they used to help a locksmith and they might be able to do it! What are the chances?
But, they weren’t able to get in. However, they knew another guy who they used to work with in the locksmith business and he might help and he lived about 5 houses down. Again, what are the chances. And, what are the chances he would be willing to come help at this rude hour of the night?
But, he did come. Unfortunately, the back door lock was frozen (as in had not been used in so long that it wouldn’t work). We all went around to all the windows hoping that I had not been efficient in locking them all. No luck, they were all very well locked.
However, I had never removed the air conditioner when I got the heat pump and all four of us finally, after much grunting and straining, were able to get the air conditioner out of the window and I climbed into my house through it. Whew!
As I pondered these events I realized that first of all, God takes our “fastings” seriously and I fell off by eating cooked food at the PCCS meeting. This opened a door for the enemy to work in my life.
So, I was unable to get in by the front OR the back door. However, God is gracious and provided a way out! The fact that my neighbors came home just when I needed them, the fact that they had ideas about how to get in, the fact that they knew the guy who was a former locksmith (and who was strong enough to help with getting the air conditioner out when he was unable to pick the lock because the door knob was frozen) are all examples of God’s grace for me even though I was not obedient to the fast.
I praise His Holy Name!
By the way, today I’ve been good all day long and plan to stay on the fast the rest of the time.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Jan 7th 2010 Fast
Had some computer issues so haven't been on since the first day. :( I've done very well physically and was able to water fast the first day and do the 80/10/10 fast since then (check the beginning of this blog for the various types of fasts). One of my New Year's Resoultions was to get closer to God this year and this fast is helping me do that too. I went to the IHOP NW Prayer Room on Monday for a few hours to pray. I felt so blessed! I am praying for many things this time including for my family and friends, the NW awakening or breakthrough, and my financial situation. Yesterday, I prayed strongly for both my sons' situations and rebuked the enemy in their lives. This morning, I woke up praying! I love when that happens! God is so good!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
January 2011 Fast-1st Day
IHOP NW has called us to fast for 21 days and pray for spiritual breakthrough in our region. I am SO all in! Today, even though I had to do an Open House down at American Lake, I stayed on the fast. I am reading the material given to us this morning about fasting, fellowship and trust. The Prayer Room will be open each day at noon (and until 9:30 or 10PM) and we have prayer assignments in 2 hour blocks. This week is a teensy bit less busy because it's the first week of the quarter so I just have a few orientations for my City U job. And, I pray that I will have enough gas to go to the Prayer Room to pray corporately for the breakthrough. Physically, I did fine today and all I had was water and GoVera (which is an Aloe product from Univera). Aloe helps with the hunger pains. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
I'm Getting Ready for the IHOP NW Fast Which Starts Sunday and I Read This From Jentezen Franklin!
Fasting for Your Breakthrough
Wednesday, 29 December 2010 11:43 AM EST Jentezen Franklin
What is fasting? Since there are so many misconceptions about it, I first want to clarify what fasting—biblical fasting—is not. Fasting is not merely going without food for a period of time. That is dieting—maybe even starving—but fasting it is not. Nor is fasting something done only by fanatics. I really want to drive that point home. Fasting is not to be done only by religious monks alone in a cave somewhere. The practice of fasting is not limited to ministers or to special occasions.
Stated simply, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting has always been a normal part of a relationship with God. As expressed by the impassioned plea of David in Psalm 42, fasting brings one into a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
When you eliminate food from your diet for a number of days, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God. As David stated, “Deep calls unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). David was fasting. His hunger and thirst for God were greater than his natural desire for food. As a result, he reached a place where he could cry out from the depths of his spirit to the depths of God, even in the midst of his trial. Once you’ve experienced even a glimpse of that kind of intimacy with our God—our Father, the holy Creator of the universe—and the countless rewards and blessings that follow, your whole perspective will change. You will soon realize that fasting is a secret source of power this is overlooked by many.
During the years that Jesus walked this earth, He devoted time to teaching His disciples the principles of the kingdom of God, principles that conflict with those of this world. In the Beatitudes, specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus provided the pattern by which each of us is to live as a child of God. That pattern addressed three specific duties of a Christian: giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus said, “When you give…” and “When you pray…” and “When you fast.” He made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of Christian life. As much attention should be given to fasting as is given to giving and to praying.
Solomon, when writing the books of wisdom for Israel, made the point that a cord, or rope, braided with three strands is not easily broken (Eccles. 4:12). Likewise, when giving, praying, and fasting are practiced together in the life of a believer, it creates a type of threefold cord that is not easily broken. In fact, as I’ll show you in a moment, Jesus took it even further by saying, “Nothing will be impossible” (Matt. 17:20).
Could we be missing our greatest breakthroughs because we fail to fast? Remember the thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold return Jesus spoke of (Mark 4:8, 20)? Look at it this way: when you pray, you can release that thirtyfold return, but when both prayer and giving are part of your life, I believe that releases the sixtyfold blessing. But when all three—giving, praying, and fasting—are part of your life, that hundredfold return can be released!
If that’s the case, you have to wonder what blessings are not being released. What answers to prayer are not getting through? What bondages are not being broken because we fail to fast?
Matthew tells the story of a father who had a demon-possessed son. For years he watched helplessly as his son suffered severe convulsions. As he grew older, the attacks became so severe that the boy would often throw himself into an open fire or a trench of water. A suicidal spirit tormented him constantly; the situation became life-threatening.
Having exhausted every attempt to cure the boy—even talking him to the disciples with no avail—the father’s plight seemed impossible. Then he heard that Jesus was near. Going to the Master, he cried, “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for offtimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him” (Matt. 17:15, KJV).
When the boy was brought to Jesus, the Bible ways He “rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour” (v. 18, KJV). But what made the difference? After all, Matthew 10:1 records that Jesus had already given the disciples power to cast out evil spirits and to heal every disease. So why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon and cure the boy?
That’s what they wanted to know, too, so later that night, when they were alone with Jesus, they asked Him. Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:20–21, KJV).
Now, I’ve read that passage many times, and I’ve even taught from it on occasion. But each time, I’ve focused on the statement “and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” I think a lot of people stop right there, but Jesus didn’t because He knew there was more—much more.
See, that funny little word howbeit is the connection—it’s the key that unlocks the power in the statement “nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Jesus told the disciples they needed faith, even faith as small as a tiny seed. But that wasn’t all. Long before this incident, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He spent forty days and forty nights, taking no food. “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” For Jesus, casting out that stubborn demon wasn’t impossible.
If Jesus could have accomplished all He came to do without fasting, why would He fast? The Son of God fasted because He knew there were supernatural things that could only be released that way. How much more should fasting be a common practice in our lives?
Fasting Is for Everyone
Perhaps you’re thinking, “I still don’t know how fasting can really be for me.” According to the words of Jesus, it is the duty of every disciple and every believer to fast. When addressing the Pharisees as to why His disciples did not fast, Jesus replied, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:34–35).
Then they will fast. Jesus didn’t expect His disciples to do something He hadn’t doen as well. Jesus fasted, and according to the words of Peter, Jesus is our example in all things (1 Pet. 2:21).
There’s another vital point that I want you to see in Matthew 6: God delights in giving rewards. Not only that, but He says that when giving, praying and fasting are practiced in your life, He will “reward you openly.”
A good example of such open reward can be found in Daniel. While in Babylonian captivity, his fasting—even partial fasting of certain foods—brought about the open reward of God, who blessed Daniel with wisdom beyond that of anyone else in that empire.
Later, in chapter 10, Daniel was grieved and burdened with the revelation he had received for Israel. He ate no choice breads or meats and drank no wine for three weeks. Then he describes the angel that was sent to him—which had been delayed by the prince of Persia for twenty-one days—with the answers Daniel sought. His fast broke the power of the delayer and released the angels of God so that God’s purpose could be revealed and served.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you desire to know God’s will for your life, whom you should marry, or what you should do in a critical situation? I’ll show you how fasting brings you to a place of being able to clearly hear God’s will.
Fasting also causes God to target your children. You will be amazed at the testimonies we have heard about fasting. It also brings health and healing to your body, as well as financial prosperity and blessings of God.
Whether you desire to be closer to God or are in need to great breakthroughs in your life, remember that nothing shall be impossible to you. Fasting is truly a secret source of power!
Jentezen Franklin is the pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia. Franklin is a popular conference speaker and his nationally televised program, Kingdom Connection, is seen weekly on national and international networks.
Wednesday, 29 December 2010 11:43 AM EST Jentezen Franklin
What is fasting? Since there are so many misconceptions about it, I first want to clarify what fasting—biblical fasting—is not. Fasting is not merely going without food for a period of time. That is dieting—maybe even starving—but fasting it is not. Nor is fasting something done only by fanatics. I really want to drive that point home. Fasting is not to be done only by religious monks alone in a cave somewhere. The practice of fasting is not limited to ministers or to special occasions.
Stated simply, biblical fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. Fasting has always been a normal part of a relationship with God. As expressed by the impassioned plea of David in Psalm 42, fasting brings one into a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
When you eliminate food from your diet for a number of days, your spirit becomes uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God. As David stated, “Deep calls unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). David was fasting. His hunger and thirst for God were greater than his natural desire for food. As a result, he reached a place where he could cry out from the depths of his spirit to the depths of God, even in the midst of his trial. Once you’ve experienced even a glimpse of that kind of intimacy with our God—our Father, the holy Creator of the universe—and the countless rewards and blessings that follow, your whole perspective will change. You will soon realize that fasting is a secret source of power this is overlooked by many.
During the years that Jesus walked this earth, He devoted time to teaching His disciples the principles of the kingdom of God, principles that conflict with those of this world. In the Beatitudes, specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus provided the pattern by which each of us is to live as a child of God. That pattern addressed three specific duties of a Christian: giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus said, “When you give…” and “When you pray…” and “When you fast.” He made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of Christian life. As much attention should be given to fasting as is given to giving and to praying.
Solomon, when writing the books of wisdom for Israel, made the point that a cord, or rope, braided with three strands is not easily broken (Eccles. 4:12). Likewise, when giving, praying, and fasting are practiced together in the life of a believer, it creates a type of threefold cord that is not easily broken. In fact, as I’ll show you in a moment, Jesus took it even further by saying, “Nothing will be impossible” (Matt. 17:20).
Could we be missing our greatest breakthroughs because we fail to fast? Remember the thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold return Jesus spoke of (Mark 4:8, 20)? Look at it this way: when you pray, you can release that thirtyfold return, but when both prayer and giving are part of your life, I believe that releases the sixtyfold blessing. But when all three—giving, praying, and fasting—are part of your life, that hundredfold return can be released!
If that’s the case, you have to wonder what blessings are not being released. What answers to prayer are not getting through? What bondages are not being broken because we fail to fast?
Matthew tells the story of a father who had a demon-possessed son. For years he watched helplessly as his son suffered severe convulsions. As he grew older, the attacks became so severe that the boy would often throw himself into an open fire or a trench of water. A suicidal spirit tormented him constantly; the situation became life-threatening.
Having exhausted every attempt to cure the boy—even talking him to the disciples with no avail—the father’s plight seemed impossible. Then he heard that Jesus was near. Going to the Master, he cried, “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for offtimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him” (Matt. 17:15, KJV).
When the boy was brought to Jesus, the Bible ways He “rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour” (v. 18, KJV). But what made the difference? After all, Matthew 10:1 records that Jesus had already given the disciples power to cast out evil spirits and to heal every disease. So why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon and cure the boy?
That’s what they wanted to know, too, so later that night, when they were alone with Jesus, they asked Him. Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:20–21, KJV).
Now, I’ve read that passage many times, and I’ve even taught from it on occasion. But each time, I’ve focused on the statement “and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” I think a lot of people stop right there, but Jesus didn’t because He knew there was more—much more.
See, that funny little word howbeit is the connection—it’s the key that unlocks the power in the statement “nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Jesus told the disciples they needed faith, even faith as small as a tiny seed. But that wasn’t all. Long before this incident, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He spent forty days and forty nights, taking no food. “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” For Jesus, casting out that stubborn demon wasn’t impossible.
If Jesus could have accomplished all He came to do without fasting, why would He fast? The Son of God fasted because He knew there were supernatural things that could only be released that way. How much more should fasting be a common practice in our lives?
Fasting Is for Everyone
Perhaps you’re thinking, “I still don’t know how fasting can really be for me.” According to the words of Jesus, it is the duty of every disciple and every believer to fast. When addressing the Pharisees as to why His disciples did not fast, Jesus replied, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:34–35).
Then they will fast. Jesus didn’t expect His disciples to do something He hadn’t doen as well. Jesus fasted, and according to the words of Peter, Jesus is our example in all things (1 Pet. 2:21).
There’s another vital point that I want you to see in Matthew 6: God delights in giving rewards. Not only that, but He says that when giving, praying and fasting are practiced in your life, He will “reward you openly.”
A good example of such open reward can be found in Daniel. While in Babylonian captivity, his fasting—even partial fasting of certain foods—brought about the open reward of God, who blessed Daniel with wisdom beyond that of anyone else in that empire.
Later, in chapter 10, Daniel was grieved and burdened with the revelation he had received for Israel. He ate no choice breads or meats and drank no wine for three weeks. Then he describes the angel that was sent to him—which had been delayed by the prince of Persia for twenty-one days—with the answers Daniel sought. His fast broke the power of the delayer and released the angels of God so that God’s purpose could be revealed and served.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you desire to know God’s will for your life, whom you should marry, or what you should do in a critical situation? I’ll show you how fasting brings you to a place of being able to clearly hear God’s will.
Fasting also causes God to target your children. You will be amazed at the testimonies we have heard about fasting. It also brings health and healing to your body, as well as financial prosperity and blessings of God.
Whether you desire to be closer to God or are in need to great breakthroughs in your life, remember that nothing shall be impossible to you. Fasting is truly a secret source of power!
Jentezen Franklin is the pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia. Franklin is a popular conference speaker and his nationally televised program, Kingdom Connection, is seen weekly on national and international networks.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Officially Finished!
Yesterday was my official last day of my fast for September 2010. I'm kind of glad since I felt that I wasn't as successful as I usually am. But, I'm kind of sad because I like praying more and getting closer to God. Well, I say to myself, what's stopping you from getting closer to God even though the fast is finished? Hm-m-m, I guess nothing! So, that's my plan! Also, I will be back in January with my yearly fast that I do with Jentzen Franklin and his church.
Monday, November 1, 2010
43rd Day of Sept 2010 fast
I am nearly to the end of my fast. It is actually going longer than 40 days because there were 6 fasts, all starting on different dates. I started with the first one and will end with the last one this Friday. Friday night, a friend and I will be going out to eat at an incredible vegan restaurant in Tacoma. The absolutely yummiest food! Costs a fortune but very worth it for the wonderful taste treats! Today, I'm subbing and then going up to the NW Christian Writers' Association meeting. I learn a lot at the meeting and it keeps me in the "writing" mode.
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