Fasting ... so the new church that Manda and I were so graciously called to some six months ago are initiating a 21 day prayer and fast session starting today(correction by my lovely wife - Jan 3rd). This was announced a couple months ago I think and I have really been thinking about partaking in this excercise to not only experience what miracles and blessings God has in store for me but also my wife and kids.
I have heard and read about the term fasting before but never understood how powerful it can be in your walk and relationship with Christ. My grandparents(Miller side of family) practiced a sort of fasting/peace every Sunday. My grandfather Ralph Stanley passed away this spring after a battle with cancer that lasted (that we knew about) for just around three years. My grandpa has to be the most humble and amazing man I have known ... granted Im sure he had his faults, not entirely his doing but the impartation of his generation of which I hold no condemnation. He and grandma where pretty serious about this fasting business. I remember as a kid trying to get them to fix me something to eat Sunday afternoons/evenings when I was spending the night and it was a no go. I thought they where crazy then. :)
So back to this fasting thing ... I have been thinking about what I would give up. The extreme of course is no food, which is doable (not by me of course, but the power of the Holy Spirit), no video games/movies/entertainment/etc. (again only doable by the conviction and power of the Spirit), oh sugar ... anything I deny myself is going to be tough, but only doable by bending my mind, heart, and ear to the speaking of the Holy Spirit.
Case in point this afternoon (I digress) ... now the past year or so has been filled with some huge changes for me and all for the better, BUT and that is a enormous, insurmountable BUT, there are a vast ocean of changes left and I realize that whole heartedly. First major change was in how I spent my "personal/alone" time. Prior to spring 2008 I sunk it into video games online ... part of me ashamed at how much time I invested into the more popular PC games out right now (World of Warcraft). There were weeks I would play twenty to thirty hours a week (Oh sweet saviour Jesus thank you for delivering me from that) I read that over and think ... thats a part time job on top of a full time job, struggeling at being a husband, father, friend, son, etc ... That deliverance happened last spring (2008) of which I am most thankful for. The second was direction to our new church (Heartland Assembly) which I believe is the spring board for me and my family into a deeper and more amazing relationship with our saviour.
OK so to this afternoon ... Im trying to figure out how Im being led in this fast ... Ive been ill the past couple days so not feeling the greatest. Have been preparing my body this week to cut a major portion of food out of my diet if not all. I really want to experience what God wants me to. Get up this afternoon around 2pm (was supposed to go to my niese's birthday party but felt like roadkill) took a shower, sat down on the couch and really wrestled with what I would do with the afternoon. Pop on the XBOX and play a bit? No Chad ... no video games, listen to some worship music or Dan Mohler/Bill Johnson? That didnt sound right either. Popped on the XBOX ... grrr defeat ... fiddled around for about an hour thinking to myself(or being spoken to) your wasting your time ... you cant get it back. Shut the idiot box off and went to the kitchen. Contemplated eating leftover chinese from new years eve "party" with Manda and the kids or drinking a protien shake(my decision for some sort of something my stomach could be tricked into thinking it was being fed), turned to the chinese. Had an egg roll and five bites of garlic chicken only to throw the rest away that I had on my plate.
Told myself enough ... get in the living room and pray. So there I was ... walking around our living room looking for something to do ... contemplated two books - Gods Generals and Prayer and Fasting, both where addressed in my head with large NO's. I said ok God ... what then ... IMMEDIATELY popped in my "get my book and read Phillipians 3". I was like OK ... like other times before I have thought of scripture references thinking it was an answer to the current struggle and opened it to find absolutely no relevance to what I was dealing with.
Check this out though ... Phillipians 3 ... highlight #1 for the chapter
No Confidence in the Flesh ... I actually started to shake ... are you kidding me???!!?? This is freaking AWESOME I thought, I immediately thanked God for what he was showing me. Highlight #2 ??? Pressing on Toward the Goal ... HAHAHA! I loved it ... I think my favorite part of the passage is the last verse .. 21 ... it reads
who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will trasform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Phillipians 3 will definately be my favorite passage of scripture. Until the next outpouring of wisdom happens.
Thank you Jesus ... I love you
