Fasting 101. Put some POWER to your ABSTINENCE.

Hey Fam,

Gosh, God is so amazing!!!
And so merciful. INSERT REAL TEARS
Lol
I had a whole moment of conviction over the weekend on fasting.

You see, the WILD WOMEN concluded our 21 day fast on Saturday with the fasts, both corporate and personal. I have learned a few things about fasting that the Lord would have me share with us.

This is especially important as part of our consecration and MEAL PLAN as believers and soldiers in this end time army is FASTING.

We all will have to FAST my sister.
But before you excuse yourself based on your being pregnant, or nursing, or on drugs, let me quickly share the first lesson

1. Food is just ONE of the many things we can fast.

Hmm.

The idea behind a fast is an abstinence from something that would otherwise cause your flesh pleasure, so that in that suffering, I can fellowship in His suffering, and have a feel of what He felt with His death.

The more I shut my flesh down, the more sensitive my spirit gets so I can pick up heavenly cues even better. If you keep gratifying your flesh, it keeps getting louder and louder.

Let’s face it. For some of us, by 9am, we start shaking if we haven’t eaten. Fasting till 12 is MAJOR for you and that would really work.

However, for some of us, FOOD is the least of our worries. Meaning, on MOST days, I don’t think about food at least until 3pm. Could be 6pm sef, so if I say I am fasting food, then I am really not doing anything.

When I need to beat my flesh, I get very specific about what I am fasting…

For example, I have had cause to camp out with the Daniel Fast. I love love love love my chicken and dairy and eggs but with the Daniel fast, I give up on these. Now that is when even my husband’s leather shoes start to look like well spiced and grilled chicken.

IT IS STINKING HARD on my flesh but I tell myself that I get to fellowship in just a SMALL part of His suffering. More on what to do with that pain later.

Some of us may need to FAST buying any new thing. Aha, that would REALLY feel like you are dying FOR REAL!!!

Some of us need to FAST having opinions and letting it out. Phew. That would REALLY kill your flesh.

Recently, the Lord led me to fast EMOTIONAL ASSUMPTIONS. Phew!!!
So please, let’s all elevate from thinking fasting is 6 to 3 or 6 no food.

2. You MUST have a Bible based FAST FOCUS
Anything less is starvation. What is the reason for your fast?

I mean, even if it is a corporate fast, there is usually a focus. Don’t join in until you have a clear focus. Same happens for a personal fast. You don’t just fast because you fast every first three days of the month or once a week.

You better have a purpose behind your fast. Late last year, I went on a STRENGTHENING fast and Elijah was my focus. I knew the journey ahead was MAJOR so I decided to build strength.

Now what happens when we start to feel our flesh make noise and demand physical gratification (buy that dress, eat that food, share that unwarranted opinion), we thank God for that feeling and then divert it to prayers based on the BIBLICAL focus for our fast.

Feeling our flesh suffer IS A PART of the fast… we don’t gratify it, we shut it down with prayers. And no, we don’t break our fast just because we saw food or we got hungry. Of course, sometimes you KNOW you can’t function anymore without food, especially if on a prolonged fast and maybe you barely ate the day before, ehen then you go eat, but for the most part, we just need to take that ‘suffering’ all the way to Golgotha.

A literal carrying your cross. And while there, allow Him to fill you up with the Word.

I love this scripture I recently discovered during our WILD fast

The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.
Revelation 22:17 AMPC

So when my flesh gets painfully conscious of that which satisfies me, I go to Him and drink of the water of life.
Booyah!!!

3. Fast the fast that pleases God
Isaiah 58 issa whole VIBE phew.
Started studying it recently and felt like I had been playing my whole life. Phew

Please read the portion that has to do with fasting yourself but let me explain it the way the Lord showed me.

You know how sometimes when you fast, you kind of saving that which you are not eating. E.g., I can save my chicken and eat it after my Daniel fast.
Nah, mami.

When we fast, what God wanted them to do was then practice charitable giving. I mean, fasting most times leaves us with a little extra cash. Ehen, so take that cash, as led by God and share with the poor, oppressed, needy and all.

Haaaaa.
If I am fasting and I am not being GENEROUS, can I really say that I am fasting?
Hmm.

In fact, the next verse drives it home, because they were complaining that despite all their fasts, God was not hearing and answering their prayers and in fact was hardly impressed with all their fasts.

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
Isaiah 58:8 -11 NLT.

Verses 8, 9a, 10b and 11 NLT

My sisters, that is the kind of fast that pleases and gets the eyes and heart of God.

Phew!!! Thank You Jesus for correction and realignment.

Those are the three things I wanted to share
Remember at the end of your fast, it is not just about what you are giving up, but about who you are becoming’
If I have not become MORE LIKE JESUS with my fast, then maybe I should really stop starving and enjoy daily feasts.

Let me close out with this quote

It is useless to fast from food, protests St . Basil, and yet to indulge in cruel criticism and slander: “You do not eat meat,but you devour your brother”.

I hope this helps your fasting game.

Also check out this video as it helped me

Then I have this small booklet on fasting by Pastor Dotun Arifalo. I really haven’t read it yet but a couple of my WILD sisters did and had good reports so I could send to you if you want. Just drop your email and I will push it to you

Cheers to dying to flesh and being more like Jesus even as we fast’.
Love&Light
Eziaha