Preparing for our Easter Fast

What a great meeting we had today! Lots of great info, questions, ideas and insights were shared! So now, as we prepare this week to start our fast on Sunday, let's use this space to post more questions, answers, resources, recipes and anything else that will help us on this journey!

Day 11 of my Daniel Fast

It's actually going really well!  I have not strayed and I know I will stay with it to the end!  In fact, I'm already planning my next fast: I want the day I break my next fast to be on Easter Sunday, so I'll back track from there to start my next fast on Sunday, March 22.  I think it would be appropriate to break my fast on the day Jesus resurrected!

As for this fast, I think the place I am falling short is with the between-meal hunger pains.  I've got plenty of Daniel-friendly snacks that can kill those particular hunger pains ... but Inow think that's the wrong thing to do!  I'm not taking that opportunity to deny myself.  Sure right now I'm denying myself meats, breads, caffeine, all those sorts of delicacies.  But what I'm reading in other blogs is that those between-meal hunger pains should remind me of the sacrifice Jesus made for me, and they should prompt me to pray and seek God, rather than something to kill those hunger pains.  Revelation!

I can say that my prayer times are becoming more intense during this fast, and that I'm now starting to journal my fast.  I bought Susan Gregory's ebook "The Daniel Fast for Body, Soul and Spirit", and I HIGHLY recommend it!  She does an excellent job telling you the why's and how's of the fast, and provides you journaling sheets, meal planning sheets and sample meals along with recipes!!  What's not to like??  God is using her wonderfully!

One of my prayer focuses for this period of fasting has been for God to provide the means to pay our real estate taxes due at the end of the month.  I've prayed about it, claimed it, and asked God to help "my unbelief".  And God proves himself to be faithful - again!  The funds are not in the bank yet, but God has lined up enough work to pay that bill - isn't He beyond awsome??!!!  That was such a huge worry for me, I can't even begin to describe it.  I knew that I alone was not able to pay that.  But "with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26), and we have to believe and claim that God will provide, live according to His laws and He will remain faithful to His promises.

I will continue to remain faithful to my fast and pray that God answers or shows me the answers to my other prayers.  And I'm seeking with more urgency to grow closer to Him - it's something I have a real desire to do.  I look forward to my life as I grow closer to him.  Praise His Holy Name!!!

Day ... 5 is it??  I'm not having so much trouble with the hunger - don't get me wrong, I have hunger and cravings for certain items.  But overall, I haven't had constant hunger or hunger headaches.  It makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong!  And I wonder if some of the food violates the Daniel fast guidelines.  I had a baked potato (microwaved) and sauteed in olive oil onion, garlic & mushrooms - no butter!! It was really good - maybe too good?!

I'm having more trouble with expecting things to all be going better in my life, but in fact the hurdles aren't falling - yet.  Sure life is not really bad at all, but there are some really big hurdles coming up, and I'm worrying about them.  I'm a worry-wart, I admit it.  A scripture either came to me or I heard it on the radio (I listen to KDRY - great stuff there) that told me to put it in God's hands.

I think one thing I have been forgetting to do is to really focus the reason for my fasting.  One web site says "So why fast? To demonstrate that we are seeking God "with all our heart." Fasting puts things in proper focus. It is a physical way of saying, "Food and the things of this life are not as important to me now as (fill in the blank) .""  I realize that when I feel hunger, rather than think of an alternative food I can substitute to kill my hunger pains, I need to use that hunger to fuel my prayer and express my desire to "die to self" and seek God instead.  And I need to use the hunger to focus on what is more important to me right now than hunger.

Over the past couple of days, I feel like I've been getting little hints of spiritual clarity as I've prayed.  I feel sure that if I use my hunger "reminders" (hunger pains) as cues to pray and seek God, rather than to think "hmm, what could I satisfy these hunger pains with...", I think I could further that spiritual clarity, open myself up more to allow God to show me His will for me.  So I think that rather than surfing for alternative recipes or food items, I'll seek God more, and pray that He be accepting of my fast.

Wednesday, Day 4 of my Daniel Fast.

It's going ok, but I miss bread.  And chips.  My Diet Coke.  Hot tea...  Actually drinking water only isn't bad; I can deal with that easily enough.  But I had a business lunch today, and the restaurant wasn't very Daniel-fast-friendly!  I ate guacamole, surrounded by tons of chips!  Ah, the temptation!  

But I know I need to come up with several alternatives for lunch & dinner items.  I need to plan my menu, because right now I've limited myself to tomatoes, avocados, whole grain rice and some crackers made with no fats or sugars - besides the assorted fruits and nuts I'm consuming.  More options, more options...

I'm off to surf for links, recipes, items I can partake of and not compromise my Daniel Fast!!  I'll post those links to my blog here!

IXOYE

My Daniel Fast 2009

This is my first time every to fast!  Better late than never, I guess!  I just wish I had learned more about fasting long ago.  I have to wonder why the churches I've attended didn't talk much about them.  As Christians, we're called to give, to pray, and to fast - right?

Anyway, I want to use this also as my own repository for Daniel fast links.  And also to chronicle my 21 days, as I fast to grow closer to God, to know His will for me, and to lift my prayers and petitions up to Him, praying that He see my sacrifice, my commitment to Him, and that He smiles upon me.

Pray for me!