Lessons of Fasting & Prayer

For the last 24 hours my body has been heavy with emotion and my mind has been deep in thought on serious and spiritual matters. Although I seem to think deeply often it seems as though the last 24 hours I have been taken to a new level deep thinking. My deeper level of thinking, I believe, is due to fasting and praying.

Over the years, since the days I began fasting on a monthly basis, I have progressed as I have applied the principles of proper fasting in my life. In the last 24 hours I have learned more about fasting and praying than I have in a long while. Not too long ago, while fasting, I made a side comment to a friend of how hungry I was and how long it was til I would be able to eat again. She then suggested to me that everytime I feel the hunger or think about food that I say a prayer reiterating what it is that I am fasting for in order to realign my focus. I thought this was a very good suggestion and attempted to apply it into my life as I fasted and prayed. I wasn't perfect at it and sometimes would even forget about the suggestion and let the thoughts of food consume my mind as my stomach was crying out for any kind of substance.

Earlier on in the week I felt inspired to fast this weekend for somebody very specific and for something of a serious nature. When I was given the impression to fast I spent the following days pondering upon the person and the reason for the fast, trying to prepare myself as completely as I could. And because of the person and the seriousness of what I was impressed to fast and pray about I wanted to do it the best I knew how. I am grateful that the Lord presented this to me earlier in the week so I could prepare through His guiding spirit.

I opened my fast with a prayer, marking the time I began in my mind so I could do a complete 24 hour fast. I asked to be sustained during my fast and that my focus would be on the person and reason for this fast and not on food or any other distracting thoughts. The Lord is so amazing and blessed me in my fast. He taught me some great principles.

When I was a teenager I, more than not, fasted and prayed for other people. But once I hit the college years my fasting and prayers turned to fasts for myself, combined with other things/people on occassion. Looking back on it now I can understand why that happened; college is a really self-focused period of our life as we are determining our future with almost every decision. Who doesn't need the guidance from above in these decisions? (Note: That last statement was not a justifying statement). As I wholly focused this most recent fast on somebody other than me I could see how my thoughts were also changed. I realized that when I have fasted for myself in times prior my thoughts were about me, obviously. But not only were they on the matters of myself that I was fasting and praying for, but they were also about my own carnal feelings/desires, like starvation and dehydration. As I fasted and prayed for this individual my thoughts were focused on this person and my carnal ailments became a sacrifice for the desire I was fasting and praying for. My hunger and thirst were no longer annoyances, pain, or any other inconvience my body was going through in order to fast. But it was a sacrifice, an offering to put on the alter, for the person and reason I was fasting and praying for. My heart was fully in it completely and wholly. My reasons for fasting and praying for this individual meant more to me than food or water did.

More thoughts to come.....not done yet.