40 Day water fast - Part II
"I'm asking you to take an active role in something you can't do." - the simplicity yet depth of that Word He spoke into me still blows me away. In that moment I understood what He was telling me, it's His responsibility to get me through this, my job is to listen and obey. Wow! The burden is on Him, what a relief!! After that, my quiet time reading, listening and journaling was fun again, and the revelation came. I've come to believe it was FEAR that had blocked my ability to hear Him. (might be a sermon there!)
So one morning I heard Him say to me in my quiet time "ask Me for breakthroughs and victories," Initially I thought He was referring to my son with Aspergers, since I had been praying for him when I first heard the invitation. But I sensed His request went much deeper this time, not only to my immediate family, but to my whole family, friends and people I haven't even met yet. Yes Lord, I'm in. Give me every breakthrough and victory You have in mind.
So some key events that seemed small at the time, but in hind-site were God's loving hand preparing the battlefield:
I found a book on my inlaws shelf by Jentezen Franklin called Fasting. This book really inspired me and got my wife Shari and I ready for what was about to happen.
Another happened a couple days before the fast was to start, when my best friend Scott moved in with us for a couple of weeks until his new house closed mid January. As we were moving some of his stuff he lets me know he felt God asking him to fast the first few days with me, and he was even excited about.
Are you kidding me? Did God really just do that? Arrange a fasting buddy to actually live in the same house? Where fear initially resided - now excitement, anticipation and Joy were starting to bloom!
Another key was Jeff, another best friend who sent me a text EVERY morning of my fast with a verse or encouraging word. God spoke through him so often, and what a comfort it was knowing someone else was thinking of me.
The last was that Shari was so on board with this. It was going to be impacting her next 40 days tremendously, and possibly forever if I didn't make it through. She was amazing though, and said "if God calls you to it, He will see you through it." Boy, did I marry up!
As the fast started, life was continuing all around me. Shari is a flight attendant who was flying 3 day trips throughout the month; we have two boys who were 10 and 2 at the time that seemed to need to be fed constantly, and then of course I had to work (I help companies find technical talent). The things I remember most about that first week is how much time I must think about food! It's amazing how much you can get done when eating is not an option. No thinking about what to eat, where to eat, or when to eat - with the next meal being over 30 days away it just seemed pointless. When the family would gather for the meal, I fled to my office and read the Word. I can honestly tell you that thing Jesus said, about it being bread and living water is REAL. It would truly fill me up when I read while I was hungry. Sometimes I just put ear buds in and worshiped, other times I would listen to Samuel L Jackson bringing scripture to life in the Bible Experience. I'm not saying it was easy by any means, that the hunger would go away every time, but I am saying the hunger pains would. I remember the one thing that really surprised me during that first week was that I was NOT having the incredible God encounters during worship and quiet times that I was anticipating. I wasn't "feeling" His presence, although I can say with all certainty I knew He was there.
Things were going pretty well until the 9th day. The hunger pains came on strong, really strong! and the thought I still had 31 days to go literally took me down. On that 9th day I just laid on the couch and cried for hours. What had been working before was not working anymore. Hopelessness was all over me. I cried out to Him for help with all I had. With my wife being on a trip I knew if something didn't change before I picked the boys up I would be done. I called my brother for prayer, and he starts talking about a friend of his, Darrell, that had done a 40 day fast, and that I should call him. I get Darrell on the phone and we start swapping stories. He recalled his first really tough day (which helped, but not much), and then, out of nowhere he said "you know doing a 40 day fast isn't a defensive move, it is an Offensive ATTACK! It is to take ground from the enemy, to declare God's Glorious name with His Authority." I CAME ALIVE! My spirit jumped inside and I felt like I had to cover my chest to keep it in! In a matter of seconds the pain and hopelessness vanished! It doesn't make sense I know, but it did. I felt invincible, like I had the biggest kid on the playground as my best friend! In a matter of seconds my whole perspective changed, and I saw from a different altitude. As he told me other things he had learned about those called to 40 day fasts, and experiences he had, I felt my resolve being renewed and strengthened. I was doing this for my family's freedom, my friend's salvation, and so much more.
Later in prayer I asked God what was all that that just happened? Why did I get so weak, start loosing hope and almost want to throw in the towel. And how did everything change so quickly AGAIN? I heard so clear in my spirit - the season for the first Word had passed, was over, and I needed a new Word from Him to stand on. That's what I gave you, a new Word.
I asked how long will this one last and I heard Him gently say, don't worry Joey, you'll know.
I thought to myself, yep, sounds like something He'd say.
to be continued next week...
So one morning I heard Him say to me in my quiet time "ask Me for breakthroughs and victories," Initially I thought He was referring to my son with Aspergers, since I had been praying for him when I first heard the invitation. But I sensed His request went much deeper this time, not only to my immediate family, but to my whole family, friends and people I haven't even met yet. Yes Lord, I'm in. Give me every breakthrough and victory You have in mind.
So some key events that seemed small at the time, but in hind-site were God's loving hand preparing the battlefield:
I found a book on my inlaws shelf by Jentezen Franklin called Fasting. This book really inspired me and got my wife Shari and I ready for what was about to happen.
Another happened a couple days before the fast was to start, when my best friend Scott moved in with us for a couple of weeks until his new house closed mid January. As we were moving some of his stuff he lets me know he felt God asking him to fast the first few days with me, and he was even excited about.
Are you kidding me? Did God really just do that? Arrange a fasting buddy to actually live in the same house? Where fear initially resided - now excitement, anticipation and Joy were starting to bloom!
Another key was Jeff, another best friend who sent me a text EVERY morning of my fast with a verse or encouraging word. God spoke through him so often, and what a comfort it was knowing someone else was thinking of me.
The last was that Shari was so on board with this. It was going to be impacting her next 40 days tremendously, and possibly forever if I didn't make it through. She was amazing though, and said "if God calls you to it, He will see you through it." Boy, did I marry up!
As the fast started, life was continuing all around me. Shari is a flight attendant who was flying 3 day trips throughout the month; we have two boys who were 10 and 2 at the time that seemed to need to be fed constantly, and then of course I had to work (I help companies find technical talent). The things I remember most about that first week is how much time I must think about food! It's amazing how much you can get done when eating is not an option. No thinking about what to eat, where to eat, or when to eat - with the next meal being over 30 days away it just seemed pointless. When the family would gather for the meal, I fled to my office and read the Word. I can honestly tell you that thing Jesus said, about it being bread and living water is REAL. It would truly fill me up when I read while I was hungry. Sometimes I just put ear buds in and worshiped, other times I would listen to Samuel L Jackson bringing scripture to life in the Bible Experience. I'm not saying it was easy by any means, that the hunger would go away every time, but I am saying the hunger pains would. I remember the one thing that really surprised me during that first week was that I was NOT having the incredible God encounters during worship and quiet times that I was anticipating. I wasn't "feeling" His presence, although I can say with all certainty I knew He was there.
Things were going pretty well until the 9th day. The hunger pains came on strong, really strong! and the thought I still had 31 days to go literally took me down. On that 9th day I just laid on the couch and cried for hours. What had been working before was not working anymore. Hopelessness was all over me. I cried out to Him for help with all I had. With my wife being on a trip I knew if something didn't change before I picked the boys up I would be done. I called my brother for prayer, and he starts talking about a friend of his, Darrell, that had done a 40 day fast, and that I should call him. I get Darrell on the phone and we start swapping stories. He recalled his first really tough day (which helped, but not much), and then, out of nowhere he said "you know doing a 40 day fast isn't a defensive move, it is an Offensive ATTACK! It is to take ground from the enemy, to declare God's Glorious name with His Authority." I CAME ALIVE! My spirit jumped inside and I felt like I had to cover my chest to keep it in! In a matter of seconds the pain and hopelessness vanished! It doesn't make sense I know, but it did. I felt invincible, like I had the biggest kid on the playground as my best friend! In a matter of seconds my whole perspective changed, and I saw from a different altitude. As he told me other things he had learned about those called to 40 day fasts, and experiences he had, I felt my resolve being renewed and strengthened. I was doing this for my family's freedom, my friend's salvation, and so much more.
Later in prayer I asked God what was all that that just happened? Why did I get so weak, start loosing hope and almost want to throw in the towel. And how did everything change so quickly AGAIN? I heard so clear in my spirit - the season for the first Word had passed, was over, and I needed a new Word from Him to stand on. That's what I gave you, a new Word.
I asked how long will this one last and I heard Him gently say, don't worry Joey, you'll know.
I thought to myself, yep, sounds like something He'd say.
to be continued next week...
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