As you enter into a new chapter in your life, the first thing that you might want to do is let go of heavy baggage. “Out with the old and in with the new”, is our motto this year.

As is reflected in the powerful book of Isaiah,

“forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.”

Isaiah 43:18

The Lord promises to act in a matter that ultimately leads to our lives experiencing transformation. That is quite the promise. Especially in a modern world where you may feel superficially full but overwhelming dissatisfied, newness is a way to walk light and not heavy. You may fill your life with TV shows, hobbies, classes, Social Activities, Entertainment, FOOD, FUN, Plain OLD STUFF- but it’s left you feeling further from your purpose rather than closer to achieving it.

There is no easy way of saying this, but you just might be lacking in your spiritual life and relationship with God. You’ve consumed so much of the world searching to fill those voids- that its left you the need purge. And This is our personal opinion but, we stand firm on the fact that not even an earthly counselor will be able to help you. What you may need is THE wonderful Counselor and the one that surpass them all, Jesus.

Although there are several ways to connect with God and grow closer to him, fasting is one of the most transformative practices that you can take to start your journey to a life of feeling tremendous amount of peace and satisfaction fully rooted in Christ.

In This Blog:

• Common distraction of modern life
• The dangers of temporary satisfaction and how the enemy uses it to separate you from God
• What it means to seek the lord with all your heart and how god responds to our pursuit
• The role of discomfort in spiritual growth and why God uses it for good
• What is fasting and how it is a pathway to many spiritual benefits
• 11 proven tips to help you overcome challenges during your fast

Keep reading as we break down everything you need to know to get started on your journey!

The Distractions of Modern Life

If you live in the United States, or in any major first world country, you may be part of a culture where everything and anything is available to you. Not only are you able to obtain almost everything you want you can also have it delivered at your doorstep at pretty affordable prices. Being a consumer and purchasing the latest gadgets or makeup products is not just available to you but it’s also encouraged for you to take part in it.

However, nowadays, consumerism culture is no longer a phenomenon experienced in first world countries but truly anywhere where smart phones are- aka everywhere. Social media platforms are some of the biggest content consuming apps out there that can just suck a person in.

DOOM SCROLLING

I suppose the reason why its referred to as “Doom” scrolling is because you truly end up feeling exhausted afterwords to the point of destruction. I mean the word Doom literally means destruction or some other terrible fate. Algorithms and data engineers have become so knowledgeable in feeding you content that perfectly aligns with your interests that can trick anyone into falling for the hour-long social media scroll.

The Danger of Temporary Satisfaction

Whether you have fallen for the overly busy life of buying everything, doing everything, or binging social media reels, they both lead to the same place, distractions. As we previously mentioned in our Blog post, “True Meaning Of Spiritual Health: The Best Thing to Prioritize,” there are forces in the spiritual realm that will want to wrestle with the light of life that we carry as believers.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly

John 10:10

In this verse Satan is referred to as a thief. He wants to take what is valuable from us, our time, our resources, our relationships, our purpose, our job, and especially our salvation. The enemy knows that if he can find ways of sneaking into our lives and appeal to our interests, we will interact with it. The enemy will never make the thing look scary or right out harmful but instead it might even look close to something God might want for you.

“and No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14

The Enemies Counterfeits

What the enemy has is a counterfeit from what the Lords will is for your life. A lot of Christians fall for the disguise because they may not understand, read the word, or apply its instructions. The enemy can give us many things here on this earth and the way that it is measured as “good” is confusing because it may receive external praise from friends, family members, or strangers.

However, the only real place to know that you are walking in the will of God, is to make sure that the way you are living is producing good fruit (as we talked about in our blog post “How can Jesus Christ Change Your Life For the Better?”) and if it aligns with his word.

Seeking the Lord With All Your Being

As you seek to find the true God ordained will for your life- one things that God commands is your undivided attention. As we saw in the book of Daniel several times, Daniel was tempted several times to follow the ways of Babylon. He was tempted to eat the Kings meal, he was tempted to worship idols, and he was even tempted to fear. However, through all of his trails that he was experiencing in a Godless world, he found God at the end.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord”
Jeremiah 29:13-14

God does not want only half of our pursuit, but he wants one that is pure heart, and complete. When we seek God with all our heart that is a posture that does not stop and end with only the thought of God, but instead is reflected further by our actions. The conditional is clear. We can seek God, but we will only TRULY find him when and only when we do it with all of our heart.

How Seeking God Brings Us Closer To Him

There are several ways to see working in our life and even though we won’t be able to see most of the provision that he provides- there are tangible ways that the Lord makes himself known. In Proverbs chapter 2, King Solomon writes, that if he seeks the Lord as a hidden Treasure, you will find understanding of the fear of the Lord AND knowledge of God. Seeking the Lord as treasure emphasis a heart the place immense value in seeking the Lord.

That knowledge from the Lord is one that may help you at many times in your life. It may help you fight a spiritual battle; it may help you deal with conflicts in your relationships, and even to make hard and tough decisions in your life.

Secondly, King Solomon writes that the Lord will be a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Walking in a matter that glorifies the Lord through our obedience, ultimately can protect us and keep us away from harm. These are just a couple of the ways that the Lord will show up for us, and all we have to do is invite him in. This can be done through spiritual disciplines like reading the bible every day, singing songs of worship, and praying throughout your day.

The Role Of Discomfort in Spiritual Growth

Even though a life of comfort is easy, it does not allow you to grow.

When you think about the best athletes in the world- the Olympic gold medalists and national champions- they did not just wake up one morning and decide “Gee I really feel like winning a 1^st place today in surfing.” Most likely these athletes have been on strict disciplined work out plans from an early age in their lives- and they were dedicated. There were undoubtedly many days of trials, sweat, and tears.

Just as athletes go through so much suffering for just minutes or hours of performance in order to win that prize, so is true in your spiritual walk. The endurance and the discomforts of our life will allow you to seek your creator, God, to help you to win the prize that we desire.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured int our hearts through the holy spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

  The beauty in the promises in Jesus is that he will always equip us and POUR unto us that favor and honor. That suffering and discomfort has a kingdom purpose.

What is Fasting

As we covered in our first post about the wonderful signs of going on the Daniel Fast, fasting is the act of sacrificing something (be it food or some other material item or practice) in order to receive and grow closer to God. Previously we talked all about the Daniel Fast, but in reality, it can take many forms which include, partial fast, intermittent fasts, full fast, and many others.

A Pathway to Deeper Satisfaction

This absence of feeding our bodies or minds with things of the flesh, allows us to fully and more closely connect with the spirit and our source, God. Even after Jesus himself was done fasting for 40 days, Satan wanted to tempt him into turning the stones that were near him, into bread so he would break his fast early. Jesus quickly responded,

“Man Shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4.

What sets the word of God apart from all other words- is that they aren’t just words, they are nourishment to the soul. The words of God are not stale or dated. They are alive, active, and awakens life in the inner most parts of our being. There is truth in the word, promises, commandments, righteousness, and hope that only the surpasses the earthly ways that you may settle to establish as your routine.

Fasting allows you to fully focus and not just know the words in the bible or learn from them but experience them and watch them come to life. Fasting is a means to make the words in the bible tangible.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting

Focusing your time on God and the transformation that will happen will come through the spiritual benefit of experiencing renewed desires, and the fruits of the spirit. The more time you focus on God and delight in his presence the more you understand how Holy his character truly is. Suddenly, the wicked ways of the world will stand out to you. You may notice that the things that you used to take part in, or even the foods that you used to eat, were taking from you more than they were adding. You’ll not only make the change- but you will also wholeheartedly want to make be more holy.

As so many in the bible set in an example- Jesus, Daniel, and even Moses- the standard was set on surrendering the things of the world for the things unseen. These leaders and stories, remind us that our true needs are found in God and not in anything the world can offer.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

11 Proven Tips For Fasting

Now that you are ready to start your fast and get started in growing your relationship with God, here are 11 proven tips that will help you along the way.

1.Start Small

If this is your first fast that you have ever done, you may want to consider starting small. Maybe your focused on doing a full fast and giving up eating to focus on your relationship with God- but since you have never done this before there may be some difficulty in not eating for an extended period of time. So instead of doing a full fast for a week or a month, you may want to start small and focus on fasting for one day.  As long as your heart posture is focused on God during that 24-hour period, that is the most important thing. God will honor that time frame you have dedicated to him and the next time you decide to fast it will become easier to do it for a longer period of time.

2.Choose only a few things to replace with God

Another option if you are new to fasting is to only give up a few things from your daily routine. For example, if you eat a lot of sugar, or if you eat a lot of fast food, you may consider giving those specific things up for a longer period of time. Since this is not considered a full fast- because it does not require giving up all foods- it may be easier to just replace those things with other healthier alternative. Consider replacing candies and sugars, with fruits like grapes or apples. Similarly, you can replace fast foods like taco bell and McDonalds with home cooked taco nights or other delicious home cooked meals.

3.Fasting with purpose

Before you begin your fast and devotion to the Lord, consider focusing on a specific purpose in which you which you hope to see a breakthrough in. Maybe there is a specific area in your life that you would like to see resolution in, or you hope to get answers for. Entering your fast with intention and specific purposes, is a way to show the Lord your surrender in this specific area of your life. It is a way of telling God that you recognize your need for him. Many times, the Lord is waiting for us to let go of certain strongholds so that he can be the one to work on our behalf.

We encourage you to write down your specific requests at the beginning of your fast, and once your fast is over, you can reflect on any revelations or insights you may have experienced during your fast.

4.Be Realistic

Before you begin you fast, make sure that you are realistic in selecting the kind of fast and the time period that you will dedicate to the Lord. Many times, there may be specific life events, or responsibilities that make it challenging to change our routines in such a drastic way. For example, if you already know that in the upcoming days you have a wedding to attend and will around a lot of family, friends, and food, that along may make it harder to stay away from foods or just have alone time with God. So, make sure that you know that the fast you select will be easy to accommodate with your upcoming schedule.

5.Do your research

As we already mentioned there are many ways to do a fast. Whether you choose to go ono the Daniel Fast, go on a full fast, or give up social media or a specific vice, it may be a good idea to know what options are out there for you. For example, if you are feeling inclined to do the Daniel Fast, you may want to prepare your week or fast by printing the specific foods allowed in the fast. You may even go a step further and save a list of specific meal prep recipes, so that you don’t have to do the busy work of deciding what you are going to eat each day. You will already have that all figured out beforehand.

Check out our last Blog post all about the Daniel Fast to learn more.

6.Be Wise with Your Time

Once you have already started your fast, use your time wisely. Fasting is not only about giving up something, but also about being proactive. Instead of just twiddling your thumbs waiting for God to move or reveal something to you, pray, read your bible, meditate in the word, sing songs of worship, or even serve at your church. Replace the time that you would have normally been eating, cooking, or watching a TV show, with those specific spiritual disciplines. Many of the times God works in the areas of our lives where we give a little, he matches what we give with his abundance.

7.Keep A Journal

Writing and documenting your journey is one of the best ways to remember and reflect on some of the insights or revelations the Lord may give you during your fast. Not only that, but it may also be a great way to help you mediate on a specific scripture and how it may be related to your life. At the same time, writing is also a great way to express feelings that you may be experiencing during your time with the Lord. Maybe you start to feel challenged, fearful, or shame- but have nowhere to release those emotions. Well, journaling is a proven way to process unresolved emotions and even celebrate the good ones.

8.Go to Sleep

Whether this is your first time fasting or your 10^th, it’s inevitable that the temptation to eat or reengage with whatever you are releasing during your fast- is going to come. Maybe you are so hungry to the point where you can’t stop thinking about food that it’s even making it hard to practice spiritual disciplines like praying or reading. When these moments come, our simple seeming suggestion is to simply- go to sleep. If it is the middle of the day make yourself some cozy chamomile tea, and take a nap. Or, if its already nighttime, make that tea extra strong (we’re suggesting double tea bag moment) and wrap up your day and ask God to help you feel rested and renewed for the next day.

9.Adjusting your Phone Settings

One of the areas that may be easy to drift from when you’re doing your fast, is your focus. If you are not careful, this may be the difference between completing your fast or not. A practical way of setting boundaries for yourself is to adjust certain setting on your phone to help you stay on track. For example, if your fast involves giving up social media, you may want to delete the app or adjust the setting so that it locks you out of the app at a certain time. Similarly, if you want to focus on reading the word during your usual lunch time, you can also adjust your bible app settings, so it sends you a notification to start reading your bible during your chosen time frames.

10.Have an accountability buddy

If you are starting your fast with your church, you may consider reaching out to one of your friends at church or mentors, to help keep each other accountable. In the word, we see many instances where friends, family members, or people in community together are called to help lift each other up when the other is not able to do it on their own. The same is true for us in our day to day walk with God. The walk is not going to be easy but helping to lean on each other with someone else can make things a lot easier. Where you are weak maybe someone you know is strong and can help lift you up.

Before you start your fast, establish the times you will both check-in with each other. This can be once a day in the morning, twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays or any other time that makes sense for your schedules.

11.Watch inspirational testimonies

Many of the times when we are feeling discouraged in our walk it may feel like God is not going to come through in his promises. However, testimonies of how God has worked in the life of others, is a great way to feel encouraged to keep going. Your answer or breakthrough is not going to be exactly like that person, but it may help remind you that the Lord is alive and active. His promises are true, and hearing how the Lord helped a handful of people is always encouraging in not feeling alone in whatever circumstance you may be going through.

Final Thoughts

As you enter into your season of fasting, we hope this blog helped you understand many of the fundamentals of fasting and how it can strengthen your relationship with God. We hope that this leap of faith in surrendering to the Lord will keep you from the distractions that are keeping you from Gods perfect plan to prosper your life.

We encourage you to take this leap of faith alongside us and start your fasting period. Whether you are just getting started or have fasted many times before, let us know if you learned something new that you will be incorporating into your fast today.

What are some ways that help you stay focused on God during your fast? Let us know in the comments down below. We would love hear from you!