Don't decide today that you are going to start fasting tomorrow!!
This girl knows better, but believe it or not I got so excited about Lent that I jumped right into it without preparing. So yesterday I spent the afternoon at my doctors' office. I had decided to do the Daniel Fast last week, and when you grow closer to God you will be attacked by the devil.
Tuesday I started getting ill. My blood sugars were not coming down, I could tell I was getting my sinus infection back, and overall I just felt like blah. Wednesday was the first day of my fast and I felt like that was even worse than the first time I fasted. I was really sick Wednesday and it took all of my willpower to stick to my fast. Yesterday I woke up feeling worse so by noon I decided I had to get into my endocrinologist. We had a long talk about my fast and now I am back on the road to recovery.
Part 1: Pray for Goal
I had to start at the beginning- like I should have done at least two weeks ago. Preparation for Lent is more than spiritual. It is more than heart. It is more than head planning. Lent and Fasting require a serious conversation with God about the purpose. "Why am I fasting?" I am set on why I am fasting. God has been nudging and guiding me on this for several months now. I want to reach the youth in our community and I can't do it alone. Also, my husband needs a Godly man in his circle.
So part one: The goal of my fast is prayer for my youth group and a assistant, and for a Godly man to come into my husbands' life.
Part 2: Pray for Guidelines
My doctor and I had to go over some major issues I have with my health at the current time: my sugars and a serious sinus infection that is causing me to get surgery. When I first called her she was shocked and upset at me when I said I was fasting. I was equally shocked by her reaction. When I got to her office and we started our discussion it was quickly cleared up that our interpretations of fasting were different. She assumed I was on a bread and water fast; that would not be good for this diabetic. Our discussion went on that I had set some guidelines for my fast, but not all of them. **If you have special medical conditions ALWAYS make sure you are consulting your doctor!**
What am I fasting from? As mentioned before, I am doing a Daniel Fast this year. The simplest way I know how to explain it is think strict vegan; no meat, animal by-product (eggs, milk, etc.), sugars, fats, processed foods, chemicals, or beverages. My Daniel fast diet is a lot of water, a lot of fruits, a lot of peanut butter, and a lot of rice and refried beans! Today it is easy to find recipes anywhere; my favorite is pinterest. Just because you are participating in Lenten fasting does not mean you are abstaining from food. One year for Lent I fasted from cuss words. My guidelines to that fast were that every time I failed I prayed, and I put a dollar in my Love Gift box (it is a donation our church takes up at the end of the month).
What is my allowance during my fast? The first time I did the Daniel fast I did not give myself an allowance (an "excused pass" on something). This year I already planned on two passes, but after discussion with my doctor I am planning three, possibly four. Since Valentine's Day and my son's birthday are both in February I wanted to be able to share them with my guys. So our Valentine's dinner will be my first pass to have a regular meal with my husband. The second is for my son, I have been planning the day of his birthday off to surprise him by taking him to Chucky Cheese's and I didn't take that into consideration with my last minute jump on my fast. Three is my son's actual birthday party with the family. The possibility of the fourth is if my fast goes into March; my husband's birthday is in March and all he ask is dinner at his favorite place.
Part 3: Prayer = Preparation
The struggle is real. The first time I fasted the first four days were the hardest for me. It is a lot to adjust to for some people. Pringles and mini yorks live in my desk at work- no joke! Snacking is a killer for diabetics, and it's my greatest strength, lol. Throwing myself the one week curve ball of a Daniel fast left me no time to pray and prepare though. God is our rock, but God truly becomes your rock when you are fasting. Those first days I think I leaned harder on Him then I knew was possible. Fasting is spiritual warfare. No matter what you are fasting from once you start- stick to it! We stumble and we fall, but we always get back up. As with every step of fasting, pray. You can never pray enough for strength, for fulfillment, for His will, and the list goes on. The next basic preparation is: don't make it harder on yourself than necessary. What did Kelli forget to do the end of last week? Clean out the snack drawers of the desk at work. Nothing worse Wednesday than having a big bag of chips just chilling in the drawer that sits face level with me... With my first fast I had the time of preparation to clear the junk food out of the house and at work. I had time two weeks to grocery shop for appropriate foods. I had time to research recipes. Preparation is prayer and setting your environment for achievement.
Part 4: Do it!
Enjoy your fast! I keep a journal when I fast. It is an excellent way of tracking your growth, feelings, and insight that God is opening you to. Fast is substituting something not healthy in your life for prayer and time with God. Never forget that integral step. We have prayed all the way to the start of the fast, don't forget to include it in the days to come. A simple suggestion of mine, the first time I fasted I read through the book of Daniel and then the book of Esther. These are excellent books to read in partnership with a fast. This fast I have started in Mark. My goal is to read through the Gospels by Easter. Never be ashamed to answer questions either. Our lives are our witness to the world. Be open and sharing about your fast it is a demonstration to others. I had the greatest blessing this morning of finding out that a co-worker was inspired by my fast to read through the Bible again, and two other co-workers have decided to fast from alcohol! AMEN!
So part one: The goal of my fast is prayer for my youth group and a assistant, and for a Godly man to come into my husbands' life.
Part 2: Pray for Guidelines
My doctor and I had to go over some major issues I have with my health at the current time: my sugars and a serious sinus infection that is causing me to get surgery. When I first called her she was shocked and upset at me when I said I was fasting. I was equally shocked by her reaction. When I got to her office and we started our discussion it was quickly cleared up that our interpretations of fasting were different. She assumed I was on a bread and water fast; that would not be good for this diabetic. Our discussion went on that I had set some guidelines for my fast, but not all of them. **If you have special medical conditions ALWAYS make sure you are consulting your doctor!**
Here are some serious things you need to consider when setting up your fast:
What time frame am I doing this in? I have had in my head that February was Lent, and I was planning on fasting for the rest of February. For some reason I knew Easter was the end of March, but the six weeks of Lent hadn't connected. So I felt obligated to fast for the entire 40days, and I was struggling with that. After prayer it is settled that I will fast until the first Friday of March when I have my next doctor appointment. If I am getting better (which I believe I will be) I will continue my fast through Easter. What am I fasting from? As mentioned before, I am doing a Daniel Fast this year. The simplest way I know how to explain it is think strict vegan; no meat, animal by-product (eggs, milk, etc.), sugars, fats, processed foods, chemicals, or beverages. My Daniel fast diet is a lot of water, a lot of fruits, a lot of peanut butter, and a lot of rice and refried beans! Today it is easy to find recipes anywhere; my favorite is pinterest. Just because you are participating in Lenten fasting does not mean you are abstaining from food. One year for Lent I fasted from cuss words. My guidelines to that fast were that every time I failed I prayed, and I put a dollar in my Love Gift box (it is a donation our church takes up at the end of the month).
What is my allowance during my fast? The first time I did the Daniel fast I did not give myself an allowance (an "excused pass" on something). This year I already planned on two passes, but after discussion with my doctor I am planning three, possibly four. Since Valentine's Day and my son's birthday are both in February I wanted to be able to share them with my guys. So our Valentine's dinner will be my first pass to have a regular meal with my husband. The second is for my son, I have been planning the day of his birthday off to surprise him by taking him to Chucky Cheese's and I didn't take that into consideration with my last minute jump on my fast. Three is my son's actual birthday party with the family. The possibility of the fourth is if my fast goes into March; my husband's birthday is in March and all he ask is dinner at his favorite place.
Part 3: Prayer = Preparation
The struggle is real. The first time I fasted the first four days were the hardest for me. It is a lot to adjust to for some people. Pringles and mini yorks live in my desk at work- no joke! Snacking is a killer for diabetics, and it's my greatest strength, lol. Throwing myself the one week curve ball of a Daniel fast left me no time to pray and prepare though. God is our rock, but God truly becomes your rock when you are fasting. Those first days I think I leaned harder on Him then I knew was possible. Fasting is spiritual warfare. No matter what you are fasting from once you start- stick to it! We stumble and we fall, but we always get back up. As with every step of fasting, pray. You can never pray enough for strength, for fulfillment, for His will, and the list goes on. The next basic preparation is: don't make it harder on yourself than necessary. What did Kelli forget to do the end of last week? Clean out the snack drawers of the desk at work. Nothing worse Wednesday than having a big bag of chips just chilling in the drawer that sits face level with me... With my first fast I had the time of preparation to clear the junk food out of the house and at work. I had time two weeks to grocery shop for appropriate foods. I had time to research recipes. Preparation is prayer and setting your environment for achievement.
Part 4: Do it!
Enjoy your fast! I keep a journal when I fast. It is an excellent way of tracking your growth, feelings, and insight that God is opening you to. Fast is substituting something not healthy in your life for prayer and time with God. Never forget that integral step. We have prayed all the way to the start of the fast, don't forget to include it in the days to come. A simple suggestion of mine, the first time I fasted I read through the book of Daniel and then the book of Esther. These are excellent books to read in partnership with a fast. This fast I have started in Mark. My goal is to read through the Gospels by Easter. Never be ashamed to answer questions either. Our lives are our witness to the world. Be open and sharing about your fast it is a demonstration to others. I had the greatest blessing this morning of finding out that a co-worker was inspired by my fast to read through the Bible again, and two other co-workers have decided to fast from alcohol! AMEN!
No comments:
Post a Comment