In Your Journey When You Fast (issue 1)

…..Even now,” says the LORD, “Turn and come to Me with all your heart in genuine repentance, with fasting and weeping and mourning until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored. Rip your heart to pieces in sorrow and contrition and not your garments. Now return [in repentance] to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and faithful to His covenant with His people” (Joel 2:12.

          If you are reading this article, I assume that you have answered the call to fast or are contemplating on starting the journey. Fasting is the most powerful physical act that yields tremendous spiritual fruit for whomsoever undertakes it. It is important to keep in mind that as you fast, you are not changing the mind of God nor twisting His arm to answer your prayers. Rather as you fast, you take a position of humility, recognizing His divine sustenance in your life over the fruit of your physical labor or toil. Even though we will endeavor to guide you in your fast, it is only supplementary. The primary instructor in any spiritual journey is the Holy Spirit and you will do well to lean on Him.

Cleaning House   

For all of us who have been on this journey for a long time, the temptation is to jump into our supplications and petitions and in some sense, repeat ourselves as the fast progresses. However, in a fast that the Lord ordains, He emphasizes more on rending the heart and not the garment. Therefore, it is important that for the first part of your fast to concentrate on the condition of your heart; take a stock of your life:

• Are there elements of disobedience, dishonor, or passivity in your walk with the Lord?
• Has the flesh led the way in some areas with your walk with God?
• Is there abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit manifesting in your life?
• Has your love for God grown cold or boiled down to routine and tradition?
• Is your faith weak, lacking or wavering?

These are just but a few areas where you could start.

In this period, the Lord by the Holy Spirit will help you surrender all the areas of your life to Him in repentance. Ask Him to remove the barriers that may be blocking the flow of His Spirit in your life. It is in essence, a process of emptying yourself to create a capacity to contain more of God (Matt 5:6).

          Think of 2 Timothy 20-21, “Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honorable (noble, good) use and some for dishonorable (ignoble, common).  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable–disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” In the afore mentioned Scripture, you are likened to a vessel that is subject to corrosion, dirt, and blemish. Likewise, during fasting and prayer, you are cleansing your vessel to be used of the Master.

How long does this process take?

Some Christians hold the view that the grace of God covers our shortcomings and that there is no need for us to focus on the sin. However, in Romans 8:13, we are explicitly warned that if we live by the flesh we die, but if by the Spirit, we put to death the works of the flesh, consequently zoe (life) becomes our experience. Considering this Scripture, grace is a force by which we put to death anything that is unlike Christ in our lives. This process of death to self varies from person to person and is largely a work of the Holy Spirit. None of us can discern our ways rightly, hence the need to humble ourselves before the Almighty God, that He may lift us up (1Peter 5:6).

For anyone who desires to move from glory to glory and from faith to faith, he/she should keep in mind that this is ongoing process, where God gives you a picture of His finished work in you and grants you the grace to become what you see.  Paul calls his body, a body of death and writes that he must continually put his body down after he has preached in order to secure the price at the end.

The more of Him in your life the more of His power will flow to move mountains in your life later in your fast. Therefore, do not be in a hurry to move on, or skid through the elementary principles. Rather seek to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. When the time comes to release your authority in Him, mountains will move under your command.

What if I do not have any unrepented sin?

In the Bible, Daniel is described as highly esteemed in the presence of the Lord (Daniel 10 :11). He had purposed in his heart not to defile himself in any way with the portions of the king’s delicacies. As a consequence, his life was marked by miracle after miracle. The hand of God was evident in his life both in the eyes of the Chaldeans and among the Jews. We could say Daniel was a Holy man, yet during his fast, he identifies with the sins of the people (Daniel 9); some have called it identificational repentance.

I believe since Daniel was a scholar, he had read 2 chronicles 7:14 where the Father says, “If my people that are called by My name, will humble themselves, pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” There is no humility without recognizing the condition of the fallen nature of man, his plight without God and the abundance of God’s grace and mercy to those that seek Him. In repentance, we deem Him as the Savior and cast our hope in His mercy and lovingkindness. The only sins that God does not forgive are the unconfessed ones (1 John 1:9).

Here is a meditative psalm that may help you in this first period of your fast

Psalms 51

God, give me mercy from your fountain of forgiveness! I know your abundant love is enough to wash away my guilt. Because your compassion is so great, take away this shameful guilt of sin. Forgive the full extent of my rebellious ways, and erase this deep stain on my conscience for I’m so ashamed.
I feel such pain and anguish within me. I can’t get away from the sting of my sin against you, Lord! Everything I did, I did right in front of You, for You saw it all.
Against You, and You above all, have I sinned. Everything You say to me is infallibly true and Your judgment conquers me.Lord, I have been a sinner from birth, from the moment my mother conceived me. I know that You delight to set your truth deep in my spirit, so come into the hidden places of my heart and teach me wisdom. Purify my conscience! Make this leper clean again!
Wash me in Your love until I am pure in heart.Satisfy me in Your sweetness, and my song of joy will return. The places within me you have crushed
will rejoice in your healing touch. Hide my sins from Your face; erase all my guilt by your saving grace. Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please You.

May You never reject me! May You never take from me your sacred Spirit! Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough You bring to me. Hold me close to You with a willing spirit that obeys whatever You say. Then I can show to other guilty ones how loving and merciful You are.

They will find their way back home to You, knowing that You will forgive them. O God, my saving God, deliver me fully from every sin, even the sin that brought bloodguilt. Then my heart will once again be thrilled to sing the passionate songs of joy and deliverance! Lord God, unlock my heart, unlock my lips, and I will overcome with my joyous praise! For the source of Your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to You. The fountain of Your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before You.
You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet. Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her. Be the protecting wall around Jerusalem.
And when we are fully restored, You will rejoice and take delight
in every offering of our lives as we bring our sacrifices of righteousness before You in love!