New Year Fasting
Fasting is one of the most powerful weapons God has ever given us for our daily lives. Thanks for the gift of fasting!
Friends, whether we realize it or not, we all are not exempt from problem. We all go through times when we feel like we are not living up to our full potential. Sometimes we lose our energy, focus, passion, and our spiritual sharpness . . . this causes us to lose our “edge”. Do you feel you’ve lost your edge?
Think of a lumberjack. His axe is his main weapon. The more he use his axe to chop down trees, the more his axe becomes dull. He needs to take the time to sharpen his axe to maintain the “sharpness”. Without it, he won’t be effective and productive. In much the same way, that can happen to us.
Going through our daily routines in life can make our “spiritual axe” becomes dull. Little by little we lost our closeness to God. And without that closeness to God, we become weary, tired, and soon ineffective for God’s purpose.
What can we do to sharpen our edge? Fasting can help sharpen our edge. It can bring us back to connect to God. It can recharge our spiritual energy, and it can restore our passion for life.
Although fasting lasts on for a short season, but it brings long-term results! More benefits will we experience through fasting. This is why as we begin our new year, we want to prepare ourselves for time of “sharpening”.
Fasting in the first month of each year is like praying in the morning to establish the will of God for your entire day. Let’s make this fasting our way of life. We can get close to God and grow in His purpose. Let us take the time like a lumberjack who takes the time to rest and sharpen his axe periodically to be able to finish the job set before him.
In this fasting we will focus on personal encounter with our Savior, Jesus Christ. This encounter will produce transformation in our life. Encounter with Jesus changes everything!
QUICK TIPS FOR FASTING:
Preparing Spiritually
Confess your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness.Forgive all who have offended you and ask forgiveness from those you may have offended (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3–4). Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ and reject the worldly desires that try to hinder you (Romans 12:1–2).
Deciding What to Fast
The type of fasting you choose is up to you. You could go on a full fast in which you only drink liquids, or you may desire to fast like Daniel, who abstained from sweets and meats, and the only liquid he drank was water. Another option is partial fasting in which you only take one meal a day. Remember to replace that time of your meal with prayer and meditating the Word of God. As we restrain ourselves from food, we fill our hearts and minds with God.
What to Expect
When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability during withdrawal from food. And naturally, you will have hunger pains. Limit your activity and exercise moderately. Take time to rest. Avoid caffein and sugars. Fasting is spiritual thing and can brings about miraculous results. You are following Jesus' example when you fast. Set aside your time to listen to Christian inspiration songs or sermon during your free time. Pray as often as you can throughout the day. Get away from the normal distractions as much as possible and keep your heart and mind set on seeking God's face.
How to End
Don't overeat when the time comes to end your fast. Begin eating solid food gradually; eat small portions or snacks. Breaking a fast with vegetables, either steamed or raw, is best. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will linger for days. But if you rush into solid foods, you may lose much of your deep sense of peace and experience physical problems such as diarrhea, sickness, fainting, and frankly even death in some cases, due to shock!
Fasting can help Recharge Your Energy, Recapture Your Dream and Restore Your Joy!
READ: Fasting Brochure
Friends, whether we realize it or not, we all are not exempt from problem. We all go through times when we feel like we are not living up to our full potential. Sometimes we lose our energy, focus, passion, and our spiritual sharpness . . . this causes us to lose our “edge”. Do you feel you’ve lost your edge?
Think of a lumberjack. His axe is his main weapon. The more he use his axe to chop down trees, the more his axe becomes dull. He needs to take the time to sharpen his axe to maintain the “sharpness”. Without it, he won’t be effective and productive. In much the same way, that can happen to us.
Going through our daily routines in life can make our “spiritual axe” becomes dull. Little by little we lost our closeness to God. And without that closeness to God, we become weary, tired, and soon ineffective for God’s purpose.
What can we do to sharpen our edge? Fasting can help sharpen our edge. It can bring us back to connect to God. It can recharge our spiritual energy, and it can restore our passion for life.
Although fasting lasts on for a short season, but it brings long-term results! More benefits will we experience through fasting. This is why as we begin our new year, we want to prepare ourselves for time of “sharpening”.
Fasting in the first month of each year is like praying in the morning to establish the will of God for your entire day. Let’s make this fasting our way of life. We can get close to God and grow in His purpose. Let us take the time like a lumberjack who takes the time to rest and sharpen his axe periodically to be able to finish the job set before him.
In this fasting we will focus on personal encounter with our Savior, Jesus Christ. This encounter will produce transformation in our life. Encounter with Jesus changes everything!
QUICK TIPS FOR FASTING:
Preparing Spiritually
Confess your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness.Forgive all who have offended you and ask forgiveness from those you may have offended (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3–4). Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ and reject the worldly desires that try to hinder you (Romans 12:1–2).
Deciding What to Fast
The type of fasting you choose is up to you. You could go on a full fast in which you only drink liquids, or you may desire to fast like Daniel, who abstained from sweets and meats, and the only liquid he drank was water. Another option is partial fasting in which you only take one meal a day. Remember to replace that time of your meal with prayer and meditating the Word of God. As we restrain ourselves from food, we fill our hearts and minds with God.
What to Expect
When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability during withdrawal from food. And naturally, you will have hunger pains. Limit your activity and exercise moderately. Take time to rest. Avoid caffein and sugars. Fasting is spiritual thing and can brings about miraculous results. You are following Jesus' example when you fast. Set aside your time to listen to Christian inspiration songs or sermon during your free time. Pray as often as you can throughout the day. Get away from the normal distractions as much as possible and keep your heart and mind set on seeking God's face.
How to End
Don't overeat when the time comes to end your fast. Begin eating solid food gradually; eat small portions or snacks. Breaking a fast with vegetables, either steamed or raw, is best. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will linger for days. But if you rush into solid foods, you may lose much of your deep sense of peace and experience physical problems such as diarrhea, sickness, fainting, and frankly even death in some cases, due to shock!
Fasting can help Recharge Your Energy, Recapture Your Dream and Restore Your Joy!
READ: Fasting Brochure