How far did you make it into 25 days? What are some check points I can look for?
I can understand the 'purification' stance. However lets say I smoke cigarettes. After 6 days of not smoking the devil starts clouding my mind/heart with doubts because I quit cold turkey. Surely I should first quit smoking before starting this fast, yet I presume quitting cold turkey successfully is to my benefit despite my flesh warring against my actions.
Being in a cigarette deprived mind I don't find myself craving a cigarette so much as craving suicidal thoughts because of my flesh.
Can you relate to this?
(I know I can quit cigarettes.)
I was 25 days into a
complete fast, which lasts until the body tells you it's time to begin eating again.
If you smoke, your body is laden with toxins. As you fast, those toxins at some point begin to be cleaned out. The body is not preoccupied with digesting new food, instead it begins to catabolize itself, beginning with the least necessary elements - stored fats and toxin build ups. The toxins, once quietly ensconced in various nooks and crannies, now enter the bloodstream, and until they are eliminated, they can wreak all sorts of havoc, most notably on the brain, which affects mind and emotions. The arteries will be cleaning themselves, etc. This can be serious indeed.
This is why cleansing of body and soul work tangentially during a fast. You will deal with buried memories, emotional issues, etc.
The keyword to all this is
circumspectness. The fast isn't a performance exercise, it's for the Lord's purposes. The fast is a tool, and must be used wisely. You have to know when to stick it out, and when to pack it in.
And you have to know how to prepare, and how to reenter. If you go into an extended water fast loaded with toxins, you are going to suffer. Better to wean yourself off bad habits and bad diet, get into juices, etc, before finally stopping eating. And know how to come out of the fast, or you can damage organs big time. Again, be circumspect.
Atomic Power with God through Fasting is a great read, but IMO is not nearly as circumspect as it should be regarding the dangers and how to avoid trouble. Do some varied reading before you dive in. I just finished Buhner's book on fasting, and hope to read Fung's book soon. J. Franklin also has a couple of books on fasting.