Fasting Journal

[MalcolmD]

Hello Everybody,

Thanks for dropping by. I joined this forum recently and wanted to share my experiences with fasting with the rest of the community. I was glad to discover a Christian forum on fasting. I've been fasting on and off for the last month and a half and plan to continue until I feel I've experienced the greatest benefits I can from it. I want to go on an extended fast without any "cheating" and know our bodies are capable of living solely on its own stored-up energy supply and water. In my case there's more of that than I care to have on hand as well so I expect the benefits to be significant in many ways.

A little about me: I got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit in a pentecostal church when I was 19 and it completely changed my life. In my mid-20s I was at a point where nothing seemed to be going right for me so I decided to try fasting to see if that would help. The only other person I knew who fasted was a street-preacher who was generally avoided by Christian and non-Christian alike. He told me he'd done a 40-day fast and I could see that even through all his difficulties he was pretty unswerving in what he believed to be his calling.

A Christian friend whose place I could stay at while fasting an extended period advised me to start drinking water after three days. I took his advice and stayed fasting for a week. During that time he phoned up Dr. Paul Yonggi-Cho's church in South Korea to learn what he could of their prayer mountain where people would go to fast and pray. It was felt that I should break for a while before going on a longer fast so I did for about a week. Anxious to get on with it I began fasting again, this time with water only and decided after two weeks to continue on for the full 40 days. I would speculate that one could fast longer since Moses fasted 80 days (over two trips up the mountain) but 40 days seemed like a good target.

Quite frankly, I didn't know what fasting would accomplish. At the time nothing in my life was going right and I'd reached the point where I didn't want to carry on anymore if that's all my life would ever be. At the rate things were going that would have been the case. I managed to continue for the full 40 days. To make a long story short, I was subsequently very successful at just about any job I worked at and eventually decided to go to university where I'm currently in the medical field.

My decision to resume fasting was partly because I want more of the Lord's guidance, partly because previous fasting brought great results and partly because I just want to focus my life on the Lord's plans and purposes for it. I have an economic incentive as well since students don't get paid much. This is like going to see an old friend I haven't seen in years; I remember what the Lord did in my life after my last 40-day fast and feel he can do great things through me still.

I've been fasting on and off for the last month-and-a-half and wish to reach a 21-day water fast or possibly a 40-day water fast. I may go on an extended fast very soon. I just broke a fast of a few days to attend a lunch meeting at my school. I ate last night as well and feel like I'm about ready to cycle back in now.

I started this thread because I don't want to seem like I'm swarming everyone else's thread. I don't know what I'll experience this time around or what I expect to find. I want to be open to the Lord to pray for the things He sets in my heart and to just generally follow His leading. I felt from the questions that have been asked on this forum that this may be able to help answer some of them. God bless you all,

Malcolm

 

[eoe]

The only things I suggest are to get the blessing / advice of your pastor / spiritual father and to regularly keep in contact with them over the course of the fast. That and to start praying and never stop.

May God grant you everything that is profitable to your soul.

 

[DawnTillery]

Malcolm,
I am praying for you!!

God Bless

 

[MalcolmD]

Dawn and eoe: Thank you!

I found some good scriptures on fasting:

Acts 13:2,3; As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 14:23; And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

The "normal" fast: from everything but water, most probably the case in Luke 4:2;
Luke 4:1,2; And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

The "absolute" fast: from all food and drink
Ezra 10:6; Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

Esther 4:16; Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

Acts 9:8,9; And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

Other forty-day fasts:
Exodus 34:27,28; And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Deuteronomy 9:9; When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

1 Kings 19:8; And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

The "partial fast": a restriction on certain foods or meals.
Daniel 10:2,3; In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.


Yesterday I broke the fast I was on because of a lunch meeting. It was good to see the others who attended but since the lunch was pizza and soda I later had some meat, whole-grain bread, coffee, orange juice and a couple of chocolates. I thought this morning I might want to load up on protein but I felt more like fasting instead so I did that. I've been meaning to visit some Christian friends out of town as well will probably put that off until I break this fast. I'll let them know what's up next time we're in touch.

 

[MalcolmD]

Interesting day today; I spent over four hours setting up my account with a cell phone company and in the end I ended up taking care of it over the phone than by using their local stores. I only brought that up to mention that I think because I've been fasting and praying the whole experience didn't get frustrating at all, even though it was a little time-consuming.

Physically I feel very good. Maintaining a fast seems easier than before I discovered this forum, knowing others are like-minded and encouraged like I am to see more Christians active in this. I'm also less easily tempted to give up for some momentary reason and looking in the mirror seems a little easier on the eyes as well. Comic Sarah Silverman once remarked that she'd like to ask Jesus where he got his rock-hard butt so I like to think I'm starting to look more like Him, lol. Initial changes are probably mostly water loss, perhaps from osmotic effects but sooner or later the body will burn up the fat too. What really helps, though is knowing Christians are out there praying for me and encouraged themselves in this. So thanks!

I have a few other things to do though, so I want to say thank you and thanks for your prayers. God bless,

Malcolm

 

[MalcolmD]

Things are going well. I feel great and the walk here felt good. I think I can focus on personal issues better now and don't feel I'm such a hurry to deal with them. All the best!

 

[MalcolmD]

Broke fast...Something just felt like a lead balloon landed on me, I don't know how else to describe it. I was at my place of work today and one of the people I work with was around - I get this feeling around him that I just can't explain. I will have to raise some concerns I've had about him for his own protection as well as that of others.

On the other hand it was a good fast with no cheating! A fast probably doesn't have to be that strict to lose weight and that's not the reason I'm doing it, but it's likely to happen and I'm glad to see the pounds go. That's kilos for everyone not in the US . I think the spiritual benefits are likely to be greater with a strict fast. I've downloaded some papers on obesity research too and where they concern fasting I'll mention what they say.

I'll probably go back to fasting soon. I have a dinner party in a couple of weeks plus a Christian family to visit which should leave a nice gap in between. God bless you all in your search for answers about fasting and I thank you; feel free to join me!

 

[MalcolmD]

I think my prayers are getting answered with regards to others around me. The Lord brought me to a place of greater understanding of the individual I spoke of. There are issues there but the Lord's given me wisdom in the matter. The Lord's also blessed me in my work and brought me some excellent commendation from the person under whom I work. Thank you Jesus!

 

[MalcolmD]

I'll be starting another fast soon. I was going to visit a Christian family sometime and break it but I may just fast in the meantime. God bless you all!

 

[eoe]

Abba John the Short, advising the young brothers to love fasting, told them frequently: “The good soldier, undertaking to capture a strongly fortified, enemy city, blockades food and water. In this way the resistance of the enemy is weakened and he finally surrenders. Something similar happens with carnal impulses, which severely war against a person in his youth. Blessed fasting subdues the passions and the demons and ultimately removes them far from the combatant.”





“And the powerful lion,” he told them another time, “frequently falls into a snare because of his gluttony, and all of his strength and might disappear.”

 

[eoe]

St. Abba Isaac the Syrian says, "The Saviour began the work of our salvation with fasting. In the same way, all those who follow in the footsteps of the Saviour build on this foundation the beginning of their endeavor, since fasting is a weapon established by God. Who will escape blame if he neglects this? If the Lawgiver Himself fasts, how can any of those who have to obey the law be exempt from fasting? This is why the human race knew no victory before fasting, and the devil was never defeated by our nature as it is: but this weapon has indeed deprived the devil of strength from the outset. Our Lord was the Leader and the first example of this victory, in order to place the first crown of victory on the head of our nature. As soon as the devil sees someone possessed of this weapon, fear straightway falls on this adversary and tormentor of ours, who remembers and thinks of his defeat by the Saviour in the wilderness; his strength is at once destroyed and the sight of the weapon given us by our Supreme Leader burns him up. A man armed with the weapon of fasting is always afire with zeal. He who remains therein, keeps his mind steadfast and ready to meet and repel all violent passions."

 

[MalcolmD]

eoe: That was a very good word: thank you! I noticed as much while fasting. This is quite a forum: I have only been in Catholic churches maybe two or three times in my life so my exposure to their teaching is quite limited. My own Christian experiences have been in pentecostal-type churches; I know of ministers who've had some powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit in their lives including divine healing but I've never heard much teaching on fasting. Thank you very much!