Fasting is the wilful abstaining from natural pleasures for a spiritual purpose. (Dr Myles Munroe).

As the year 2022 was coming to a close I began to pray and fast over what God would require me and my spiritual sisters to welcome the new year. My personal reflection and waiting provided an opportunity to praise God about the current years progress, yet challenged me on what I would need to prepare myself for with the coming year. This allowed me to acknowledge the little victories that have been allocated through out the year.

I remember praying in early December enquiring with the Lord if the decision to have a Fourteen (14) day Paul’s Fast with my spiritual sisters would seem inevitable. As much as it was exciting, the thought of coming out of my comfort zone meant that i was going to be treading in deep waters. I spent days praying fervently for the Lord to prepare me and also prepare the hearts of my sisters as we embark on this fast journey. We stood together in prayer and came in agreement to seek His will for the way forward, we all felt that it was time to move into higher grounds with our spiritual life.

For the past two years I had grown accustomed to beginning my new year with a Daniel Fast, however having received this affirmation changed the course of my journey into the next season. Of course, I love the idea of trying new things, but as much as i dared to risk all opportunities, i do admit trying something new scared me. Now having previously studied the book of Acts whose author ultimately wrote almost half of the books of the New Testament (NT) . Reading it again on this occasion sparked a light blub moment. I spent days after studying this deeply as I felt convicted that there was something God wanted to reveal to me through this scripture.

Ultimately any fast done, takes prayer, planning and preparation, we do not just prepare physically but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally; for me this took at least two weeks prior to the fast. This was an experience to behold as it meant i came in with no agenda, except to seek God, i had no pointers or prayer requests or agendas, i remember praying, all i could gasp was ‘Here i am Lord, wholly available, i was then led to read Isaiah 6:8 ‘then i heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall i send? and who will go for us? and i said here am i Lord? Send me.’

Let’s take a look at the story of Paul who was once Saul, his encounter with God on the road to Damascus with his desire to persecute the disciples of Jesus Christ turned sour when Jesus met him abruptly. (Acts 9). We read of Paul’s Fast” in Acts 27: 33 (AMP) “While they waited for the day to dawn, Paul encouraged them all [and told them] to have some food, saying, “This is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly on watch and going without food, having eaten nothing.” I pondered on this scripture, this is not directed at them not having to eat for two weeks straight, but it does reveal that during this boat journey, they probably did not have a good meal and were only picking off scraps and bits of what was provided them amidst experiencing difficult weather conditions.

Moreover, fasting is a personal commitment to renounce the physical and invoke the spiritual. If anything for me Fasting has taught me to guard against pride, despair and unbelief. In my experiences and journey of fasting over the years, I have gathered that fasting is not for me to impress people, rather it provides me with an opportunity to cultivate self denial. As a Pastor shared, “the experience is private although the results is public”. Our mind is a battlefield of the enemy, and we are challenged to-“pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (GNT)

Now you might not be in simultaneous experiences like Paul was in. Although the strenuous encounter that He went through evoked me to align myself to God through the example of taking my faith to another level for 2023. Let’s be real? He was trialed, charged yet found without fault, those who accused him could not provide evidence (Acts 26). He was later shipwrecked, cold, tired, experienced fatigue and going without food for days? Despite his attempts in providing sound advice the Centurion did not hid his advice. (Acts 27:11)

I can’t imagine myself in this difficult situation, although the process of this fast, I did feel the same pain and discomfort as I chose to intentionally submit myself to God in waiting. In this case, it was for twelve hours of my day with only intake of water or hot water. We rallied as a group of women- praying through the day consecutively for the fourteen day period and it had a tremendous effect on our experience, where personal bible study, sermons, worship music and bible verses was shared amongst our group to encourage and empower us whilst we seek God in waiting. I was directed with this affirmation from Proverbs 23: 7 ‘For as a man thinks, so He is’.

This is my first experience of Paul’s Fast and it is certainly not my last. With this, it has catapult my spiritual awareness as i continue to nourish my soul through Gods Word with unceasing prayers, the exceptions of a disciple in me has to adhere to what God is prompting me to do through the power of His Holy Spirit and not what I think is best for me, we are encouraged “For if we live according to the flesh, we will die, but if the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you live.” Romans 8:13 (ESV)

In saying this, I have gained more than I anticipated, much has transpired within this fast journey which I will share at a later time God willing. I vividly remember as a child in Sunday school, we would always sing the chorus “with Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm, smile at the storm, until he takes me home”. Know today, that there is no storm too big that our God cannot calm, the howling winds and raging seas can never withstand Gods power in your life. I pray that as you continue to journey in faith with Christ in your vessel, that you will always be inspired through Gods Word (the Bible) to help you as believers to decipher through life with Gods good grace.

I would like to highlight a few things I received having studied Acts 27 during the 14 day fast;

1. If your faith has met a shipwreck it is an opportunity for you to realign yourself to God. A faith that loses to the shipwreck experience was no faith at all. (Hebrews 11:1)

2. Be teachable and open to receive correction (1 Peter 5:5)

3. Your conscious can be affected by copying what someone else does. (Copy-cat syndrome) (Romans 2:15)

4. Whose voice are you listening too? Unaware their voice will become the voice you speak (Acts 22:7)

5. Pay attention to who is with you on your ship? Journey or travels? (Psalm 37:5)

7. Release excess cargo, any excess baggage can drown your “SHIP”– friendship, courtship, relationship and the likes. (Ecclesiastes 3:6)

To end, waiting on God through fasting is a joy not a chore. I will affirm this fast experience has elevated my faith, provided me with clarity and propelled me to purposely live out my faith for God without reservation. I anticipate what God has in-store for my spiritual circle of sisters for 2023. With that, I am believing God to take us to new heights as we rely on his Holy Spirit to guide us.

My desire to blog this fast experience has come about in the hope that this will encourage you to allow God to captain your ship to safety, even if a storm appears and tempts you to lose your faith? God is with you as He was with Paul.

Disclaimer:

I’m not a physician or medical professional of any kind. This information is based on my personal experience. I will not tell you what to do with your life, spiritual or physical. Remember no matter what you decide to do with your walk with Christ, God is always, always at your side.

Love & Light!

C x