Wrecking Wednesdays

So, I have a fasting calendar for each month in this year 2013. The months vary in terms of the length of days and the type of fasts. I have set apart the Wednesdays of this month for a dry fast, that is; no water, no food, no juice, no tea; nothing goes in my mouth from 5am, to 5pm. I perceive a habit that’s going to be done until my last breath on earth, but I’ll just see. Honestly, Wednesdays are not my favorite days! These are the days I dread most because that’s when I get closer to God and as I get closer to Him I am quite aware of my filthiness. These are the days I dread most because that’s when my Father takes out His discipline rod and corrects my errors. These are the days I dread most because my heart is openly displayed and the Creator of the universe has His focus entirely on me, building my character. I allow Him to judge me according to His Word and it’s not fun at all when your motives behind being a Christian are exposed. But what can I do? I am desperate to have all of my flesh crucified so a Christian’s got to do what a Christian’s got to do. God, I was born with a boastful nature, wreck my heart until the only boasting I do is in the Lord! God my mind struggles with much day dreaming and absent- mindness, wreck my mind until the only thing I constantly think about is ways to please you! God, I get irritated by people at times; wreck my feelings until the only thing I have towards my neighbour is the love of Christ. (He has me in the furnace and He heats it, and He heats it, and He heats it-and it feels like hell sometimes. He throws out what He doesn’t like: My pride, my ambition, my secret lust, my temper, my unforgiving spirit, my stubbornness. He purifies until He looks at me and He sees His reflection. He won’t be satisfied with less. He doesn’t come to make me a great preacher, or a great writer, or a great singer, He comes because He wants to reflect His beauty in my life! Leonard Ravenhill).

What Fasting Does 

There are quite a number of people in the bible who fasted and therefore produced immortal fruit in their personal lives and their ministries. Mind you, a ministry doesn’t necessarily have to be a big congregation; yours could be right where you are at the moment- your family and household, your workplace, your friend, or that one person who constantly comes to your home cell. The first example that I want us to look at is Jesus Himself, from Mathew chapter 4. We get all so hungry and dramatic after skipping a few meals so you can just imagine how Jesus must have felt like when he hadn’t had anything to eat for 40 days and 40 nights. Both Jesus and the Devil knew that Jesus had the power to turn those stones into bread, but Jesus didn’t because He had a kingdom vision in mind. You and the Devil both know that you have the freewill to do whatever you want, You can be sexual immoral if you want to, you can go to the clubs and get drunk everyday if you want to, you can go ahead and flirt with that married man on Facebook if you want to…but as a follower of Christ you don’t do all that. Why? Because you are also shaped with a kingdom vision. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, he persevered till the end when he could have just backed down and done what’s convenient for a moment’s pleasure! So Jesus knows how it feels like to be desperate for God, and if you are a Christian you’ve got to believe that just like He came through for His son, God will come through for you too! 

Lord Let Your Light Shine in Me

This is something that every Christian desires and it leads me to the second example of a man who also fasted in the bible, Moses. Moses rose up early in the morning and went to Mount Sinai to spend time with God. ( 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. Exodus 34:28). When Moses came down to the people His face shone so bright that he had to cover it with a veil. Apparently, they were scared of him too so they didn’t want to get too close to him. I don’t think there was anything to be scared about, all that Moses did was spend time with God and was now reflecting God’s glorious light. See, wishful thinking and day dreaming won’t get that light shining in you, you have to act. You have to fast when no one is willing to fast, pray when no one’s willing to pray, rise up early in the morning and go to church when no one’s willing to do that! You have to do something that no one’s willing to do!

Tell me how much time you spend alone with God, and I will tell you how spiritual you are! ~Leonard Ravenhill

Lord Give Me A Vision

The third example that I came across is a certain man named Cornelius. He is not so famous in the bible but it is mentioned that he was a devout man that feared God with his entire house, and prayed to God always. (See acts 10:2). ( And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing. Acts 10:30). Cornelius had a vision from God and that was when the man in bright clothing appeared to him-in a vision telling him to go and meet up with Simon peter somewhere. Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples and he was filled with the Holy Ghost. How do I know this? Because before Jesus ascended to heaven he breathed his spirit into all his disciples! ( And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost John 20:22).

Fasting does a couple of things according to this scripture

  1.Allows God to communicate with you in visions and dreams 
   2.Creates a platform for God to lead you to the right people and be involved in the right relationships

  3.Keeps you alert so that you are always available when kingdom work needs to be accomplished 

We approve ourselves as ministers of God in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings! ~2 Corinthians 6:4-6