Hello All,
I, and many others, would like to read and know what you experienced during your fast and prayers. I attended CCD and when to catholic school my whole life and have not heard anything about fasting and prayer (perhaps I chose not to listen).
The first time I read about Christians actually fasting was from this site, and I thought i was a bit radical, but it seemed so right strangly. I spoke to individuals, referred to the scriptures and read other sites relating to fasting and what I've heard rested my doubts, and I knew this was missing from my life.
This is my first time fasting. It has been 36 hours since I've eaten anything, I only drank water. It is a lot harder than I thought. I did not think that it would be so hard, being that there were times that I have not eaten for days or a week, but that was out of depression and anxiety. Now I am fasting for the Lord, so it is a whole different ballpark. I have to admit, I am a bit scared at times, I think that I am going to collaps or get sick, but I reassure myself that the Lord is with me, and everything is possible with the Lord. I am humbling myself to him, let him do his will on me.
I, and others, would like to know what others think about fasting. If you are fasting now or fasted, what were you feeling and how long have you been fasting.
Christina :-)
Fasting
Hello All,
I was able to fast for four days: two days just drinking water and a small meal for each of the remaining days. So while I was fasting, I concentrated on the Lord through prayer and thoughts.
During my fast and up to this day I feel closer to the Lord, at ease and control over myself. Fasting helped me tune out distractions and focus on God during my prayers.
It was a wonderful experience.
Christina :-)
I was a student in a
I was a student in a catholic school for 12 years from elementary until senior high school. Actually they teach about fasting and I think catholic doing fasting starting from ash wednesday holy saturday, a day before we celebrate Jesus rise from death(about 40 days I guess), every year. I might wrong on the date though, its a very long time ago.
And during fasting they also commited themselves to stay away from certain thing, such thing like smoking, or using salt for their cooked food, meats, etc. They also commit themselves toward pray and worshipping during these days.
I'm trying to fasting but I found that fasting at work day don't do me much good. Too many things distract my mind from prayer, can't help it. I found I can get the best at weekend, where I can dedicate most of my times to pray and read Bible. Its not yet a habit for me. I just start doing this last weekend and I still eat twice a day, I used to eat 4 times a day sometimes + snacks at night :D . I start at 6 PM or 9 PM and end it at 3 PM or 6 PM in the next day.
My experience with fasting, first the hunger and then I found its much easier to pray when I fasting. Much much easier despite the hunger.
Fasting
I can agree with you, fasting while you have to work the majority of the day is a heavy distraction from prayer. I have no time to pray. I tried to while I was standing around doing nothing.
I do feel like my prayers were a lot stronger while I was fasting. I did not concern myself with all that was around me, or going through my mind. I was hungry, but once I started to pray, I forgot about the hunger.
What types of meals do you eat while you fast and what types of prayers do you pray?
I am not sure what type of diet I should do for fasting. I am doing the water diet. I hope I am not being to extreme being that this is my first time.
Han, have you tried to fast by not eating anything, but just drinking water at the max??
Christina :-)
I've been inactive for about
I've been inactive for about a week and I have a reason for it. Its not a good one but I hope it bring good to share it. Here the truth, life is being harder for me in the last 2-3 weeks. Specially when I start pray at night for everyone I know. There I am so determined to change my life. I determine to fast every weekend. First weekend went quite well but I have this small fight with my wife but I get through it quite well. A week after that I began to pray for everyone I know, people in here, my family, my wife's family, people at work, etc.
But this fight with my wife is intensified. Don't know why sometimes small problem went big. We always end up forgiving each other but really I'm not comfortable with it. Now learning from the last weekend where I fast but not my wife and its end up with my wife feeling neglected, I decide to ask my wife to join me fasting that weekend and she agreed. That weekend we have three days in a row, since that monday is a holiday in here. So I have saturday, sunday and monday. I thouht I'll go for eat nothing and drink water only.
First day fasting goes like hell. I think that is one among the big fight we have in three going to four years marriage. We don't go to church in the next day (sunday) and for the whole next week I'm stop praying at night. First day I pray but I felt nothing, its as if I talk alone and I'm really depressed because of it. And in few days I give up and stop praying at all. Not to mention that I have this problem at work between my conscience and the job I have to do. And I failed God in that case. So last week I'm severely beaten spiritually.
But last weekend is different. I'm not fasting but my wife did, she began to pray at night since thursday. Somehow she pray for me that I should begin to pray every night again. She said at thursday night she suddenly felt this urge to pray. So she pray and as she pray she feel that Jesus show His hand that been hunges in the cross and she felt that as if God trying to say something to her. She's not sure what but she felt that God kind of disappointed. So she start pray, singing praises and pray in tongue for hours. Its been like that for trhee days and she fast at last saturday a bit surprised as she found out that I'm not. Anyway last night I listen to this radio and a preach saying something like this:
"So what would you do with your life as Christian? Are you going to be good for a while and that bad at anotehr time, back to good then back to bad? Be a good christian when things goes smooth in your life but then run from God, quitting when somthing goes wrong?"
"Don't ever think that now as you have become christian, satan will stop bugging at you. don't think that after you have baptized, wearing cross and go to church at sunday. Satan will not attack you anymore. No my brother, he won't. And don't think him lightly either, since he have thousand of years experience in tempting human. If he fail to temp you in one thing he will try another. Maybe now you've stopped adultery, you no longer gamble or maybe beat your wife. but he will come with anotehr tamptation maybe he will intensified the temptation. If before you're tempted with some girl but now you no longer tempted, he might come to you in another form. A beautiful christian lady perhaps, started with something that seems religious."
"So be true in your call to obey God. Walk carefully with God."
So here I am, I have made terible mistake last couple weeks. I'm ashamed at how easily I forgot how God is so good to me, just within days. I humbly asked for pray to you all. I would like to back at chasing God with all my might.
Fight the devil
Dear Han,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I really appreciate your honesty. The difference between before and now is that you are really engaging in a quest to please God. So all demons that have been comfortable until now are stirring into action. Before they could take it easy.
Its great that your wife is praying too. I think you are going to get some marvellous victories. And because God is speaking to your conscience, I would say that is a sign that God is really at work in your life. Excellent.
Don't give up, speak the Word of God and command the devil to take his hand off your life. Seek also to find ways to please your wife. Maybe spend half a day doing something nice for your wife on the weekend, and just fast 1 and a half days a week. I think that would please God more.
I believe your relationship with your wife will get better. It sounds like you have a really good wife, a godly wife actually. So don't be discouraged. You are heading for a victory.
The fact that you endured a day of hell willingly through fasting means that God is building into you great qualities of endurance and leadership. So don't give up.
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