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Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl

Post Number: 184
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 9:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

ok, i hate long posts too, but bear with me if you can because my heart is so full.

I recently participated in an online 21-day prayer and "fast" group with friends.

I have always been afraid to fast, because i was sure I would fail and disappoint God. A friend convinced me that God would honor my "heart" and desire to enter into deeper intimacy with Him, whether I made it an hour or a day or whatever.

God has so blessed me in that effort. Dedicated prayer time each day has been powerful. Support of others praying together has increased the benefit.

Tonight at my alpha group, a young guy with a legalistic background was very antsy about praying outloud. I can remember the exact feeling of wanting to run to the restroom when it was time to pray outloud in a small group in ss or whatever.

Praise God I am free of that need to be anything but real in His presence. It is awesome to be able to be completely honest with God, and know, absolutely know, that God longs for that openness. Cry out to Jesus. He will teach you to pray, He will increase your faith. He will give you full assurance of his love and your salvation in Him alone. He will send His Spirit.

Pardon my exhuberance. I have been so blessed I just cant shut up about it! If you have ever been hesitant to fast, or to pray honestly, I hope you reconsider.

JavaGirl
4excape@bellsouth.net

Wooliee
Registered user
Username: Wooliee

Post Number: 69
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 7:22 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

JavaGirl,

I remember one of the first times I was asked to pray up front for church, and agreed to it. When that day came I wanted to bolt and run! Here all these distinguished people always get up and pray so properly and beautifully, and I'm just this girl who rambles and certainly isn't distinguished. The pastor could tell I was going to hyperventilate, so he gave me a quick pep talk and reminded me I was there to talk to God from my heart.

Not long after that a women's prayer group was started that I became a part of. We would meet once a week in someone's home and do a short study on prayer, and then just closed our eyes and prayed as the Holy Spirit moved. These women were all older than me, but they took me under their wing and I learned so much from them about the Lord and His great love and desire for me, and praying. I grew so much spiritually then.

Now I love praying with others! It is a blessing to do that.

Julie
Melissa
Registered user
Username: Melissa

Post Number: 1326
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 8:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This is only "sortof" about the topic, but it seemed the best thread to post it on. Hope it touches your heart!
-------------------------------------

HIS FINAL PRAYER WAS ABOUT YOU - - -
by Max Lucado

As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his
prayers. As Jesus looked into heaven, you were in his
vision. As Jesus dreamed of the day when we will be
where he is, he saw you there.

His final prayer was about you. His final pain was for
you. His final passion was you.

He steps into the garden, and invites Peter, James,
and John to come. He tells them his soul is
ìoverwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,î and
begins to pray.

Never has he felt so alone. What must be done, only he
can do. An angel canít do it. No angel has the power
to break open hellís gates. A man canít do it. No man
has the purity to destroy sinís claim. No force on
earth can face the force of evil and winóexcept God.

ìThe spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,î Jesus
confesses.

His humanity begged to be delivered from what his
divinity could see. Jesus, the carpenter, implores.
Jesus, the man, peers into the dark pit and begs,
ìCanít there be another way?î

Did he know the answer before he asked the question?
Did his human heart hope his heavenly father had found
another way? We donít know. But we do know he asked
to get out. We do know he begged for an exit. We do
know there was a time when if he could have, he would
have turned his back on the whole mess and gone away.

But he couldnít.

He couldnít because he saw you. Right there in the
middle of a world which isnít fair. He saw you cast
into a river of life you didnít request. He saw you
betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body
which gets sick and a heart which grows weak.

He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and
sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of
your own failures and the mouth of your own grave.

He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemaneóand he didnít
want you to be alone.

He wanted you to know that he has been there, too. He
knows what itís like to be plotted against. He knows
what itís like to be confused. He knows what itís
like to be torn between two desires. He knows what
itís like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps
most of all, he knows what itís like to beg God to
change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, ìNo.î

For that is what God says to Jesus. And Jesus accepts
the answer. At some moment during that midnight hour
an angel of mercy comes over the weary body of the man
in the garden. As he stands, the anguish is gone from
his eyes. His fist will clench no more. His heart
will fight no more.

The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on
Golgotha. It wasnít. You may have thought the sign of
victory is the empty tomb. It isnít. The final battle
was won in Gethsemane.

And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the
olive trees.

For it was in the garden that he made his decision.
He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven
without you.
Pheeki
Registered user
Username: Pheeki

Post Number: 772
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 9:04 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am scheduled to fast tomorrow. I am scared too. I don't know if I can do it. The pastor has asked us to fast for the church, they want to reach the people in the neighborhood the church is in...it was once a nice neighborhood and is now "the hood". The church was given the building (church) by a group of older people...the church had dwindled down to about 30 members and we didn't have a church sooo...they turned the title over to us. It was truly a miracle and very hard for old diehards to do, since they built the church.

Pray for me and my fasting endeavor!
Seekr777
Registered user
Username: Seekr777

Post Number: 448
Registered: 1-2003


Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 10:28 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pheeki, if you will send me an email with your email address I'll send you back some information on fasting that has been a blessing to me.

In Christ,

Richard

rtruitt@mac.com


Pheeki
Registered user
Username: Pheeki

Post Number: 775
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 11:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Looking forward to it Seekr.
Bobj
Registered user
Username: Bobj

Post Number: 5
Registered: 1-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 7:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Melissa
Thank you for the Max Lucado post above. WHAT AN AWESOME SAVIOR!!
Wooliee
Registered user
Username: Wooliee

Post Number: 71
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 7:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Melissa,

I get goosebumps when I read that! Thank you!

Julie
Patriar
Registered user
Username: Patriar

Post Number: 239
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 7:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Javagirl:

It's interesting that you should post this now. It would seem that God is trying to tell me something!

I picked up a book called "Hunger for God" by John Piper a couple weeks ago and let me tell you!---it is powerful. I have never really thought about fasting. I know my mom has fasted from food and drinks at different times, but I just never really understood it (I really still don't but am intrigued.)

It gives me pause and makes me ask myself 'am I willing to give it (whatever that may be) up for the Lord'. Obviously He doesn't NEED me to. But do I NEED me to? Is there something He wants to teach me?

And prayer! Nearly every time I go to turn on the radio lately, I feel the Lord urge me to pray instead. Now, I've learned ALOT from the radio and so it is almost like fasting to obey. But last week, I did obey and a dear friend came to mind immediately. The very next day she called and said that she and her husband are experiencing some difficult things. It was such a blessing--both to her and to me--to say, 'hey! the Lord brought you to my mind and impressed me to pray for you yesterday". It brought a whole 'nother dimension of His love to light.

Isn't He amazing??!!

In Awe,

Patria
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 3605
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 10:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Patria, thank YOU for sharing, too. Your post makes me think, and I do know that I have also had the impression at various times recently to pray. Thank you.

Colleen
Honestwitness
Registered user
Username: Honestwitness

Post Number: 53
Registered: 7-2005


Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 8:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have combined fasting with prayer several times through the years and always found it to be very powerful. One time I ate no food and drank only water for 24 hours. That was the most difficult fast. I spent the day in prayer, as much as I could. Drinking all that water made my body decide to flush toxins. I felt like I had the flu, but it got better as soon as I ate some food. I was interceeding for my father-in-law who was dying from bone cancer. I don't know if my fasting/praying had any effect on my father-in-law, but it really had an effect on me. It gave me a sense of spiritual power and at the same time a humility I had never before had.

Another time, I fasted by eating only Ezekiel bread (http://www.breadbeckers.com/recipes/ezekiel_bread.htm) and drinking water. I intended to fast this way for 3 days, but I only lasted about a day and a half. During the day I was fasting, I drove to a lonely wooded area and sat in my car and prayed about everything I could think of to pray about. My prayers were very focused on spiritual warfare on behalf of the church I was attending at the time, the community where I lived and a family member who was involved in some very illicit activities. Shortly after this, there was a lot of upheaval in the church and also in my family. I don't know if the fasting and praying precipitated the upheaval or not, but it did strengthen me to go through the subsequent experiences while keeping my relationship with God intact.

At other times, I've fasted from only one type of food for a few days. Like one time I ate nothing made with wheat and another time I ate no dairy products. I've always prayed before fasting, asking God to give me wisdom and instruction on how He wants me to fast and what he wants me to pray about.

These times of prayer and fasting have always given me strength and clarity to endure some very difficult experiences that followed.

I have a book called, "Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting" by Derek Prince. See Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0883683393/104-7332858-3543919?v=glance&n=283155. This is a very inspiring book about a time when Prince and others prayed and fasted for Kenya. Their testimony of the results is very encouraging and the book is very instructive on how to fast and pray effectively.
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl

Post Number: 188
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 7:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pheeki, are you fasting?

Melissa: Awesome, moving, and great for me, as I am up to John 17 in my study this week, the final days of Jesus.

Patria: I didnt know anything about fasting at all either. It always seemed so rigid, and seemed to go along with "food law" ideas in my mind. Here is the format we used in our "modified fast" recently.

Description (Edit, Add Photo)
21 days of prayer. Starts Feb 6 till the end of the month. Join a few friends and friends-to-be in a 21 day modified "fast". Give up something to God--a worry, a habit, a time waster. Add dedicated prayer time each day, and pray with and for others in the group. Watch to see what God provides in the form of truth, strength, growth for each of us.

No doctrinal discussions please. This is meant as an open, non-denominational support and unifying Christian group.

This was awesome! We made new friends from diverse places. Prayer has taken on a new dimension for me. I found myself looking forward to my dedicated prayer time each day. I know now that God used that time of fasting to prepare me for current difficulties. I was also amazed at some of the deeper insights into scripture and God that I recieved. Some of us are still chatting on Yahoo. My Yahoo messanger is Lori_AMAG (stands for Ask Me About Grace) :-).

Honestwitness, I met the Mrs. Breadbecker the other day! Awesome bread. Recently opened a shop near me, and the CD and the leading of God in that business is amazing. I took 8 loaves to my parents in Florida when I went! They ship!

JavaGirl
4excape@bellsouth.net

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