Hello,

All who hunger for more of God this year. As we fast this week, I'll offer a few fasting points to consider.

1. Let your family know. Set up this week for the best success. Let your family know you are staying out of the kitchen. Help them to help themselves to meals. Let your spouse know you are fasting and ask his/her support to help them feed themselves. And ask them to refrain from tempting you.
2. Have plenty of filtered water on hand. Have juices on hand and even a cracker if you feel faint.
3. Give yourself grace. If you fall off one day, start again the next. Do the best that you can.
4. Pray, pray and pray. Even if you don't fast. Pray. This praying at the beginning of the year is powerful and leads into 12 months of living life in His will.

Okay, See you tomorrow.

Lynn Donovan

Jesus is King!

When I was in high school, my mother signed me up to teach a Christian education class to first graders.  The church provided a curriculum, a classroom, and a roster of students.  The first day of class I took attendance and began to teach the first lesson.  Almost immediately, one of the boys went to the back of the classroom and started playing with the art supplies.  I told him to go sit down, but he did not.  I ignored him and kept teaching.  Soon another child got up and went to the back of the room.  By the third session of this class, all I was doing was taking attendance and keeping the kids in the room. I stopped even attempting to teach. 

The gospels tell a story about a man who brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ disciples.  To summarize, Jesus is on the mountain with Peter, James, and John, and when they come down there is a crowd waiting.  A man tells Jesus about the torment of his son, and says that his disciples were not able to heal him.  Jesus expresses frustration with this “faithless and unbelieving generation” and then heals the boy. Later,

… the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:19-21, NKJV

Different translations of this passage say “This kind of demon only goes out by prayer and fasting” but in the original language, “this kind” refers to the unbelief, not the demon.  Jesus is clearly telling them that the issue is their faith, or rather the lack of it. 

When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions and he fell to the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth.  I’m sure this was frightening for the disciples to witness, and though they knew Jesus had given them authority over the powers of darkness, they reacted with doubt.  The same thing happened to me as a teenager. I had the authority to place my hand on the wayward child’s shoulder and direct him back to his seat.  I lost control of the class simply because I did not exercise my rightful authority. In the same way, the disciples felt powerless even though they had the authority of Jesus himself.

These same disciples had successfully cast out demons and healed the sick in the past.  But in this circumstance, they had allowed what they saw to override what they knew to be true: that Jesus himself had given them the power to cast out demons.  It can be quite difficult to stand solidly on a spiritual truth when our flesh is screaming something contradictory. 

When Jesus stated that unbelief only comes out by prayer and fasting, he was referring to this tension between the facts (what we can see in the physical realm) and the Truth as defined and described by God. Jesus was always watching and listening to the Father.  He saw the same demonic seizure as his disciples, but instead of being intimidated, he focused on his Father’s will to heal and Holy Spirit’s power to invade the natural realm.  Jesus prepared for his ministry with 40 days fasting in the wilderness, and countless more late nights and pre-dawn mornings spent in prayer. Jesus got hungry and tired as we all do, but accomplishing the Father’s will was truly his life’s purpose.

To be honest, my flesh doesn’t always want to set aside my own agenda and spend time in prayer, and it surely doesn’t want to skip many meals. But look at the promise!  If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move mountains… nothing would be impossible for you.

Jesus knows we can’t do this on our own. He is patient as we learn to follow his example, little by little.  If we increasingly trust him one minute, one hour, one day at a time, he will teach us to do what he did, and even greater things. 

Note: This story is related in Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29, and Luke 9:37-43.

Hi My Friends,

What did God reveal to you during your fast. It's time to share and encourage each other.

This is the day we give honor and worship God.

Post something in the comments you heard, felt, learned during the fast. I'll see you there.

On Monday, I'll post some of the messages I heard from God. 

See you in the comments. If you have trouble with Disqus loading. Click it a second time or reload the page. That usually works. Hugs, Lynn

Wow, What a week!

Fasting will really clean you out. Pun intended. I feel I went through so much in five shorts days. AND I didn't make it all the way through the fast. BUT I did what I could and that's enough.

If you didn't make it either, give yourself grace. Our Papa smiles that we tried. AND for those who persevered, your are honored here! Well done!

All of us learned something this week. I KNOW we did. What did the Lord reveal? What did He show you? What scripture did He unpack? Did you cleanse your soul? Did you cleanse your home? What happened?

For me, I cried A LOT! WOW! (sad face)

And now I'm done crying. I feel humbled, contrite, and vulnerable. Perhaps just where I need to be to move into this new year.

How about you. Please -PLEASE- share with me. I don't want to think I went through this week alone. 

I love all of you so much. It's as if today, on this holy and blessed Friday, I feel every emotion of love that I have for you. I feel your pain, your doubts, unbelief, and your scared-ness. I feel the tiny bit of hope that remains. I feel the overwhelm and the confusion you face. I FEEL YOU! I FEEL your heart. Truly!

We join together, you and me, this amazing community of people that God has bless us into. We REMAIN STEADFAST in faith that our Father is good. He has good for us. He is with us and will never leave us. He holds the key and NOW the door has opened. Let's clasp hands and walk through it together. It's not scary if we go together.

I love you, deeply, eternally, and with all of my heart. AND I love Jesus with all that I am, forever more. 

See you in the comments, my friends. Love and hugs, Lynn

Thank you for joining this very important time where we fast as a collective community.

There are two things we want to accomplish through a fast. One, draw closer to God. And two, cleanse ourselves to bring about clarity, holiness, and freedom.

Let’s start today off by cleansing our soul. The soul is where the demonic will work to create illness, depression and oppression.

Today, in your morning prayer time, ask Jesus some questions:

Q: Jesus, reveal to me any person who I need to forgive. Work through the forgiveness process. You can find an example of this in Marching Around Jericho, page 80.

Q: Jesus, where does the enemy retain legal rights in my life? My marriage? My family?

Repent and work through any woundedness with Jesus.

Q: Jesus is there any bitterness within me? Are there unhealed soul wounds? Are there any weapons (swords, daggers, spears, etc.) lodged into my soul? If so, remove them.

Jesus, I now ask you to cover every part of my soul with your healing blood. Cleanse my body, soul and spirit. Draw me into Your holiness.

Listen and respond. Take communion elements, if prompted. The blood is powerful.

Okay, before you leave your morning time, BLESS.

Lord Jesus, in Your name, I bless myself and my family with joy, hope, and peace. I bless us with a spirit of unity and cooperation. I bless our home to be a safe place to always land. A place of authenticity and bless us with love and commitment to one another.

Jesus, bless me and my family name them individually) with divine health today. Heal our souls, our broken hearts, and release us from lies that hold us in bondage.

Jesus, bless everything under my stewardship, love, and responsibility. Let everything I touch thrive and grow. I receive the gift of the abundant life you died to provide.

Jesus, bless my daughter with____________________.

Bless my son with______________________________.

Bless my spouse________________________________.

Bless me______________________________________.

Bless_________________________________________.

Bless me today to be sensitive to your prompting. Jesus as I feel the hunger pangs, cause me to turn to you and pray. Sustain me through this fast and help me conquer my body and bring it as an offering to You.

Today, Jesus, reveal yourself in our Nation. I speak with all the Saints, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE THAT YOUR NAME IS GLORIFIED. Jesus, in your powerful name. AMEN

Okay, in the comments, I want you to write one blessing. This blessing becomes a permanent record in the heavenly realms as I and others bear witness. And then echo another’s prayer with an amen in the comments.

This FAST will change so much in our future. Love and hugs, Lynn

Tomorrow a home cleansing prayer.