One Week After Fast - Amazing Spiritual Fruit
I don't know why I have not posted yet on ending my fast. Besides being very busy, I have just kind of been soaking in the month after and really kind of having a good time with God, my friends, our staff, teaching and studying, and having a busy ministry month at the church. Oh, and enjoying eating again.
I ended my thirty day fast a week ago yesterday by eating most of a two egg cheese omelet and, except for a little discomfort, my stomach adjusted to the light meal. It is funny because the last week of the fast I started making mental notes of the food I wanted to eat post-fast. Everything looked and smelled good, I was even tempted by a double quarter-pounder with cheese. It seems like the second day all was back to normal, except for eating slow and light, and the lists in my head went away and I have enjoyed a week of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and a snack or two here and there. (A bunch of good food at our Life Group Super Bowl party)
The awesome thing about fasting is that the constant temptation to eat helps you stay focused on Jesus. I had a great month hanging out with Jesus. No, not just hanging out, because I hang out with Him when I am not focusing on Him so much. It was hanging on, hanging in, seeing through, and noticing that He was more in control of me. It is to incredible to explain. Brother Lawrence called it, "Practicing the Presence of God." There are so many distractions in our lives that I believe that fasting is the best way to make a concentrated effort to practice God's presence.
When you are focusing on Jesus, then you are more available for the Holy Spirit to control your life. You know what comes from that:
The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5: So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. 18 But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.
when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
In the past years, when I have fasted, there has been almost a dread at the end of the fast. A couple of times I have just extended it out a few days because I did not want to get out of the closeness that had developed with God. It is too easy to get back into noticing all of the distractions of the world and miss the "feelings of Jesus" that come with a concentrated focus on our Lord.
This year I went into the last days of the fast with a prayer emphasis. I prayed that as I come out of the fast I could keep up a stronger ability to practice the presence of God and keep the level of Joy up.
Guess What? It worked.
On the last night of the fast, (Fast ended at 5:00pm) I was driving home from work on my motrocycle and had such a strong sense of Joy it was intoxicating. I could not get the grin off of my face. I wondered if people would think I was drunk as I drove with such a grin. It was incredible. This feeling of joy has been with me for the past week. I still feel a very strong presence of Jesus and it is like I don't have to really work at it. He keeps reminding me He is there. My energy and peace levels have been way up all week. I get emotional at the drop of a hat at good things. It is like Jesus is experiencing my life through me. When I read His Word it just soaks in and gives me strength.
Like I said, it is hard to explain. It is the fruit of the Spirit. I prayed this morning I can stay there.
"Lord, please help me stay focused on you. Thank you for living in me through Jesus.
an apprentice of Christ
royal
I ended my thirty day fast a week ago yesterday by eating most of a two egg cheese omelet and, except for a little discomfort, my stomach adjusted to the light meal. It is funny because the last week of the fast I started making mental notes of the food I wanted to eat post-fast. Everything looked and smelled good, I was even tempted by a double quarter-pounder with cheese. It seems like the second day all was back to normal, except for eating slow and light, and the lists in my head went away and I have enjoyed a week of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and a snack or two here and there. (A bunch of good food at our Life Group Super Bowl party)
The awesome thing about fasting is that the constant temptation to eat helps you stay focused on Jesus. I had a great month hanging out with Jesus. No, not just hanging out, because I hang out with Him when I am not focusing on Him so much. It was hanging on, hanging in, seeing through, and noticing that He was more in control of me. It is to incredible to explain. Brother Lawrence called it, "Practicing the Presence of God." There are so many distractions in our lives that I believe that fasting is the best way to make a concentrated effort to practice God's presence.
When you are focusing on Jesus, then you are more available for the Holy Spirit to control your life. You know what comes from that:
The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5: So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. 18 But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.
when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
In the past years, when I have fasted, there has been almost a dread at the end of the fast. A couple of times I have just extended it out a few days because I did not want to get out of the closeness that had developed with God. It is too easy to get back into noticing all of the distractions of the world and miss the "feelings of Jesus" that come with a concentrated focus on our Lord.
This year I went into the last days of the fast with a prayer emphasis. I prayed that as I come out of the fast I could keep up a stronger ability to practice the presence of God and keep the level of Joy up.
Guess What? It worked.
On the last night of the fast, (Fast ended at 5:00pm) I was driving home from work on my motrocycle and had such a strong sense of Joy it was intoxicating. I could not get the grin off of my face. I wondered if people would think I was drunk as I drove with such a grin. It was incredible. This feeling of joy has been with me for the past week. I still feel a very strong presence of Jesus and it is like I don't have to really work at it. He keeps reminding me He is there. My energy and peace levels have been way up all week. I get emotional at the drop of a hat at good things. It is like Jesus is experiencing my life through me. When I read His Word it just soaks in and gives me strength.
Like I said, it is hard to explain. It is the fruit of the Spirit. I prayed this morning I can stay there.
"Lord, please help me stay focused on you. Thank you for living in me through Jesus.
an apprentice of Christ
royal
posted by Royal | 7:25 AM
2 Comments:
I was wondering what you ate that first day! I had to go for 72 hours without eating or drinking once and I was fantasizing about watermelon and pickles. Juicy things that were food and drink in one.
The first night I ate a cheese omelet. The last couple of days of the fast I craved any food I saw or smelled.....
The next day, my first full meal was the rost beed special at the "Snooty Pig" cafe near my office. I ate it real slow and except for a little discomfort I did OK.....Unfortunately, I am back to eating too much and too often...
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