Like the taco bell commercial, I don't know which is truly the correct word to use, but today I was hungry...literally had pains, or pangs. I know, it sounds logical during a fast, but for the past weeks I have tried to 'prepare' for Tuesday lunch fasts by eating a big breakfast and drinking water throughout the day. I guess I never realized that by doing these things I was actually trying to keep away any negative feelings of hunger.
My verse for today was... "If anyone is to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me, will save it" Matthew 16:25 I reminded myself that sometimes following Christ requires sacrifice, so I searched myself to see if I was willing to sacrifice food to the point of actually causing hunger. This made me think of our neighbor who has been borrowing our car for about a month because hers recently died. Living in a small town with great public transportation, we have little need for this second vehicle, so it is usually not much sacrifice to offer this to her. But when Matt was finishing up his dissertation, there were days he needed to run into school, or the library, or to a place of quiet, and it would be gone. So then, when it actually caused our lives to be affected, were we as quick to still give to another?
My prayer today... is for our neighbor to be able to save up for and afford a new car. We love you Linda, and know that God loves you. You have blessed our lives in many ways and pray that our Lord and provider would provide you with reliable transportation to stay in touch with your family!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
By Prayer and Fasting; A Beginning
Matthew 17: 14-20 tells of a boy with epilepsy who is brought to Jesus' disciples, but they could not cure him. Jesus asks for the boy to be brought to Him, He rebukes the demon, and the boy is healed 'from that very hour.' When the disciples ask Jesus why they could not cast out this demon, Jesus says, "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 exept by prayer and fasting."
I remember this verse coming to mind one time while flying over the Atlantic Ocean and jokingly saying to a mountain below, 'move'! I trusted that if God said it could happen, that it could, hoped that I had faith as small as a mustard seed, but how could I if even the disciples were unable to muster up this much?
But this blog is not about me spouting commands to creation en route to vacation! Recently this verse has come to mind because I feel like there are a lot of mountains that need to be moved- in the world, in my life, in the lives of others. Like the disciples, I want to be Christ's hands and feet to heal, bring hope, and truth. I don't believe that Jesus was annoyed the boy had to be brought to Him, but He tells the discples that there is something powerful about prayer and fasting and in John 14 that 'Whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." I started thinking, what 'mountains' can be moved, or what 'demons' could be cast out by Christ's power in me, so that The Father may be glorified?
So I decided to start praying and fasting- REALLY praying and fasting. Every Tuesday I would skip lunch (I love food, ok, so I decided to start small), and dedicate that time to prayer. I admit the decision about day and time was largely out of convenience since I only work a half day on Tuesdays, finish up paperwork during my lunch, go right home to watch our children, so it is often difficult to get lunch in any way. Still, since committing myself to this seemingly small discipline, many different struggles have presented themselves. I thought that recording and sharing them may help myself and others as we seek to follow and be used by Christ to move mountains By Prayer and Fasting.
I remember this verse coming to mind one time while flying over the Atlantic Ocean and jokingly saying to a mountain below, 'move'! I trusted that if God said it could happen, that it could, hoped that I had faith as small as a mustard seed, but how could I if even the disciples were unable to muster up this much?
But this blog is not about me spouting commands to creation en route to vacation! Recently this verse has come to mind because I feel like there are a lot of mountains that need to be moved- in the world, in my life, in the lives of others. Like the disciples, I want to be Christ's hands and feet to heal, bring hope, and truth. I don't believe that Jesus was annoyed the boy had to be brought to Him, but He tells the discples that there is something powerful about prayer and fasting and in John 14 that 'Whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." I started thinking, what 'mountains' can be moved, or what 'demons' could be cast out by Christ's power in me, so that The Father may be glorified?
So I decided to start praying and fasting- REALLY praying and fasting. Every Tuesday I would skip lunch (I love food, ok, so I decided to start small), and dedicate that time to prayer. I admit the decision about day and time was largely out of convenience since I only work a half day on Tuesdays, finish up paperwork during my lunch, go right home to watch our children, so it is often difficult to get lunch in any way. Still, since committing myself to this seemingly small discipline, many different struggles have presented themselves. I thought that recording and sharing them may help myself and others as we seek to follow and be used by Christ to move mountains By Prayer and Fasting.
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