Fasting? What are you learning?

Participating in "Awakening" has been an awesome opportunity for all of us to explore the discipline of fasting in our lives. In Matt 6 Jesus gives instruction for when we give, when we pray and when we fast. As believers we often struggle with giving, we understand that prayer matters but fasting seems foreign and out dated.

Today a friend asked me what God has been saying to me during this fast. There is so much to say. First - I'm so pumped about fasting. This is now our 3rd 21-day fast at the beginning of the new year at Oasis. Each year God reveals himself to me and our church as we forgo food to seek clarity. This year, more than any other year the discipline factor of fasting has not been a struggle. From day one there has been clarity and answers. We've prayed for salvation to be in our house and in the last 3-weeks there have been 18 people give their lives to Christ.

We've prayed that God will send the workers. We press on in this regard and know that we must continue to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send his workers. And - in 2-weeks we've had 26 new families or individuals give us their information. Already many are asking how they can serve!

More than anything this fast has been the "spiritual atomic bomb" that Bill Bright & Stovall Weems speak of when they talk about fasting. I can't say I ever have a day that I don't love God - but my passion level can wane. I can become stressed out and focused on what does not matter. In the past 16 days my passion level had gone WAY up! And I know that I want it to stay up, even move on up!

So, if putting aside food and other distractions on a regular basis - to fast - is going to increase my passion for the Kingdom then I am in! New school fasting- seeking to be in alignment with what God is up to all around us and then joining in! Clarity in what matters! Cleaning out the cob webs! Revving the engine! Let's go for it!

So are you fasting? What are you learning?