A fast is not a hunger strike. Fasting submits to God's commands. A hunger strike wants God submit to our demands.
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Wesleyan preacher William Bramwell wrote in 1809 that the reason many do not live in the power of their salvation is because ‘there is too much sleep, too much meat and drink, too little fasting and self-denial, too much taking part in the world ... and too little self-examination and prayer.’ Humility and self-denial are two sides of the same coin. Jesus’ greatest calling for us to deny ourselves came when He stated, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me’ (Matt. 16:24). By fasting as unto the Lord we answer His call to deny ourselves for the sake of the cross. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life.
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Wesleyan preacher William Bramwell wrote in 1809 that the reason many do not live in the power of their salvation is because ‘there is too much sleep, too much meat and drink, too little fasting and self-denial, too much taking part in the world ... and too little self-examination and prayer.’ Humility and self-denial are two sides of the same coin. Jesus’ greatest calling for us to deny ourselves came when He stated, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me’ (Matt. 16:24). By fasting as unto the Lord we answer His call to deny ourselves for the sake of the cross. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform your life.
When people talk about a Krispy Kreme doughnut, they're usually referring to their signature treat: the Original Glazed. Made from a recipe dating back to the 1930s, their Original Glazed doughnuts have helped set them apart. And if you haven't had an Original Glazed HOT off the line, you need to try one! Krispy Kreme opened at Bahrain in Seef Mall and had over 300 customers on its first day.Ramadan رمضان, a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting (sawm), in which participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from true dawn until sunset. Every day during this month Muslims get up before the first call to prayer and have breakfast. They then stop eating or drinking until the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset). Muslims may continue to eat and drink after the sun has set, until the next morning.
I am sure many of you are sitting there wondering what these three things have in common. Well…the answer is simple, ME. Living in the Middle East can lead to some interesting situations and last month I found myself in one of them. I had decided to fast for the month of Ramadan. Not as the Muslims fast, but a juice fast abstaining from all food for 30 days. With so much going on and changing in my life I felt the need to seek God and to intercede for my Muslim friends.
I was doing pretty well until the 4th day. One of my students had gone to the Krispy Kreme that just opened here in Bahrain and brought me some donuts. Normally this would be a welcome pleasure, but that day it was a temptation. I sat the donuts on the desk and proceeded to teach. I could here the little donuts calling to me from inside the box..."eat me, eat me. I'm warm and sweet. You know you want to." My will power was fading the I found myself asking God to make the donuts go away. As soon as class ended I tryed to give the donuts away to the other teacher, but they won't take them. What was I going to do? I knew that if I drove with them in the car I would give in. I was going to have to get ride of them one way or the other. So...into the garbage they went.
A valuable lesson was learned during this little, seemingly insignificant, experience. Fasting...self denial, even for all the right reasons, is hard. In the end it was worth it. I feel closer to God then I have in a long time and He taught me so much during those 30 days.
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