iHunger: A Closer Walk with GodMinta

...and fasting (Part 2) [Illustrations included in this devotional are not visible in this view. Illustrations are only supported in the Bible App for iOS, Android, and at Bible.com] ...Fasting brings to light issues, pains, and problems that may have been hidden from your childhood or other painful experiences. If you are like me you have experienced “all hell breaking loose” in the midst of a fast. Have you ever thought about why that happens? First, the enemy does everything he can to distract and deter us from fasting and second abstaining from natural food has supernatural results. Fasting and purification are like the process of refining silver or gold. When silver is first found in its purest form it is filled with dross or impurities.....dirt if you will. With the natural eye, it is even hard to spot in its most natural form. The silver is then taken through the process by the refiner. In short, the process consists of the silver being placed in the fire. The interesting part about the process is that once placed in the fire the impurities that were once hidden rise to the top so that they can then be scrapped off to produce pure silver. The Refiner knows that the process is complete when he can see his reflection in the silver. Just like this process, during fasting issues that you have hidden or issues that you may have thought you were over will arise during fasting. It is in these moments that God deals with YOU; the moments where He brings you face to face with your issues. Can I encourage you and let you know that God is bringing some things up to take them out? The scripture reminds us that “when He tests me, I will come forth as pure gold (Job 23:10).” The purer we are the better the reflection of the Refiner. Lastly, another benefit of fasting is that fasting has the ability to move the hand of God faster. Fasting does not manipulate God but can cause Him to speak and move quickly when we do so with a pure heart. There are many examples of fasts in the Bible, but we see a few in the lives of Esther, Ahab, and of Jesus Himself. Esther called a fast in order to find favor with God and the King (Esther 4). The evil king, Ahab, moved the hand of God to spare his life from judgment (1 Kings 21). Even Jesus Christ fasted at the beginning of his public ministry and to provide a model for how we should deny our flesh (Luke 4). If Jesus fasted to accomplish what He was sent to do then so should we. I challenge you to give yourself to prayer...and fasting! Today’s Prayer Father I want to be closer to You than I've ever been before. I really want to make prayer and fasting as a way of life. I want to turn down my plate for a change - in my thinking, my attitude, and my character. Bring change in my thinking, change in my attitude and change in my character. Lord change ME! Amen.