Out with the old... In with the ???

Mah Nishmah? (Hebrew for "What's up?)

So, I thought that I would explain a little bit about this time of prayer and fasting that I begin at midnight tonight. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of what to pray for. I also want to share a little encouragement about fasting that I received from my doctor on Monday.

I will be fasting from all food. I will only be drinking water, certain types of fruit and vegetable juices, and broth. I am in good health and able to do this fast. Please pray that God will give me strength through this time as I find my reliance on Him and not the things of this world. I am hoping to find spiritual renewal, strengthening of my faith, and wisdom from God. This is an exciting time for me as I am expecting God to reveal Himself as I've never seen before.

For over a month now, I have felt God leading me to do this forty day fast. At first, I continually ignored this call because I thought that I was not able to do such a fast. Through the past month, God has not allowed me to push this aside and move on with life. So, I am answering His call to fast and pray. You see, I love to eat and I love to cook. I also like to think I'm fairly good at both. A vast majority of my interactions have to do with food in some way, shape, or form. It is something I rely on and never give up. It is where I find my energy, comfort, and acceptance. God has convicted me to find these things in Him and no where else. Thus, one of the main reasons I am fasting. The other reason is to find clarity and vision for a mission trip God has called me to in Morogoro, Tanzania. God is asking me to trust Him to provide a vision, opportunities, and finances for this trip (all of which I worry about). Through prayer and fasting, I know God will reveal Himself to me and what He has in store because He has called me to this fast. I'm excited to see what God teaches me and shows me along this journey and hope that you will find encouragement through it as well. 

In Matthew 17: 14 - 21 it says:

When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him." And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

My doctor recently talked to me about this scripture while being checked out to make sure that I was healthy. In the New American Standard Bible, it is the only scripture found in the New Testament that mentions both prayer and fasting. From this passage, I see and feel encouraged by the fact that there is power in PRAYER AND FASTING. Jesus knew and understood the impact that these two "Spiritual Disciplines" have on life. I pray that through the next forty days of prayer and fasting that God will do mighty things in and around me. 

I hope that this gives a little insight as to why I will be fasting and what you can pray for me during this time. It is time for me to be "Out with the old... and In with the ???" It is time to find out what that "???" is and see God reveal it. If you have any questions or comments or anything, please feel free to comment on my blog because I would love to talk about these things more!

May the Lamb of God, who was slain, receive the reward of His suffering! Amen!

Josh