Written by Netisha Alie
Intro: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God..."Luke 4:4
There is a difference between being hungry and Choosing to be hungry! Dare to know the difference?
Can you imagine cooking all your favorite dishes, inhaling the tempting aroma and feasting your eyes on the color of the fried or baked 'guilty pleasures' screaming at you to 'eat them?' Then you musta up the courage to 'press to the finish line' and cook these desired meals to perfection, without even tasting it to confirm just how 'divine' it is, but instead you lay it on the plate in the most appealing manner and serve it to your family.
-while you take your plate of steamed unsalted, nothing but water boiled veggies and you eat it being completely satisfied. Are you aware of the level of mind power this takes? Surely one may say it is quite easy to do this, however, I would dismiss them immediately and add that you repeat this for weeks. This is not merely becoming vegan, but rather denying your flesh of the foods it so highly desire to indulge in and making it be satisfied with the ones you really rather have as a side instead of an actual meal.
This is a story of how fleshly pleasures and your spirit battle daily but in finding the balance you can arrive at a place of peace and much benefit. God promises us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that 'the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.' NIV Fasting has many rewards and lessons; most of which I am yet to learn, but for something I was once afraid of, I can now boast of seeing its rewards. The 'self-discipline' that God promises to give us is indeed one of the benefits of this action. Just the thought of denying yourself the very thing (food) you need to survive is already a level of mind power that is not for the weak. You will be tried, you will be lied to, your body will scream for food and threaten to break down and fall if you do not feed it and you must find the power within you to overcome it all and keep moving.
You go on with your day as normal, except there isn't anything 'normal' or 'natural' to what you are doing. You remind yourself to find time to pray and remain persistent, reading the bible, worshiping God, while everything within you is screaming for help, a fear that you will not make it. Then each day you realize, none of it is true and you are actually 'okay'. God is sustaining you and you have the strength to keep on going. Ahhh! What joy it brings to see you defeat the odds through Christ, as He said you could do. ( Philippians 4:14)
You see, we are programmed by society to depend on 'quick fixes', so much so that a 'Microwave generation' is being created. We want what we want and we want it now! How many people in 2018 can say they will seek after delayed gratification and the vast benefits that come with it? Denying the flesh and the level of mind power you acquire in doing so is far more rewarding than instant gratification. It is a decision that you make in Christ and with Him, you stick with it despite what is thrown at you.
Then on the other side of the finish line, a new level awaits you. The spirit of the Lord awakens within you and you have now gone a step deeper into life in the spirit where your view of life begins to ascend to a place where eagles roam.
There is power and reward in sacrifice through Christ, and value is measured by it!
Cheers to 21 days of fasting- A victory won through Christ! #firstfruitoffering #DanielFast
Intro: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God..."Luke 4:4
There is a difference between being hungry and Choosing to be hungry! Dare to know the difference?
Can you imagine cooking all your favorite dishes, inhaling the tempting aroma and feasting your eyes on the color of the fried or baked 'guilty pleasures' screaming at you to 'eat them?' Then you musta up the courage to 'press to the finish line' and cook these desired meals to perfection, without even tasting it to confirm just how 'divine' it is, but instead you lay it on the plate in the most appealing manner and serve it to your family.
-while you take your plate of steamed unsalted, nothing but water boiled veggies and you eat it being completely satisfied. Are you aware of the level of mind power this takes? Surely one may say it is quite easy to do this, however, I would dismiss them immediately and add that you repeat this for weeks. This is not merely becoming vegan, but rather denying your flesh of the foods it so highly desire to indulge in and making it be satisfied with the ones you really rather have as a side instead of an actual meal.
 |
| Steamed with water only versus, |
 |
| To eat or not to eat? |
This is a story of how fleshly pleasures and your spirit battle daily but in finding the balance you can arrive at a place of peace and much benefit. God promises us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that 'the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.' NIV Fasting has many rewards and lessons; most of which I am yet to learn, but for something I was once afraid of, I can now boast of seeing its rewards. The 'self-discipline' that God promises to give us is indeed one of the benefits of this action. Just the thought of denying yourself the very thing (food) you need to survive is already a level of mind power that is not for the weak. You will be tried, you will be lied to, your body will scream for food and threaten to break down and fall if you do not feed it and you must find the power within you to overcome it all and keep moving.
 |
| Photo by Dinehere.ca |
You go on with your day as normal, except there isn't anything 'normal' or 'natural' to what you are doing. You remind yourself to find time to pray and remain persistent, reading the bible, worshiping God, while everything within you is screaming for help, a fear that you will not make it. Then each day you realize, none of it is true and you are actually 'okay'. God is sustaining you and you have the strength to keep on going. Ahhh! What joy it brings to see you defeat the odds through Christ, as He said you could do. ( Philippians 4:14)
 |
| (freshly boiled) Photo by Netisha |
You see, we are programmed by society to depend on 'quick fixes', so much so that a 'Microwave generation' is being created. We want what we want and we want it now! How many people in 2018 can say they will seek after delayed gratification and the vast benefits that come with it? Denying the flesh and the level of mind power you acquire in doing so is far more rewarding than instant gratification. It is a decision that you make in Christ and with Him, you stick with it despite what is thrown at you.
Then on the other side of the finish line, a new level awaits you. The spirit of the Lord awakens within you and you have now gone a step deeper into life in the spirit where your view of life begins to ascend to a place where eagles roam.
There is power and reward in sacrifice through Christ, and value is measured by it!
Cheers to 21 days of fasting- A victory won through Christ! #firstfruitoffering #DanielFast
