Fast is over

September 6, 2012
Mmm… this is the best cup of coffee I’ve had in 3 weeks… I don’t remember coffee tasting this good. 🙂 Okay – so maybe it’s cause I splurged with extra chocolate and extra creamer.

My 21 day fast is over today. It seems as if it sped by, now that it is over.

This fast was different than the last ones I’ve done. I didn’t get any divine revelations. Nothing special that I could see anyway. But I believe this fast was strictly to intercede on others behalves. Last night was the only night of the fast that God woke me up at 3:45am and kept me up until about 5am. I prayed for every family member I have then I moved on to friends and ministries and then my enemies.

This reminds me of a verse in Job 42:10 – “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”

At first when I woke up, I was thinking of things like sunglasses and belt buckles and dresses. I know this is a reoccurring thought process with me. And I must still have a little materialistic-ness in me because no matter how many times I say “God, whatever I have when I get home is Yours… what You decide I can keep is a gift from You,” my mind still plays tricks on me and dwells on the things I’ve lost.

So this morning when this verse came to me in Job, I was overcome with thankfulness. How many times does God have to remind me of what’s important? Praying for my friends and “seeking first the Kingdom of God.” Then “all these things will be added unto me (Matt 6:33). And “I will be blessed with twice as much as before (Job 42:10).

There are always going to be these things that we try to keep from God. Whether it be materialistic things, a relationship, or just a secret sin that we’re not ready to give up yet.

But God wants it all. Why is it so hard to let Him have it all and be in control of it all? “All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:6-7). It’s all His anyway!

I know what my struggles are going to be when I get out. Or maybe I am not materialist anymore, it just feels like it cause I’ve been wearing the same color for 4 years. 🙂 But being aware of my struggles will help me to keep them in check. And continue to give them to God and repent when I take it back from Him momentarily.

I’m still a work in progress. I may not be where I want to be… but I’m sure not where I used to be!