Prepare To Go The Distance
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35-36
You cannot prepare to run a marathon after the gun has fired and the race has begun. In fact, months are spent in preparation conditioning the body to go the distance. In the same way, times of fasting and prayer prepare your spirit to go the distance in life’s battles.
Right now, you may just be concerned about going the distance of the fast! The annual, corporate fast we do at Free Chapel is generally 21 days. That can seem daunting. Let me stop right here and encourage you: Don’t let fear of failure keep you from seeking God.
If you feel God is leading you to be a part of this fast, make up your mind now. The only way to know that you can succeed is to determine in advance that you will succeed. Some people choose to fast for 3 days, 7 days, sun-up to sun-down, a Daniel fast, or a full 21 day fast … The purpose is to do as God leads you and commit to be faithful to your fast!
We see in Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank”. He made up his mind. He suggested that after a 10-day fast of nothing but vegetables and water, he and his three friends would be in better condition than those eating from the king’s table. And they were.
Not long after, we see those three friends facing imminent death in the blazing furnace. But again, they did not yield in their faith. When they watched Daniel take a stand and refuse the king’s food it helped prepare them for the day they would have to take a stand on their own.
When you succeed at your fast you will have more confidence in your self and your ability to trust God and follow Him in every circumstance and situation you face.
I truly believe one of the keys to a successful fast is to make up your mind in advance. Make your plan today, write it down, and then stick to it! Feel free to share your plan with us here in the comments or on Facebook. It may inspire and encourage someone else who is unsure where to begin.
Share
