Fasting

Fasting is a Spiritual Discipline that many no longer practice.  I am finding that in my own life, Fasting is becoming a very important Discipline indeed.

As I continue to practice the discipline, I am finding a new and enriched Christian Life.  It is a life of more depth than in the begining of my Christian Experience. 

Fasting has brought a new vitality to my Christian Experience.

Here is how I do my fasting.

W hen God created the earth,  the Bible says that…  “The evening and the morning were the first day.”   With this is mind, I started my fast on Jan. 1^st. at sundown… in the PM.   So a fast day for me begins in the evening and ends the afternoon on the following day.  It’s not a rule, it just works out will for me.

I think there is a real problem with people trying to make rules for everyone else’s fast.  When you fast, you should pray and ask God what your fast should look like.  I do a kind of self styled Daniel fast.  Most would not see a very close relationship with what I do however and what is commonly called a Daniel Fast. 

I do not even use the same exact rules for all of my fasts.   I try to use a little common sense but I still drink some liquids that most of the books I have read on fasting forbids.   I may change this as I continue to fast.  I will drink a caffeine free diet cola or tea and even coffee during my fast.   I do not drink as many as before the fast.  I do much less colas. As a matter of fact, as I progress through my fast, I drink fewer  cola’s until there always comes a place in the fast where I no longer drink them.  I believe that to continue to drink cola’s would not be good because of the acid and fizz.  I use my common sense.  I can tell when it begins to affect my body and so at that point I just do not want them at all.

I allow most juices and bullion broths.  I also allow some soups that do not have meats and that are very light and do not have much food value such as bullion soups and broths.  I just do not have much of an appetite for these so I do very few of them during my fast.  I feel though, that these light soups do not hinder the value of my fast.  It is much as same with these soups as with the carbonated colas.  I get to where I do not want them at all.

Foods that I deny myself include all meats and grains.  I usually allow, at least in the beginning, a little fruit like an apple or two and maybe a banana for the first few days.  I limit the number  maybe one for breakfast and one for the evening meal with maybe a banana.  I do this for the first few days and then I move toward only using liquids and juice for the remainder of the fast.