CoachE'Nation

This Post should help.

Let’s dig in…

Hey #JesusGirls Fam,

First, I wanna take a minute to thank those of you who take the time to comment on the blogs. Not only is it helpful for me, I also see how others are helped by your comments and suggestions. Personally, when Tobs talked about ‘Pankara’ in her comment on this post, and Catherine followed up on that with tricks she learned from her Russian friend, I knew I had to try those recipes.

So, thank you to everyone who dropped a comment and those who will be dropping. It makes a difference.

Ok, on to the matter of the day.

FASTING,

In simple definition, we can say that,

To fast is to abstain or be deprived of all or some kinds of food, especially for spiritual, medical or experimental reasons for a specified period of time.

Now I completely agree with these definition (thanks Google), and I just wanna tweak something little here.

If I were to define fasting, I would say that,

To fast is to REGULARLY abstain or be deprived of all or some kinds of food, AS A WAY OF LIFE.

Meaning, let us NORMALISE FASTING.

Gosh, we eat too much, especially as ADULTS!!!

I did a blog about this here on 5 ways to DETHRONE KING STOMACH.

5 ways to DETHRONE KING STOMACH.

Let’s consider this a follow up to fortify your resolve and convictions to keep that Stomach from getting on the throne again.

Fasting should be a regular way of life for Christ followers, and we don’t have to wait until there is a corporate call to fast before we do.
We also don’t have to wait until we have a problem or a demon to cast out before we do.
While these are valid reasons, my goal for this post to have you incorporate periods of REGULAR fasting into your schedule and lifestyle.

Here are 5 reasons why, and how you can steward each reason better!!!

1. It is Spiritual; Do battle!!!
2. It saves you Money; Be generous!!!
3. It saves you time; Invest it!!!!
4. Your Body works so hard; Rest it!!!
5. Discipline is a muscle; Build it!!!!

Now let’s go deeper

1. It is Spiritual; Do battle!!!

I won’t spend so much time here because as Jesus Girls, and Saints in general, you know FASTING is one of our spiritual PRIVILEGES, not even disciplines. We GET to FAST!!! The Bible is full of fasting, from Jesus to the Apostles, the Prophets and all, so we have both good examples and company.

I love the verse of scripture that tells us that ‘this kind goeth not out except by fasting’, so make it a habit – constant practice – to turn that plate over and do battle to win some victories in your own life.

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

Matthew 17:21 NKJV

If you need a resource on fasting, I have two recommendations:

  • Fasting by Jentezen Franklin
  • Prayer and Fasting by Kingsley Fletcher

2. It saves you Money; Be generous!!!

Oh, this one is so key because again as Believers, we are called to be generous, and especially when we fast. Isaiah 58 is a great chapter on fasting which tells us that we are to share with those who do not have when we fast, not just save all the food that we are not eating, to consume after the fast.

Isaiah 58 v 7
(Is this not the FAST that I have commanded?)
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

In fact, we should challenge ourselves here especially with luxuries, so if for instance, you buy pizza or even plantain chips every day in traffic, FAST off it, and then be INTENTIONAL about saving that money, then at the end of the week, or month, go be generous to someone who needs what can be missed by you as a basic necessity.

Ah, the JOY you will feel, and then the joy you will bring to the person AND the heart of the FATHER… Something eating that chips will NEVER GIVE YOU!!!

3. It saves you time; Invest it!!!!

Let’s face it, Saints, FOOD, including the thinking, shopping, prepping, cooking and consuming of it takes TIME!!! Just imagine the time you save when you turn the plate over until 6pm and stay out of the kitchen (or cafeteria)? Trust me, it is A LOT!!!

So when we are intentional about a FAST, we can then cumulate all that time, or even the fractions of it, find a project and invest the time in it instead.

You can choose to take a prayer walk when your colleagues are eating, or read a book, or invest that time in building a relationship with someone, or some personal development project.

I LOVE the intermittent fasting lifestyle which I follow because once I am done with prepping meals for my family in the morning, I can free up my mind to other projects without allowing it to be interrupted by food until 3pm or 6pm most days.

On the days my husband says he is fasting, I know how much time that saves me from being in the kitchen until much later. So please, fast regularly. Save and INVEST that time.

4. Your Body works so hard; Rest it!!!

The hard work of chewing, absorbing, digesting, transporting, utilizing, and eliminating is SO MUCH WORK, and while the Body was made to do such hard work, REST is a principle that it also needs to obey so that it doesn’t wear out, but instead can function even more optimally.

This is why the concept of ‘autophagy’ is getting popular in the world of nutrition, that is longer periods of fast, 36 hours usually and above, where the body cleanse itself out without interruptions from even more food. I love how Cedars-Sinai puts it,

It’s just as important for our cells to clean themselves out and clear away debris. It’s a process most of us don’t think about—and haven’t even heard of—called autophagy (which means self-eating).

When you work so hard, you rest.
Your body works so hard, let it REST too.

FAST!!!

5. Discipline is a muscle; Build it!!!!

Oh this one is another fantastic one because the process of fasting automatically makes you work those discipline muscles thereby strengthening it. When you eat all the time without brakes, you are not giving those muscles a chance to toughen up, but every time you feel hunger, and say NO, you get the beautiful privilege of bulking up the discipline muscles.

If you have never said NO to your body, and even think you may die if you stay without food for 12, 18 or 24 hours, then start small. Delay a meal, then skip it, then make the hours longer, and keep practicing it and you would see how easier it gets as time goes on. Never mind how PROUD you will be of yourself as you start to flex those muscles.

Yes we are called to FREEDOM, but not the kind that takes the boundaries away from everything.

Even though nobody tells you to, please call a DISCIPLINE fast by yourself, especially when a certain food begins to build a WHOLE TABERNACLE in your life.

Phew!!!

I just love how this post came together beautifully, as these are things I apply in my own personal life.

And they are WORKING, helping me stay at the same size and weight range over the years, PLUS healthy and whole too.

I want the same for YOU.

So, I pray these tips help you.

I also want to hear from you; which of these will you be applying now?
Are there any other reasons for which you fast?
Is there anyone who needs to hear this?

Then comment and share with them too.

Finally, is there a topic you want me to tackle?

Do let me know, and I will see what I can do about that.

I cant wait to see you WIN at everything, especially with your food and lifestyle.

Cheers to FASTING…

With so much CHEER for you,

CoachE’.

P.S

This post was first published in October, 2021.

P.S

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