Faith Imagined: Fast to Feast

February 21, 2010

Fast to Feast - Day 1

As I read the Bible and look at my life, I have come to a conclusion: I am missing something. Yes, I try to be a good Christian who wants desperately to do the will of God. I work hard at being a mother and wife. I do my best to spread the Gospel through my ministry; yet, when I compare my life to the "abundant" life that Jesus promises me in His Word, I'm left with one absolute truth: I'm a hypocrite. My life does not adequately reflect the fullness that Jesus describes during His ministry.

I think that I've gotten so good at following rules and performing my Christian duties that I'm missing all the good stuff, and according to the Bible, there is A LOT of good to be had as God's child and co-heir with Christ. Every time I read through the Bible, I am amazed at the promises God gives us through His Word. The most extraordinary promise is that Jesus Himself says that if we just ask in His name, it will be given to us: John 14.13-14 NIV, John 15.16 NIV, John 16.23-24 NIV, Matthew 7.7 NIV and Luke 11.9 NIV.

The key to this promise is found in the following verse: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" John 15.7 NIV.

If we can remain in God so that His will becomes our will, there is no telling what blessings God can pour on us. If I am not experiencing the fullness that God promises me and my life is not chalked full of blessings that He desires for my life, I am not fully remaining in Him. If I'm not securely rooted in God, how could I expect to produce His abundant blessings in my life?

What I'm realizing is that I'm spiritually stuck, and I'm desperate for God to help me. I'm no longer satisfied with a "good enough" life. I want the best that God desires for me. I know that God loves me more than I love myself. He wants to bless me more than I could even think to ask. And He has a plan for my life that I couldn't even begin to imagine.

What can we do as Christians when we are stuck spiritually? What can we do when we see the fullness of God on the horizon, but we are unable to reach it?

We fast.

In Mattew 9:15-17 NIV, Jesus says that in order to receive the new wine (the fullness of God or blessings) we need to become new wineskins (increased capacity or new anointing). That is when Jesus says that we need to fast! We fast in order to ready ourselves for our new anointing that will hold all of God's new blessings. We fast so that we can be ready for the feast (the feast will be discussed tomorrow)!

"Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.'"

I am fasting for seven days. During my fast, I am expecting great things from God. There are many health benefits to fasting, and the mainstream world-view is already capitalizing on its effects (Reference). However, I'm fasting because I'm ready for new blessings to be poured into a new anointing on my life. My hope is that fasting will unclutter my spirit and help me to hear from God. I know that my wineskin (anointing) has reached its capacity, and I need God to supernaturally make my wineskin new, so that the new wine (blessings) doesn't run off onto the ground because I'm too weak to hold them all.

Today was my first day of the fast, and God has already given me one of the scriptures that I will be meditating on during the shedding of my old skin and the growing of my new. I will be examining Matthew 22.1-14 NIV - The Parable of the Wedding Feast. God has already showed me amazing insights into this verse, which affirm my desire to want the abundant life. I have lots to share, so I will be posting each night of my fast until the 7th day.

God has a banquet prepared for me, and I don't want to miss it! I'm ready to fast so that I can be ready to feast.

If you would like to join me, please do so. If you have never fasted, I would start out with a 1 or 3 day fast. Or you can simply join me each night for my posts and see what God does!

If you would like more biblical information about fasting, I would suggest Jentezen Franklin's book, Fasting. He and His church do a corporate fast every year, and God shows His glory each time.

Fast to Feast- Day 2

Fast to Feast - Day 3

Download your FREE copy of Sitting with God: A 40 Day Meditation

Labels: alisa wagner, faith imagined, fasting, Hearing God, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual growth

11 Comments:

Lakendra Lewis said...: Good for you, Alisa! Hebrews Chapter 11 says that God is a rewarder of those who dilegently seek Him. I am confident and pray that God will reward your commitment.; 9:44 PM
karen said...: Hew sweet sister... I was greatly challenged by your post on fasting.. I will be lifting you up before the Lord, so He can keep showing you the truths about whast HE longs for you to know, and receive.. Bless you, sweet lady, for your obedience to learn, and to receive His blessings for your spiritual journey.. You are a treasure !; 9:50 PM
Michelle said...: I've been wanting to fast for a while now but I've been pregnant or nursing for the better part of three years. And, let me tell you from experience, you will get horribly ill if you fast while nursing. It shouldn't be done!

Blessings on your spiritual journey!; 2:55 AM
Tonya Ingram said...: Alisa, God is using you in mighty ways in my life right now and He has great plans to pour onto and into you, some new and fresh anointing, even bigger than you can fathom!!!

Just this morning I was reading your "Rejected but Loved" devotion and what stood out to me was ... "if I am continuously seeking Him and finding security in Him, I would never care what the world thought of me." Because I have always been a "yes" person, this is one thing about being a woman of God that is sinking deep into my spirit and I love it.

Then I get to work and am reading "Fast to Feast - Day 1" and confirmation comes in the fact that God has been pressing on my heart to start fasting. I may have fasted once or twice years ago but probably because it was that everyone else was doing it and I didn't truly understand the significance behind it. Then you suggested the book "Fasting" which just confirmed it even more. That's because this very book was brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago and I actually have this book and have never opened it. So I told myself that I needed to find it. Now here you come with the very same Word... and I KNOW I have to find it. He keeps bringing it to my attention. I am in the midst of a breakthrough from adultery... an almost 6 year adulterous relationship and I am finally free!!! The ironic thing... the man I was in the adulterous relationship with is the one that gave me the book... in fact I have at least 2 of those books, so I should share one of mine!

"I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for you, I am free!!!"; 8:59 AM
Karen Lange said...: I have been thinking along the same lines lately. Thanks for sharing this. For those who are hesitant to fast for a day or more (for whatever reason, be it physical or otherwise), try fasting one or two meals. I've found that helpful too.
Blessings,
Karen; 1:30 PM
Susan J. Reinhardt said...: Hi Alisa -

Your hunger for God jumps off the page. God loves intensity, and He will meet you.

I've had difficulties fasting even for one meal as it triggers migraines. For those with similar problems, may I suggest fasting sweets or only having liquids?

Blessings,
Susan :); 7:32 PM
Debra@CommonGround said...: I really feel that God "calls" us to a time of fasting, and you are definitely hearing the call. I have found that when God does this, He is preparing you for big things coming. So I am excited to hear about what God will be revealing to you, and prayers for strength and direction.
Debra; 7:58 PM
North Jersey Christian Writers Group said...: Alisa,
I so appreciate your post. I have fasted in the recent past, so I won't be joining you at this time, but I will be praying for & with you.

As for not being satisfied with the "good enough life", it was Oswald Chambers who said, "Good is the enemy of best." Those words made me want to be free of a mediocre Christian existence and move to a dynamic Spirit-filled life.

Susan; 10:14 PM
Racquel Simone said...: Alisa,

I am a few days late to this party. I wish I would have known at the beginning. I promise you, I was just getting dressed for work this morning and I let out a big sigh and thought to myself, "There has to be more than this". By this I was referring to my level of intimacy and TRUE relationship with the Lord. It is good to know that I am not alone. I want to be so connected and rooted in God that I can seemingly feel His heartbeat. In this flesh dwelleth no good thing and honestly, it disgusts me! I want to live in the presence of God, because there, in that place, is where I can be assured that I am in the perfect will of God. I don't want to live for me, or my ideas, or what I want, or what I think, or even to try and take His will and mold and fit it to what I want it to be. I don't want to experience anymore devastating heartbreak. I want the ABUNDANT life he promised! I am not ignorant that there will be more suffering that I will have to endure in this life, because the bible says that "We shall know Him, in the fellowship of His sufferings". What I am saying is that I believe if I am completely 100% in love with Jesus, Himself, for no other reason than because He is who He is and died to save MY life, 100% complete satisfaction will come out of that place. I believe at that point, I will be able to choose my ventures, and ministry exploits and the work of the ministry in general, from a much more pure place, and that place is the perfect will of God made manifested by His presence. For me, life needs to get simpler. I'm going back to the basics. Back to my first love.; 8:24 AM
From The Heart Online said...: Wow! Thanks for sharing your God-walk with us.

I'm not sure if it's related, but recently I felt as though I was SO incredibly blessed (by His good favor - I don't deserve any of it), that it actually felt heavy.
I felt so weighed down with grace - does that make sense?

... does that sound familiar? Would you have some insight on that?

Your post makes me wonder if it has to do with blessings pouring out - is it because they're overflowing from His abundance? (he promises they will overflow), or is it bursting from an old wine skin? How can I know the difference?

Anyway, I'd love to hear back about that :)

Thanks so much for sharing your heart and soul on these pages. I'm blessed by your openness, inspired by your desire to obey, and thankful to God for giving you these things to share.; 3:49 PM
Angela said...: . I'm no longer satisfied with a "good enough" life. I want the best that God desires for me.

amen amen amen

I've been known to say, 'just because it's good doesn't mean it's God's best!; 10:08 AM

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February 21, 2010

Fast to Feast - Day 1

11 Comments: