Daniel Fast January 2019 FIRST PRAY

As I write this, I have a pounding headache due to the lack of caffeine intake.

Oof.

Every January, Shiloh Church does a 21 day Daniel Fast and This year I decided to join in since I'm part of the family now.

The food part (no animal products or sugar) isn't that horrible but the worst for me is: No Television, No Social Media, and NO COFFEE.

I do like that this shines the light on what is taking up too much space in my life because I'm so sad to give it up.  I'm really sad about my TV Shows because a lot of them are coming back from Christmas Break.

And the coffee...oh have mercy.

ANYWAY!!

First Pray

The theme the church leaders have selected for the fast is:  FIRST PRAY.  Before we do anything this year we must first pray.

I'm on board with that.

After all of my ridiculous plans got thrown out of the window last year, I have learned my lesson.  I will not do anything without first praying.  I am ready to Level Up and I am ready for the mourning to turn into dancing. 

But first I must shut up, sit down, and let the Lord lead the way instead of trying to come up with my own plans.  Each time I've done one of these fasts, something exciting has happened and I've gotten so much clarity.

My personal theme for this month is: CLARITY

I told myself that I will not be adding on any goals or making any major moves until AFTER the fast. I want the Lord to dictate my strategy and I want the Lord to be in charge of it all.

My word for the year 

I know that I will not produce LASTING FRUIT unless it's from God.  My scripture for the year says that I have been CHOSEN to PRODUCE lasting fruit.

16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

So with that being said this is why it is imperative that I fast and pray this month.  The mission is too serious and I have to much to lose.

Why did I ever leave Egypt

4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” 

This has been my attitude since the beginning of this month and it has nothing to do with the lack of meat due to the fast.  (My complaining would be more about coffee)

I've started in with the doubting and deciding it's all made up.  I've been complaining in my head thinking: "This is most likely a waste of time.  I should have never gotten my hopes up or really think this is going anywhere.  Nothing will ever change.

Why did I ever try to get my mind right?!  At least when I was hopeless and wasting my time, I knew to expect disappointment but now I may not be wasting my time and I don't know what's going on.

Well when you keep reading the story...

[Moses] "Say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 19 And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. 20 You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’

Earlier in the chapter this happened:

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped. 3 After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means “the place of burning”), because fire from the Lord had burned among them there. 

God does NOT like complaining and when we break it all down, the complaining is coming from unbelief, fear, and doubt. 

When results don't happen as fast as I think they should or it's not linear, I tend to go back to my default mode of complaining.

Terrible.

I am praying for breakthrough in a few areas of my life this fast.

I'm not doing anything without consulting my chairman of the board and we're going to cut the complaining.

May clarity come to me as we FIRST PRAY.