Endurance

Hold fast I forventningen

Sommeren er her, Corona-restriktionerne løfter i vores del af verden og vi kan igen se en bredere gruppe af mennesker fysisk.

Måske oplever nogen som mig at udskudte fester nu gør sommerens program intenst pakket i perioder.

Måske er du i forventning til feriestemningen og fejringerne. Eller måske har turbulensen i vores verden det sidste 1 ½ år lagt en dæmper på din forventning til livet.

Hvor end du befinder dig på skalaen i forhold til forventning til livet, og til denne sommer, håber jeg du vil læse med og Helligånden gennem mine ord må fylde dig med en større forventning. Den forventning som kærligheden beskrives til at indeholde i 1 Kor 13,7: ” Kærligheden holder altid fast. Den er fuld af tillid, forventning og udholdenhed.”

En af de festtyper, som sommeren er kendt for at lægge sæson til, er kærlighedens fest -— brylluppet. Forventningens glæde mellem to forlovede er normalt ikke til at overse. De planlægger i længsel efter den store dag og et helt liv sammen, og i forberedelserne er kærligheden ofte blevet testet netop på udholdenhed, tillid og forventningen.

Som gæst ved en bryllupsfest kan forelskelsen smitte, og så kan den jo også highlighte den forventningens glæde, som er passé i vores eget ægteskab. Den kan highlighte den forelskelse, som er dødt ud og blevet erstattet af ligegyldighed og kølighed, afstandstagen og skuffelser.

Forventningens faser 

I starten glæder vi os til at indgå ægteskab og finde ud af hvad der mon gemmer sig på den anden side? Det er dog ikke unaturligt at hverdagens trommerum og et par slag i livet, hvad end det er et dødsfald i nærmeste familie, en fyring, en diagnose eller skiftende prioriteringer, ændrer på det smil over tanken om fremtiden sammen, som vi bar til at starte med. Fortiden kan også have sine fangekamre, der lægger en dæmper på forventningen til fremtiden.

Jeg er blevet positivt overrasket i mit parforhold. På mange og uventede måder. Jeg er også blevet skuffet i mit parforhold. Mest over mig selv, meget over min mand og generelt over det trivielle i livet. At parforholdet kræver pleje. At det logistiske i livet fylder så meget at romantikken så let kvæles. Om kampen for at prioritere dét, som var så naturligt at gøre i starten.

Måske havde du forventet jeres kommunikation, sexliv eller økonomi var anderledes end områderne er lige nu. Måske havde du forventet at din kone eller mand enten ville forblive den samme eller ændre sine mønstre. Måske havde du forventet du selv ville være en bedre kone eller mand.

Skuffelser er svære at sluge. De kræver tit kampe med Gud og med hinanden. De kræver et ”giv slip” på, hvad vi havde forestillet os, et dybt suk og tid til at sørge over hvad er, og hvad vi oplever der mangler. Dér bliver forventningen til fremtiden sårbar.

Fokus i forventningen

Men hvorfor er det overhovedet vigtigt fortsat at være i forventning til hvordan vores ægteskab kan udvikle sig?

Det korte svar er at Gud altid arbejder på at forny, forsone og fremme vores fællesskab med hinanden. Hans kærlighed og ressourcer er uudtømmelige, og derfor vil det være forkert at slå sig til tåls med hvor vi befinder os nu i vores ægteskab. Vi kan være tilfredse med vores ægteskab uden at det betyder vi bliver tilbagelænede i vores attitude! Bibelen taler om at vi fik et fantastisk håb, da vi kom til tro: ”Man behøver jo ikke at håbe på det, man ser foran sig.  Men når vi håber på det, vi endnu ikke har set, så gør vi det med udholdenhed og stor forventning” (Rom 8,25).

Når vi holder fast i den oprindelige drøm, det oprindelige håb, den oprindelige vision for vores tosomhed og kærlighed, nøjagtigt som brudeparret så tydeligt ser deres fremtid for deres indre øje, så bliver vores hverdagsliv lettere fokuseret. Ikke kun på to-do-listen, men også på to-be-listen i forhold til vores ægtefælle.

Hvad skal vi så se frem mod? 

Jeg tror vi alle kan have forskellige, personlige svar på hvad vores vision for vores ægteskab er.

Overordnet set er vores ægteskaber skabt til at vise den kærlighed som Jesus viste menigheden:

Han ofrede sit eget liv for menighedens skyld! Ligesom en brud beredes til at møde sin brudgom ved at gennemgå et rensende bad, gøre sig smuk og indvi sig til at leve i troskab og renhed sammen med sin mand, sådan er menigheden blevet beredt til at blive Kristi brud. Han gav den et rensende bad ved Guds ord for at kunne føre den til sig selv som en skøn brud, der er parat til at leve i troskab og renhed sammen med ham (Ef. 5:25-26). 

Èn af de største årsager jeg havde til at blive gift med min mand var, udover at jeg ikke kunne undvære ham, at jeg vidste hvor god en chance der var for at få renset ud i attituder, meninger og andre hårde kanter. At jeg kunne holdes ansvarlig over for en anden, hele tiden. Jeg ville have gode muligheder for at blive mere ligesom Jesus. I hvert fald de gange jeg lader mine trigger-punkter lede til erkendelse, bekendelse og omvendelse.

Ligesom en voksende forståelse af Jesus og Guds natur (Se mere i 2 Peter 1,5) må være vores fokus i livet generelt, er det også den voksende forståelse af Jesus og Guds natur, der bedrer vores ægteskaber. Det fjerner presset fra at den anden skal være ”Gud” for os, når vi glæder os i Gud først og fremmest.

Forventningen om frelse 

Den gode nyhed er, at selvom vi måtte være blevet sløve og faldet væk fra vores første kærlighed, til Jesus og til hinanden, så er Guds løfter til os urokkelige.

Hans løfter om frelse gælder her og nu i vores ægteskab.

Da profeten Esajas blev angrebet fra hver side, proklamerede han: ”Jeg har forventning til, at Herren griber ind- jeg sætter al min lid til ham” (Es. 8,17). Må I proklamere det samme, selv når angreb fra alle sider omgiver jeres fælles ståsted og drømme.

Vi kan også opleve den gentagne redning fra vores syndige natur i takt med at Jesus helliggør vores karakter og hjælper os til at respondere med udholdenhed:

Udholdenheden giver os karakterstyrke, og karakterstyrken giver os en stærk forventning om at få del i Guds herlighed engang. Og vi bliver ikke skuffet i vores forventning, for Gud har givet os Helligåndens kraft og fyldt vores hjerter med sin kærlighed (Rom 5,5).

Afslutningsvis beder jeg for dit ægteskab. Jeg beder for at I må se på ny, hvor afgørende jeres unikke eksempel på et ægteskab er i den tid vi lever i. Eksemplet er kraftfuldt i jeres omgangskreds, på et lokalt plan og på et bredere samfundsplan. Mennesker er desperate for at se mennesker, der er vedholdende og formår at forsone og tilgive og være ét — ikke fordi de er ens, men fordi de rummer hinanden og Guds nåde bærer dem. Som kommer sejrende ud af kampe, fordi de hviler i Jesu sejr, beskyttelse og smil over deres ægteskab.

Det kræver mod at leve i forventning til en fantastisk fremtid, når vi har prøvet at blive slemt skuffet over hinanden. Men gennem Jesus’ kærlighed kan vi kende og vise den kærlighed til hinanden, der altid holder fast. Den kærlighed, som er fuld af tillid, forventning og udholdenhed (1 Kor 13,7).

Guds kærlighed tåler alt, tror alt, håber alt og udholder alt. (1 Kor 13,7). Må vores liv, inklusiv vores ægteskaber, afspejle mere af det!


When your future seems lost

Fear of the future

Have you ever felt like the future you long to step into is a million miles away?

As I entered month after month of job hunting in the midst of the Corona pandemic, I felt my future was lost.

The fog surrounding an uncertain future can do the following to us: it can make us have mood swings, feel incompetent, doubtful, skeptic, indecisive, depressive and fearful. Ultimately, it can create an actual crisis in our lives.

I knew the future would become my present because that's the nature of time.

I just didn't know if that future would be good. The 'in-between' felt like God had lost my address at times. To loose expectation in God is a dark place to live.

King David knew the pain of those dry and restraining seasons where we only get the manna we need for today but not the steak we desire.

He knew of wilderness experiences, both in his circumstances and in his soul:

'"He ground my teeth with gravel and made me cower in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. Then I thought, "My future is lost, as well as my hope from the Lord" Lamentations 3:16-18 CSB.

Doubt about past decisions

Not only does the in-between test our trust in God. It can test our trust in ourselves.

For me, I started to doubt and judge previous decisions I had made. Ruminating and regretful thoughts spun around: "I would have avoided this pain and sense of being stuck, if only I had chosen another major, taken a shorter education or lived another place, ."

On and on the accusing voice went with second-guessing, forgetting the truth that Søren Kierkegaard addresses:

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards”
– Søren Kierkegaard.

It is sad when we dig up in doubt the decisions we planted in faith years ago.

We may not have seen the harvest of those seeds sown earlier in life yet but that is where "[...]we have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised" Hebrews 10:36 AMP.

Life demands patience of us, and patience only comes by daring to tolerate waiting.

It all comes down to trust. Trusting that the God who led us before will lead us again. Trusting that as we walk by faith, not by sight, we will be guided along the best pathway for our life.

What to do in the in-between

If you find yourself in the 'in-between' (and we often do in at least one area of life, hey?), then be encouraged with these verses:

"God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

 When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst."

Lamentations 3:27-28 MSG .

In the Amplified Bible, the same verse ends with, "It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke [of godly discipline] in his youth. Let him sit alone [in hope] and keep quiet, Because God has laid it on him [for his benefit]" (my emphasis).

I find it fascinating that when we lean into discipleship, including discipline, it is to our own benefit — the benefit of becoming beautiful and strong inside out.

Adversity is to be received as training ground for those who love God.

How do we train in the 'in-between', then? Good question!

The Lamentations-verses above mention a lot of action-related words/verbs:

  • to wait passionately,
  • to seek diligently,
  • to hope quietly,
  • to stick it out,
  • to enter the silence,
  • to bow in prayer.

As you keep coming back to practicing these verbs in your life, your King and God will do His part and roll back the curtains when the new scene of your life is ready to be revealed and played out.

Breakthrough in soul and circumstance

Through the ups and downs of trust - distrust - then trust again — in God and myself, I experienced what is written in Romans 5:4 TPT: "And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope" (my emphasis).

The times I waited with hope and smiled at the future, life was more enjoyable in the 'in-between'.

And you know what?

I got a job!

With the breakthrough, I discovered:

  • God's grace over my imperfect waiting
  • I was busy moving to the next chapter, God was not!
  • God's timing is perfect.

Hope in the future

Remember, you have not disqualified yourself for a great future by any situation done by you or to you in the past.

Your future is not lost. It is safely placed in the hands of God:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11 NIV.

The fogginess will eventually lift and breakthrough will come.

In the meantime, spend less time looking for clarity and reasoning as to why life is hard right now, and more time trusting the One who is the Way, truth and life itself!

I encourage you, do not give up believing for your bright future!

Don't stress out, and don't be so hard on yourself.

You're doing better than you think you are. God is right on time.

Love,

Sandra.


Having done all, stand

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Have you ever had something that's been hard for you to conquer, where you don't know if you'll be able to stand tall and victorious in the midst of what life throws at you?The definition of standing is to be in an upright position on the feet. That's a great way to be positioned when we are to receive from the Lord and co-labour with Him. But the truth is, sometimes life can knock us down, making us lie down instead of stand up straight, victoriously!God has given us everything we need to reflect His nature, and also the ability to stand! (2 Peter 1:3 TPT) He has given us His eternal Word and His Holy Spirit to guide us so having done all, even in a spiritual battle, we can keep standing.

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Sometimes we just need to get eternal truths applied correctly to the situation that's making us unsure if we can keep standing steadfast in our convictions and assignments.


How do we stand? How do we stand up for righteousness, how do we withstand the enemy and what do we do when sins stand up to tempt us?

I can feel like the prophet Isaiah is uttering, that my wrongdoings pile up before God and that my sins stand up and accuse me! It's like my wrongdoings can stare me down, because I know in detail what I've done. (Isaiah 50:12-15 AMP)The most important truth we can let us be penetrated with, is that of our standing in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3 AMP). We stand on His salvation through faith, and not by our works. Such an amazing grace. We are safe when we desire like David to fall into the hands of the Lord when we are in great distress over our own mistakes. His mercies are very great! (1 Chronicles 21:13)

We want to fall down at Jesus' feet, because only when we put Him at His rightful place by worshipping Him, will we ever be able to stand victoriously:

"All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain [as a willing sacrifice]." Revelation 13:8 AMP. This is such a beautiful picture of that one day when all people of the earth will fall down and worship Him! The good thing is we can practise this already now.Sometimes though, God finds us lying down, not because we are worshipping at His feet, but because we have been knocked down by things like discouragement, despair, grief or a moral failing. What do we do then?

This is how God tackled Israel's disobedience after Israel was defeated at Ai. He approached Israel's leader, Joshua, for his lack of standing, and He might say the same to you:"Get up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face?"

God's questions are so tender and convicting at the same time. His questions remind us of our convictions about getting back up and stand tall, even when life-and kingdom battles seem to knock us down.

Like God exhorted Joshua and the people, I believe He is exhorting us today to rise up and consecrate ourselves, because God knows we cannot stand victorious before our enemies until we walk in obedience to what He has said to us. Get back up and take courage!

So divinely loved one, let's be on our guard, so we can stand instead of fall from our own steadfastness of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith. (2 Peter 3:17 AMP)

The two only places in scripture it's speaking about withstanding is concerning God's power that no-one can withstand! That's why we can stand. We can be secure and trust in the Lord's withstanding against evil. He will resist it and stop it's progress in our lives. The weapons will be forged but they will not prosper:


"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]."
Psalm 91,1 AMP.
By the power of God, we can withstand anything and it empowers us to stand up for the poor, as God tells us to. We get this courage to stand up for the less fortunate because we know God already stands up for us!I pray you're encouraged, even having done all, to stand! I pray you can say and pray with King David:
"I’m sure you’re on my side— no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp! You know me inside and out, you hold me together, you never fail to stand me tall in your presence so I can look you in the eye." Psalm 4:11-12 MSG.
He will never fail to make you stand tall in His presence. He has already stood up for you, taken your place and He will keep standing up for you!
So having done all, let's STAND.
Love,

Sanda.

⬇️⬇️

If you need an extra boost to STAND, whether it is to stand up for righteousness, to withstand the enemy or standing tall on your convictions and assignments, read these scriptures loudly over yourself and experience faith arise as you preach gospel to yourself: 💥💥💥

"Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail)." Psalm 55,22

"When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation.” Luke 22,40 AMP."Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]." 1 Cor. 10,12 AMP.

"A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But danger will not come near you." Psalm 91,7 AMP"I will set no worthless or wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the practice of those who fall away [from the right path]; It will not grasp hold of me." Psalm 101,3 AMP

"For You have rescued my life from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from stumbling and falling." Psalm 116,8 AMP.

"You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the Lord helped me." Psalm 118,13 AMP.

"Do not rejoice over me [amid my tragedies], O my enemy! Though I fall, I will rise; Though I sit in the darkness [of distress], the Lord is a light for me." Micah 7,8 AMP


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Photo by Lasse Hultén.


Stick to it 💪

Well, guys. This is the sad sixth week of the year. The week where 80% of New Years resolutions fail according to statistics. If you are one of those represented in this number, don't despair! There is hope for you to get back up! Read along :)

Others of you might not be into resolutions at the treshold of a new year. You might have marching orders from the Holy Spirit from last year you are simply continuing getting on with. Or you might have other ways you go about making sure you are on the right track in pursuing your dreams, goals and desires for your life. Whatever your situation looks like, I believe these three keys I am about to share can be of encouragement to you in your journey.

For me personally, I have started the year with a new morning routine that I feel like is more than a good idea. I felt it to be a directive from the Holy Spirit for my season. Mostly, I've been going strong but I've also been tempted to give up and question, "Does this really even matter" and even stumbled a few times.

I don't know how you are going with this new year but what I do know is, we all need encouragement to stick to what we are starting out and continuing with. It does not matter how we have started or stumbled, if we get back up again, we win. That is good news!

Here are three keys to stick to your intention for the year:

  1. Be accountable and encouraged Since my new year goal involves my morning routine, my husband is in really close proximity and he makes sure to keep me both encouraged and accountable. He will literally with a smile on his face take the phone out of my hands and serve me a coffee in bed to make sure I get on with the input I want to be first in my day. Do you have a friend who can keep a loving eye on you and spur you on when the going gets rough? Someone who understands the vision of where you are going is priceless, no matter the physical proximity you have to each other. Let's do what's in our hand to surround ourselves with a few people who can help nourish those fragile seeds and soul longings for the year in the right direction.

"So cheer each other up with the hope you have. Build each other up." 1 Thess 5,11 NIRV.

Build others up and allow others to cheer you up as well. There is nothing better than walking the journey together and in the future get to celebrate that what started out as a seed in our heart has now become a big, visible plant! 🌱


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2. Remind yourself of the promises of God

When our goals for the year are lined up with the promises God has for us, we can rest assured in the steps of obedience we are taking, being unattached to the outcome. As we keep our hearts hopeful in the waiting and the walking, we will stay the course fixed on our promised future:

"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it." Psalm 119,2 MSG

God is a lamp to out feet and a light to our path. Let's use the light He has shone on our life to walk out what He has told us this far. To align our heart, expectations and feet in this moment to the promises spoken over us will set us up to receive them in His perfect timing.

If you don't feel like your goals for the year are lining up with what God has spoken to you about to be the focus for this season, there is no shame in shifting direction and realigning to make new goals you know are blessed for the season you are in. In that way, faith can be reactivated as you take steps to partner with Jesus' amazing future for you.

3. Get back up - keep climbing - stay the course 

The good news is that even if the righteous falls seven times, we get back up again. Those that do not give up, win! The picture above is of my husband and I climbing a mountain in France when we were only three weeks into dating. We stopped the journey to capture the moment in a quick photo, but if we had stayed there hanging in our ropes 100 metres above the ground for too long, it would have caused trouble to our strength for the remaining climb we had to conquer.

The same goes for our goals! Don't stop for too long and cause unnecesarry weariness and complacency. You might have stumbled but don't let the mental picture of it paralyse you from getting into the game again. Get back up. If you are weary, get your breath and keep climbing. We can do this! <3

"Listen up, you wicked, irreverent ones - don't harass the lovers of God and don't invade their resting place. For the lovers of God may suffer adversity and stumble seven times, but they will continue to rise over and over again. But the unrighteous are brought down by just one calamity and will never be able to rise again." Prov. 24,16 TPT.

This is the good news. We are not being mocked or put to shame when we fall, because with Jesus inside of us, we can rise like He did. Again and again.

Your turn

  • Who can keep you encouraged and accountable to the course you've set out on this year?
  • What promises from God can you remind yourself of to keep going?
  • Is there a place you have stopped, frozen on the journey or completely given up? Remind yourself of Prov.24,16 - the lovers of God rise over and over again!

Let's make this prayer from the Psalms our heart cry as we continue going!

"Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me." Psalm 119,2 MSG

2018 is still new and fresh. We recommit and say, it's still our intention to keep being the head and not the tail, and intentionally go after all this year is meant to hold.

Stick to it,

Sandra.


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Dove's eyes

I've always loved observing people. And my barbie dolls. Ask my parents. They would sneak into my room when I was a toddler and find me there completely occupied in studying my barbie dolls' features, holding their faces close to mine as I was stroking their hair, naming each doll and deciding whom belonged to which barbie house.

There is something fascinating about the ability to contemplate and look at something or someone with a singular focus. Completely taken into the moment, not looking to the left or right, instead fully devoted.

Focus needs to be practised again and again as seasons and responsibilities change. I find my eyes can flicker because of discontentment with what's in front of me, because of apathy, lack of self-control or direction or sometimes also because of a lack of discernment of the season I'm in. Shifty eyes can easily become a way of life, literally and figuratively! Whatever the reason is to my loss of focus, I can learn from doves!

Besides symbolising the Holy Spirit, peace, grace, promise, divinity and purity, doves are known for their "dove's eyes". In Song of Solomon "dove's eyes" is an expression describing lovers only having eyes for each other. Because of the narrow shape of a dove's head, they are only able to focus on one object at a time. That's why doves only have one mate throughout their life. They simply don't have the interest nor the ability to look at another in a loving manner. Beautiful, and just like God's constant, attentive gaze on us, His children.


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I pray we will know increasingly how Jesus has His loving dove's eyes on us always! He remains faithful even when we are faithless and our attention flickers. "God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan." (Psalm 34,15 MSG)

In turn, I pray we will have eyes for Him only, so when He moves, we move. We do not get distracted. He is the only One we see. We do not waver nor turn from our purpose . We follow our King wherever He might lead.

May we have our faces set like flint and may we be able to say to God, just like Job when he was pressed with trouble from every side, What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention.*

May we be able to proclaim, I keep my eyes always on the LordWith him at my right hand, I will not be shaken* and may we rest assured that if we keep our eyes on God, we won't trip over our own feet.*

May we recognise Jesus' dove's eyes for us and may we in turn fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Dove's eyes in Jesus name.

dovesdovewings

* Scripture references:

  • Job 7,17 MSG
  • Psalm 16,8 NIV
  • Psalm 25,15 NIV

 


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The real reason to fast

(The blog was written as part of Hillsong Copenhagen's collective fast, February 2017)

I have tried fasting for both the right and wrong reasons.

I’ve tried fasting where I must admit the desire was to lose weight rather than to gain a deeper desire for Jesus and a hunger and thirst for righteousness. If God isn’t the center, fasting will be reduced to merely a time of denial. That’s sad when the bible contains beautiful promises about the rewards of fasting when done with the right motive. (See Isaiah 58)

The disciples did not seem to get fasting at first shot either. They saw how the Pharisees fasted but that they were not asked to do so as Jesus’ disciples. Jesus answered their wondering:

“But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Matthew 9:15 NIV

Jesus understands there is a time for everything. A time for celebration and a time for a re-set as a fast is. The disciples were not to re-set and return to Jesus at that point because they were already with Him.


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For us now, the situation is different. Our bridegroom, Jesus, is not physically with us on earth anymore. Therefore, we know fasting is appropriate in the lifestyle of every believer to declare our homesickness for heaven over everything we are given on earth!

We should be fasting what we draw our strength from and give our strength to.

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” 1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV

When you fast…you become hungry. At first it may be for food or whatever you are fasting (sugar, social media or tv for example) that might normally master you, but as the initial hunger pangs or longings cease, a new desire or hunger is formed. A hunger for His purposes.

A fast lets fortresses fall, fixes our focus and it fuels us for our future!

Jesus longs to meet with you as you fast, whether you are new or experienced in this discipline. Come with great expectancy to be renewed with His fresh perspective as the numbness and dullness disappear and you become sensitive to His word and voice.

Prayer:

 Jesus, thank you for this set aside time with you. Transform me as I seek you. I believe you will strengthen me and speak to me as I do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

I declare, I long for you, Jesus, more than _________ (fill in what you are fasting)

Thank you for doing your work in and through me. Become irresistible to me!

In Jesus name. Amen.

 


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