Seeking Answers
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. ~Proverbs 14:12
Hindsight, they say, is 20/20. And while it’s not a good idea to always look back, I do believe that it’s a good idea to learn from things we did in the past. Especially if those things were mistakes or something that brought us into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Coming out of a week-long fast, I began to realize many things. One is that while in the fast I struggled to find out what it was that the Lord wanted me to do. During the fast, I had a couple of little “breakdowns” wherein I truly did not know what I was supposed to do. I don’t really know what I expected, but I went into it with the idea that I was going to “hear from God.” Well, I DID hear from Him! A lot! And I also spent the entire week under spiritual attack, with many distractions, which made it difficult for me to “hear” from God. What a “Hello? Wake up!” moment!
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ~Philippians 2:3
However… just as DA and I decided together to do the fast, we also decided together to end it. And when we did, I had another breakdown and confessed to him my concerns. Here is a paraphrase of what I said:
“I really wanted to hear from God during this fast. I wanted answers. I NEED answers! But I think I just really need to set aside time to write and to get back into the closeness I had with the Lord. I need to be writing and doing what I know I’m called to do.”
Immediately DA looked at me and said, “Did you hear what you just said? You just got your answer to your fast.” I turned and looked at him and asked “what did I say?” … Really? I can’t even pay attention when I TALK! *eye roll*
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. ~Jeremiah 33:3
The point of all this is that I did learn a great deal in the one week that I fasted. Below I want to share that with you, so that you don’t suffer as I did. I’m making it easy for you, so pay attention.
- · You need to focus your attention on HIM and don’t be distracted.
- · Relax. Don’t be in a hurry.
- · You need to BELIEVE…not just exist. This stuff is REAL.
- · God isn’t interested as much in how you act as He is in the heart you have when you act. (Are you doing things to get attention or to serve God?)
- · Truly seeking a deeper relationship with God is key to success.
- · A face-to-face encounter with God can, will, and does come…when you least expect it.
- · Hindsight truly is 20/20
There are ways that seem right at the time. But if they aren’t the way that God is leading you to go, you will definitely find yourself in a pickle. Looking back on my fast and seeking God time, I realize that He was there the whole time. All He really wanted from me was a deeper commitment. I wrote about it in my post, “Stepping Onto the Next Level.” At the time, I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I do know that I had slacked off on prayer time, Bible reading time, and writing time. I had lost my focus. The “next level” for me is getting back into that, but in a deeper, more meaningful way.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead… ~Philippians 3:13
My focus needs to be solely on the ministry God has called me into. I don’t necessarily find myself needing to speak publicly…I kind of already do that in my writing. It is made public. I don’t necessarily need to be published. I kind of already do that too, by making my blog posts public. God, in essence, is my Publisher. Now, if a publishing company, editor, or reviewer, wanted to read my stuff and publish it to get it into the hands of many others…I would not be upset about that. Because that would only mean getting God’s message out to more people!
Do you have something you need answers to? I would suggest fasting for a few hours or a few days. There are many different types of fasts out there, but one that worked for me was the Daniel Fast. You can find some links at the end of this post. Also, when you fast, go into it privately (without making a big scene or telling a lot of people), with a clear conscience, pure thoughts, and with the belief that God will give you the answers you need. If you would like extra prayers, contact me. I would love to pray for you during your fast. Then let me know how things went!
http://www.daniel-fast.com/
http://www.daniel-fast.com/recipes.html
http://danielfast.wordpress.com/
