I first heard about fasting during my high school years. In those days, I truly thought people who fasted were crazy. Why would they deliberately choose to abstain from food? From what I can remember about those days, people would start fasting either around the start of the new year or right after Mardi Gras for a Catholic holiday called Lent. No one ever sat me down and discussed why they were fasting nor explained why fasting is an important aspect to incorporate while building your spiritual, mental and physical self. It wasn’t until I was facing devastating news that I began to dig into and learn more about fasting and how it could positively affect my life and bring me closer to the Most High.
Fasting has literally changed my life!
Why Is Fasting Important?
I know what you are thinking. You may be thinking that fasting is a fad that everyone is doing right now and that it really isn’t connected to anything spiritual or mental. You may believe that people are just depriving their physical self for only a superficial reason. That may be true for some people, but if that’s what you think fasting is all about, then I would have to politely disagree with you. Have you ever heard the expression “Nothing is new under the sun.” Well, if you have that is true especially for this.
Fasting is actually scriptural. Starting from the Old Testament, you can see fasting mentioned in 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Esther, Psalm, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and many more. The most recognizable fast of the Old Testament is the one found in the Book of Daniel. This fast is popular because it highlights how Daniel and his friends ate according to Yah’s will for them. We discover later in the story how Yahuah blessed them and made them stronger than the others who were selected by the king.
No matter which instance of fasting you read about you will notice that the people of Israel fasted to enable a stronger connection with the Most High. They were oftentimes facing opposition and they needed guidance to see them through.
In the New Testament, you will find that Yahshua fasted for forty days in the wilderness and later when asked why His disciples did not fast, he gave them the most telling explanation which I hold dear as validation to any fast that I begin. In Matthew 9:14-15, John the Baptist’s disciples approached Yahshua and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” He responded by saying,
"How can the guest 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.”
Today we are to be disciples of Yahshua and spread the gospel to all that is willing to hear and lead people to Him and the Father. If we understand this concept then we also can understand that the time came and is that we are without the bridegroom. The time is now that we mourn for him and should be fasting.
Furthermore, in the Book of Acts, we see that when the disciples fasted and worship Yahuah, the Ruach (Holy Spirit) came to them like rushing water and spoke to them, instructing on their next step.
Our lives today are filled with so many distractions and so much noise that it is hard for us to hear the Ruach speak to us loud and clear. Our spiritual self is deprived because we have filled our body (the physical) and our mind (the mental) with so many things that do not glorify the Most High. We oftentimes feel as though He is being silent (don’t get me wrong sometimes He is) but in actuality, He may be screaming your name or sending hints that you are blinded to.
Yes, fasting is a way of depriving our physical self, but that’s because we need the break from those things so that our spirit can thrive and our mind can be filled with His Word.
What Is Fasting?
So now that you know the scriptural backing of fasting, what exactly is it? Fasting is the deliberate abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink. Many people today believe that fasting can include anything from social media, technological devices, and otherworldly obsession. Yes, we need a break from those things too —that is partially the “noise” that I mentioned earlier— but fasting should be more deeply rooted than that.
Why food or drink? We need food and water to survive — without it, we would die. It is hard for us to turn our brain off from seeking food or drink when we are hungry; it sometimes feels like it is impossible. That’s why the hardest part of the fast is the first three days because our mind goes back to survival mode. Our brain is literally on the hunt for food. It is during this time that you should be seeking Yahuah for guidance, so instead of seeking physical food, you should seek spiritual food and drink. Remember, Yahshua said to the Samaritan woman,
“But whosoever drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
and in John 6:35, Yahshua said,
“I am the bread of life: he that come to me shall never hunger; and he that believe in me shall never thirst.”
Why We Choose a Juice Fast?
My family chose a juice fast for several reasons. The main reason is that Josh has a medical condition that inhibits him from choosing to abstain from food and drink 100% of the time. He needs protein and a certain amount of fluid a day to sustain his kidney function. Another reason is that although we seek to fast from food or drink, we also see the value in going back to plants in a way that would reboot our cells and repair the damage that we inflicted onto ourselves over the course of the year or months. In fact, this reason was rooted in me about five years ago when I decided to give this type of fast a try after it was confirmed that I would never have children. Surprise, surprise after only ten days on a juice fast, I was pregnant. I truly believe that Yahuah has given us all we need to heal our bodies. This leads us to the last reason. One juice contains a variety of fruits and vegetables, more than you can consume in one sitting. It is downright, healthy for you!
When you fast by drinking only juice, you are receiving a constant flow of macro-nutrients, the type of nutrients you need to reboot and replenish your cells, all while giving your digestive system a chance to rest. If you think about it, you are eating and drinking more than three times a day, that means your body is constantly working to digest and process the food and drink within your body. It needs a break from the process, but doesn’t need a break from receiving nutrient. Today, our diets lacks so many of the nutrients we need, that we are too sick to do Yahuah will for our life; to fulfill our purpose.
Juice Fasting for 14-Days
Now that you know how fasting is good for you not only spiritually, but physically and mentally as well. Let’s talk about what Josh and I are planning in the coming days and what we would like for you to join us in.
We are preparing for a 14-day total juice fast. We have noticed that for the last few weeks, we have been feeling a little distant from Yahuah. Yes, each Sabbath is worthwhile and filled with the Ruach, but I can only speak for myself when I say, that I want a deeper connection with Most High and I feel compelled to fast to seek His truth, love, grace, and mercy.
Starting November 1st, Josh and I will be going on this spiritual journey and we would love for you to join us. You don’t have to do fourteen days or a juice fast, for that matter, you just need to find a fast that works well for you and let the spirit lead you. Every day, I will add a quick journal entry about how I’m feeling, the juice recipe of the day, and the Word that the Ruach leads me to in the hopes that my journey may encourage you.
I ask that you do the same. Share your experience and journey with me.
Stay tuned!
Comentários