Fasting

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
(taken from Isaiah 58)

I just finished (in under a day) this wonderful book called "fasting" by Jentezen Franklin. God has been sorta speaking to my heart lately about fasting. It just keeps coming up and He keeps prompting me to fast (and I usually prompt Him to leave me alone about it). So I was buying some books on my handy flex dollars yesterday, and I came across this book. Without much thought I just threw it in my stack, figured I might as well read into it. Well I just cracked it open when I got back to the room and I couldn't put it down. God has spoken to me through this book so specifically. You see God never really put fasting as some sort of optional bonus points. No, in Matthew 6 Jesus uses words like "When you give.... When you pray.... When you fast..." It wasn't really debated, it was just something you do. But the rewards of fasting far outweigh the sacrifice. Your only sacrifice is giving up food. And really although it makes you hungry, it is scientifically so healthy for your body to fast. You see, God knew what he was doing. And the Spiritual rewards outweigh anything. Your heart becomes more in tune with what God has to say. As the verse says, fasting breaks bondages and heavy yokes. Fasting brings for quick healing. You will call to the Lord (what a privilege!) and He will say 'Here am I."