So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. -Daniel 9:3-5
I spent many years bound to my self imposed yolk, crying to the Lord, wondering why He seemed silent as I continued in sin. When I finally determined to battle the lust in my heart the Spirit led me to fast.
Fasting is a powerful act that needs to be utilized to mortify sin. Proper fasting includes:
1) Not eating food (obviously) - denying the daily lust of food puts all the lusts of our hearts in perspective.
2) Prayer - the purpose of fasting should be to focus our hearts and minds on the Lord.
3) Humility - do not fast to get something from God or to look good to others. This is a time of afflicting our souls, pleading to the creator, and seeking His help.
4) Confession - lay your heart before Him, a broken and contrite heart He will not despise (Ps 51:17)
5) Persistence - fast until something changes, there is no set amount of time required, fasting is not something you do to ease a guilty conscience then walk away. Fast until your heart is prepared to do whatever God requires.
6) Learning - as you battle your hunger, notice how your heart tempts you, how your body tries to force you to its will and how after a while the yearning lessens. Apply these lessons to other lusts.
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