January 1997 I went on a lengthy fast. The key personal word that I gained in this season was - God please, either give me the desires of my heart OR change my desires.
Here I am 11 years later - some of the desires I had then, are fully filled (yipee)... other desires from then are such a distant memory and have been completely replaced with new desires (double and triple - yipee!!).
It's funny how things that I would have ran from 11 years ago are now part of my heart's desires. I serve a Good and Patient God who knows me better than I know myself.
If you really "delight yourself in the Lord"... what do you think the desires of your heart will look like?
9 comments:
Shari
I have to ask this question
What is the purpose of fasting?
This is a sincere question as I know of it but I don't know what it is exactly and why.
As for the answere to your question about desires of the heart just lately it is to find some inner peace from the past.
I have had some struggles of late with patience,grace and laziness.
My other desire is to see my family come to Christ as I am finding that it has been a very lonely walk although I know I am ot alone.
Shari
I have been spending a lot of time on this lately on many different levels.
When we delight in Him, He is SOOOOOO faithful with our desires.....placing His heart and desires deep within us and then taking great pleasure in fulfilling them! Continuously giving it all back to HIm and allowing Him to tweak and even change our desires is the key.
Mona
Inner peace from the past often comes through establishing new memories... building on the good. If a farmer keeps looking back while trying to plow his fields... well it's going to look pretty nasty and he'll get off the path. In some cases we need to repent, break soul ties, etc... BUT mostly we need to take up our cross and follow Jesus - which means forward motion.
Self awareness and honesty is a great place to be for forward motion. It sounds like we should meet for coffee and chat!! I have some time this week - what's your schedule like?
Shari,
In 1997, I, too, placed the "desires of my heart" before the Lord. I didn't fast, but I spent many hours in prayer. I was engaged to be married, but my fiance was going through a rough time. I laid him, myself, and our relationship before the Lord. At the time, it was the most difficult thing I had done.
The desires of my heart were answered....11 years of marriage and 3 children later!!!!
God is so so faithful.
In 1997, we had just had our baby girl and we moved all the way from PEI to Ontario. Shaun (Hubby) went back to School for 3 years. It was a VERY stretching time...the saying that "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger" is TRUE!! Glad to be past all that, but I sure do like the character that it has built in both of us.
Hmm good question, will need time to consider this one.
Interesting that 1997 was significant to many of us.
It was during the fast in 1997 that we first contacted Bruce (the owner of what later became our church building). Kevin had desired meeting in this building even prior to us establishing a congregation.
Several weeks after completing this 40 day fast my husband realized he was healed of colitus.
1997 was a year of change for many!
1997 was the beginning of a turning point for us. It was that summer that we started our very first cell group with Kevin & Shari.
That year also holds significant bad memories for me to.
Remember the prophecy for the year ending in 7 as you are headed to the year ending in 8 - the year of new beginnings.
Rhonda
I'd forgotten that was the year we'd started our cell group. This blog may prove helpful in remember time lines etc.
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