I will be getting my notes compiled and posting more on fasting...It is apparent that there are more questions that I expected on this discipline. I love the emails I'm receiving.
I would suggest, if you have questions, that you do a topical study on fasting while you wait for me to compile my notes (which exist in the margins of my Bible - it may be easier to scan my Bible in {G}). You can go here; click on phrase search and type in the word fasting. You'll have the start of a topical study. Jot down the verses that look appropriate, look them up, read them in CONTEXT, and note what each has to say about fasting. Make a list of the things you learn. Ask God how He would have you apply the things you learn. I tried to get the free web tool for the blog from blueletter Bible but I'm not quite sure what html code I need. {G}
I'll try to answer the most often asked questions that I'm receiving here....
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Our Anniversary
I should be writing something profound and meaningful, but I didn't get it done before this a.m. The kids are raring for the day to begin, Stacia is up and wanting attention....but I don't want to let the day go by without saying:
I've been incredibly blessed to be married to this man for 22 years today!
Yes the picture is a bit funky...but it was very late at night during a month of very late work nights. Don't ya wish you could dress in such a fancy suit for work? OK - this is a mess dress and is only for formal affairs....when we were new into the military I delighted Mike's peers and supervisiors by saying we'd be going to the ball and yes...."Mike bought a new mess kit to wear". A mess kit is camping like plate, fork and cup....
OK what was I saying? Twenty-two years and I STILL feel incredibly lucky to have this man in my life. I think the biggest compliment I could give him is that I pray almost daily that God brings a man "just like Dad" to each of my daughters.
I've been incredibly blessed to be married to this man for 22 years today!
Yes the picture is a bit funky...but it was very late at night during a month of very late work nights. Don't ya wish you could dress in such a fancy suit for work? OK - this is a mess dress and is only for formal affairs....when we were new into the military I delighted Mike's peers and supervisiors by saying we'd be going to the ball and yes...."Mike bought a new mess kit to wear". A mess kit is camping like plate, fork and cup....
OK what was I saying? Twenty-two years and I STILL feel incredibly lucky to have this man in my life. I think the biggest compliment I could give him is that I pray almost daily that God brings a man "just like Dad" to each of my daughters.
Fasting
Lady Friends,
I've been clearly hearing the Lord say "do this" and I've been arguing. I've asked several "what will others think of my motives", how does this fit with Matthew's teaching to "wash your face when you fast - do it in secret"? Really it boils down to being obedient. I've prayed about this and get no sense of God allowing me to shrug this off. This has been sitting on my desktop for nearly two weeks as I “double-checked” again with God.
By way of background:
For the past year and a half God has graciously led me as I've explored "spiritual disciplines". Not in any legalistic sense but as a way to draw closer in intimacy with Him. Any who know me know that I’m very allergic to legalism. I was wary as I began to follow this path. I've not shared a lot about my journey...because I believe that there is a discipline of "secrecy" as well as the more public disciplines of the faith. A good place to start if you want to read up on spiritual disciplines would be the book Intimate Faith by Jan Winebrenner. Note that this is a primer…I would personally recommend that you branch out into some classics of the faith and do topical studies from the Word on the various spiritual disciplines.
One discipline that I’ve been led to add back into my life is fasting. I’ve done this regularly for quite some time now. I was led to fast for my family – specifically my children, my husband and their mother and wife – on a regular basis. This has led to some marvelous changes in ME. {g} An invitation to join with a group of friends from Hardin, MT in a fast for our children a couple of months ago was another joyful confirmation that God is leading me to fast for my children/family.
The Call:
God has been speaking in my heart to call women to a day of fasting for marriages. This is SO IMPORTANT. I see such an attack on Christian marriages today. I see a generation being raised to think that the marriage relationship has no value! Romance is given great value while commitment, loyalty and obedience are seen as old-fashioned. I see women unhappy, miserable and feeling alone; who in turn nag and tear apart their own husbands. Cleary many of us imitate the woman in Proverbs 14:1 – the foolish woman who tears her house apart WITH HER OWN HANDS! I see husbands caught in sin, wives caught in sin, children being torn apart as Christian parents turn the safe-haven of home into a battlefield. Ladies, we need to take a stand. We need to humbly repent and seek forgiveness from our Lord and our spouses. We need to pray that our husbands would hear GOD’S voice loudly, which often means we need to BE QUIET so they CAN hear God’s voice above ours. There are many thoughts zinging through my mind. I’d like to have developed this more definitely before I shared…but I hear God saying “Now…call your sisters to fast for their marriages and on behalf of the marriages of their Sisters”. So I am. Your marriage may be perfectly solid but God may be calling you to lovingly pray for the marriages of others in your life.
I am asking the women I know to PRAYERFULLY consider if God is asking them to join me in a fast on behalf of marriage. I am asking for a commitment to fast on either Sunday or Monday (the 26th or 27th of February). Please do not join because it’s the “thing to do”. Please ask God if He is asking you to join. I believe that we will see strongholds broken (in our lives, our husband’s lives and our marriages) and relationships restored. BUT I believe that NO ONE should fast if God is not tugging at their hearts to join.
In the next weeks I will be compiling a list of those who are committed to fast on the 26th or 27th. If you are one of those, please email me at Mike_De’Etta@verizon.net I will be sending out one reminder and some sort of a prayer guide as the 26th approaches. I will only send this to those who respond at the above email address.
If you have specific requests you would like us to remember as we pray and fast – send them. I’ll compile a list. Please note that I am sending this call to women in my email address book, posting it on SHS (a homeschool email list I co-own) and on my blog….in other words I’m believing for a mighty army of Godly women to rise up and fast….For this reason, your requests will be sent out “anonymously” to those who respond. I will only share your name if you specifically ask for that to be done. I will send all correspondence “blind copy” so that your email address will not be seen by others. I will not send specific requests to any email list or blog – the list will only go to those who ask to have their name added as one who is committed to fast.
If there are questions on fasting, I may well post a few entries on our blog about that. I will not be sending another reminder of this to SHS or to the women in my address book. I trust that if you are called to participate God will prompt you to respond.
Dear friends, I thank you for reading through this and for prayerfully considering your response. I regret that my confusion over “motives” has caused me to wait so long…but I am hearing a clear “NOW” and so will humbly obey…now.
I believe for some mighty victories in relationships!
De’Etta
PS Feel free to share this with others….
I've been clearly hearing the Lord say "do this" and I've been arguing. I've asked several "what will others think of my motives", how does this fit with Matthew's teaching to "wash your face when you fast - do it in secret"? Really it boils down to being obedient. I've prayed about this and get no sense of God allowing me to shrug this off. This has been sitting on my desktop for nearly two weeks as I “double-checked” again with God.
By way of background:
For the past year and a half God has graciously led me as I've explored "spiritual disciplines". Not in any legalistic sense but as a way to draw closer in intimacy with Him. Any who know me know that I’m very allergic to legalism. I was wary as I began to follow this path. I've not shared a lot about my journey...because I believe that there is a discipline of "secrecy" as well as the more public disciplines of the faith. A good place to start if you want to read up on spiritual disciplines would be the book Intimate Faith by Jan Winebrenner. Note that this is a primer…I would personally recommend that you branch out into some classics of the faith and do topical studies from the Word on the various spiritual disciplines.
One discipline that I’ve been led to add back into my life is fasting. I’ve done this regularly for quite some time now. I was led to fast for my family – specifically my children, my husband and their mother and wife – on a regular basis. This has led to some marvelous changes in ME. {g} An invitation to join with a group of friends from Hardin, MT in a fast for our children a couple of months ago was another joyful confirmation that God is leading me to fast for my children/family.
The Call:
God has been speaking in my heart to call women to a day of fasting for marriages. This is SO IMPORTANT. I see such an attack on Christian marriages today. I see a generation being raised to think that the marriage relationship has no value! Romance is given great value while commitment, loyalty and obedience are seen as old-fashioned. I see women unhappy, miserable and feeling alone; who in turn nag and tear apart their own husbands. Cleary many of us imitate the woman in Proverbs 14:1 – the foolish woman who tears her house apart WITH HER OWN HANDS! I see husbands caught in sin, wives caught in sin, children being torn apart as Christian parents turn the safe-haven of home into a battlefield. Ladies, we need to take a stand. We need to humbly repent and seek forgiveness from our Lord and our spouses. We need to pray that our husbands would hear GOD’S voice loudly, which often means we need to BE QUIET so they CAN hear God’s voice above ours. There are many thoughts zinging through my mind. I’d like to have developed this more definitely before I shared…but I hear God saying “Now…call your sisters to fast for their marriages and on behalf of the marriages of their Sisters”. So I am. Your marriage may be perfectly solid but God may be calling you to lovingly pray for the marriages of others in your life.
I am asking the women I know to PRAYERFULLY consider if God is asking them to join me in a fast on behalf of marriage. I am asking for a commitment to fast on either Sunday or Monday (the 26th or 27th of February). Please do not join because it’s the “thing to do”. Please ask God if He is asking you to join. I believe that we will see strongholds broken (in our lives, our husband’s lives and our marriages) and relationships restored. BUT I believe that NO ONE should fast if God is not tugging at their hearts to join.
In the next weeks I will be compiling a list of those who are committed to fast on the 26th or 27th. If you are one of those, please email me at Mike_De’Etta@verizon.net I will be sending out one reminder and some sort of a prayer guide as the 26th approaches. I will only send this to those who respond at the above email address.
If you have specific requests you would like us to remember as we pray and fast – send them. I’ll compile a list. Please note that I am sending this call to women in my email address book, posting it on SHS (a homeschool email list I co-own) and on my blog….in other words I’m believing for a mighty army of Godly women to rise up and fast….For this reason, your requests will be sent out “anonymously” to those who respond. I will only share your name if you specifically ask for that to be done. I will send all correspondence “blind copy” so that your email address will not be seen by others. I will not send specific requests to any email list or blog – the list will only go to those who ask to have their name added as one who is committed to fast.
If there are questions on fasting, I may well post a few entries on our blog about that. I will not be sending another reminder of this to SHS or to the women in my address book. I trust that if you are called to participate God will prompt you to respond.
Dear friends, I thank you for reading through this and for prayerfully considering your response. I regret that my confusion over “motives” has caused me to wait so long…but I am hearing a clear “NOW” and so will humbly obey…now.
I believe for some mighty victories in relationships!
De’Etta
PS Feel free to share this with others….
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