A Prayer straight from the Heart

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

Loving you always in Him, Aaron Tabor, MD

Fasting & Prayer...When, Why & How To Fast?

There are many who have seriously considered adding fasting to their prayer life; but were not quite sure how to go about it.

How you begin and conduct your fast will largely determine your success. By following these basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding.

#1: State Your Reason. 
Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance... etc. Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your prayer fast. He will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically.   Remember, through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves before God so that the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches.

#2: Start Reasonably 
A. Physical Preparation - Fasting requires reasonable precautions physically. If you take prescription medications or have a chronic ailment, you should consult your physician before engaging a fast. Physical preparation will make the drastic change in your eating routine easier to cope with so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer. If fasting is not a consistent routine for you... start slowly: Fasting a meal and eventually working up to a 48 hour fast. The ideal routine, is to maintain one 24 hour fast every week. Ideally, fasting should begin in the evening.

• Do not rush into your fast.
• Prepare your body. Eat lighter meals before starting your fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
• Eat raw fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water (half your body weight in ounces each day) for two days before starting a fast.

B. Spiritual Preparation - The key to fasting and prayer is repentance.   Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers. Here are several things you can do to prepare spiritually:

• Ask God to search your heart (Psalm 139:23)
• Confess every sin the Holy Spirit calls to your attention and accept God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
• Seek Forgiveness from all you have knowingly offended and forgive all who have hurt you.
• Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.
• Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.
• Yield your mind and body and spirit to the Lordship and leadership of Christ (Romans 12:1,2)
• Meditate on the attributes of God: His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, and holiness.
• Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Heb. 11:6). 9. Do not underestimate spiritual opposition (Galatians 5:16,17)

#3: Stay Resolved 
Jesus instructed that all of His followers should fast (Mt. 6:16-18; 9:14,15).  For Christ, it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would.

#4: Starting Your Fast
Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all solid foods and have begun to seek the Lord.  Here are some helpful suggestions to consider:

• Avoid medication, even natural herbal drugs and homeopathic remedies.
  
• Limit your physical activities.
• Rest as much as your schedule will allow.
• Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and anxiety. 
• Remember to ALWAYS keep your Bible open. An open Bible leads to an open and obedient heart. This is the sole purpose of fasting and prayer.

#5: Stopping Your Fast
When your designated time for fasting is finished, you will begin to eat again. But how you end your fast is extremely important for your physical and spiritual well-being. Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods immediately. Try several smaller meals or snacks to start. If you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in continued good health both physically and spiritually.

Finally, If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and meditate on God's Word; you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 14:21). You will find yourself to be mentally, physically, and spiritually renewed (Romans 12:1,2).
Ultimately, the key to prayer and fasting is a sound confidence in the Word of God. Making the study of God's Word a priority will enable you to pray effectively.     Begin  your  study  of  God's  Word   today  with College Of The Open Bible where the Bible is the only authority and the Holy Spirit is the ultimate Teacher. 

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger              

Giving, Fasting, Praying, Trusting, Serving

Matthew 6

 1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

 2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 11Give us this day our daily bread.

 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

 14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

 18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

 19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6 from the King James Bible