Update: Daniel Fast + OTN90

Praise the Lord, I’ve made it to day 11 of the Daniel Fast (that’s half way)!!! So far the fast is going very well. It is so perfect that the fast is paired with the OTN90 reading.  This keeps me focused on the word of God and not the food.  

I have completed Genesis, Exodus, and Ruth.  Today, I am wrapping up the book of Ezra. The verse that has stood out to me the most in all of my OTN90 Reading so far is Exodus 34:6-7.

Everytime I reread these verses, they penetrate deep into my heart.   I am delighted to know that God is unchanging and he is filled with unfailing love and faithfullness!  What truth about God’s character do these verses speak to you?

Daniel Fast Lessons:

1.       Temptation is real.  Usually, meetings at work are food-free, with the exception of lunch-and-learns.  Since the fast has started, almost every meeting I have attended has either included cookies or coffee! Ummm, seriously?? Praise God, I’ve declined to partake in each circumstance.

2.       Spirit is stronger than Flesh.  I have a deep deep love for coffee and drink it every morning.  I am so proud to declare, I have not had a drop of coffee since the beginning of the Daniel Fast.  This is truly a work of the Lord.  It has not been easy but one of my favorite parts of fasting is seeing that my flesh is not superior to the Spirit when I am willing to fully submit myself.

Danny Foods I’m Loving, yummo.

That's all for today! Those of you that are fasting and/or reading, I'd love to hear what you're learning and what foods you're loving!

7 Days left to enter my giveaway!! 

Daniel Fast: Day 1

Today is Day 1 of the Daniel Fast, 21 days of whole foods and wholesome talk.  For the next 21 days, I will eat only natural foods that come from the ground and speak wholesome words that lift up and encourage those around me. For additional details about the Daniel Fast, click here.  I have decided to make a few modifications but the intent of the fast remains the same…Natural foods, no meat, no sugar, and NO COFFEE.  Yes, I will be relying heavily on the Holy Spirit for strength on that last one.

Each morning I will spend time going through the book of Daniel to maintain the focus of the fast.  You can find the devotional here. The primary reason I have chosen to take part in this fast is to start the year fully focused on the Lord.  Those of you that know me know that I absolutely LOVE food, so this time of denying the flesh will remind me that God is my source and must maintain the number one place in my life.  I hope to draw closer to the Lord and simply enjoy spending time with my creator!

Just in case you are wondering, I will not forsake the OTN90 challenge during this time.  Take a look at my previous post, here, for details.  I will read the Daniel Devotional in the mornings when I wake and then spend the rest of my day listening to and reading the OTN90 passage for the day.

Each day I will have a prayer focus for the day.  So if I start to crave a food that I’m fasting from, I will immediately begin to pray.  My prayer focus for today is: a submissive spirit and loving words.

Prayer:

Thank you for leading me to a church that has a heart for you and consistently challenges me to find ways to draw closer to you.  I pray, Lord, that you would keep my mind fully focused on you in the next 21 days and throughout this year! I pray Lord that the elimination of certain foods would draw me closer to you and not in any way serve as a distraction to me.  ~ Amen

Boring or Beneficial?

Happy Tuesday All! Who’s ready to get this year started right with a reading plan???? I’m so excited to announce that my church has issued a challenge to all of its partners (that's what we call our members) to read the Old Testament (OT) in 90 days! I know I just lost some of you when I said OT but don’t stop reading yet.  I want to take a brief moment to emphasize the importance of the OT to each of us. The OT really is the foundation for all the rich text we love in the New Testament.  Skipping over the OT just to get to the NT is like not reading the introduction and first chapter of your favorite book.  Better yet, it’s like skipping the oh-so exciting “dating phase” of a relationship and going straight to marriage.  The marriage is great, but who wants to lose out on the fun of butterflies and discovery that comes in the beginning phase?? The NT is built on the laws, systems, covenants and promises of the OT!

I’ll be completely honest, there was a time when I would always chose to read a NT passage over an OT passage, if given a choice. Thankfully, I married a man that is an OT fanatic and after quite a bit of encouragement, I recently decided to start reading through Genesis.  Wow, is pretty much all I can say.  I LOVE this book.  There is so much drama, seriously, check it out! I would like to invite you to join me in reading through the Old Testament in 90 Days (OTN90).  The reading plan can be found here.  As we read, I will blog about some of the things the Lord is revealing to me through the OT and I would love to hear what you are learning as well!

P.S.

If you would like a bit more information about the Old Testament, you can find some great information here.