I remember being in second or third grade and lying in the grass studying the clouds. Not only was I trying to discover castles and bunnies, but I was praying that God would send me a special message through the clouds.
I was hoping for a sign, a direction for my purpose and future.
Although I went to church every Sunday growing up, I didn't feel connected to God or interact with anyone who discussed faith outside of church service.
I had a strong sense that God existed, but zero clues of how to connect to Him, hear from Him, or what it might look like to have your faith integrated with "real life."
I never received a message in the clouds and eventually gave up on that idea.
I decided, like many teenagers, that I didn't need church at all. I didn't need someone to tell me what to do and could figure things out better by myself. Or so I thought . . . of course, that didn't work out at all.
While in college, I began working for a woman who lived her faith wholeheartedly. She brought God and Jesus into everything, which was foreign to me at the time. (Honestly, I thought she was extreme.)
But over time, her open, authentic, life-giving faith and close relationship with God became increasingly attractive to me. Also, she heard from God all the time, and I realized there was much more to a relationship with God than I had ever seen
I went to church with her on a Wednesday evening in December 2005. Although I was afraid that everyone would instantly identify me as an outsider and shun me when I walked in, that was not the case.
Instead, I sat and listened to a bible-based message that made my hair stand on end. This truth was unlike anything I had heard before, and I had ears to hear.
The Pastor ended with a clear presentation of the gospel. Without hesitation, I surrendered my life to Christ that night, knowing that was the moment I had been searching for and I would never be the same.
Daniel Fast Journey
Why did I write a book about the Daniel Fast? The concise answer is, "God told me to."
After I started a blog, people had more interest in the Daniel Fast meal plans and resources than anything else I had written.
I have always been passionate about health and wellness, and the Daniel Fast addresses the health of your spirit, soul, and body.
The Bible has a lot to say about fasting. We may not always think about it or hear about it, but Jesus Himself fasted and spoke specifically about that topic more than once.
Fasting makes you spiritually strong and physically healthy. Although these are great benefits, the purpose of fasting is not to "get something out of it." Nor is it about working for God's approval.
Instead, fasting is a form of worship that definitively declares God is first in our lives. Nothing can truly satisfy us but Him. We are willing to give up temporary comforts and worldly fixes to seek the Lord above all else.
As we draw closer to the Lord, He gives us wisdom and insight. He breaks down strongholds of faulty thinking and replaces lies with the truth. He reveals great and mighty things about Himself, about us, and about bringing His kingdom to our world.
Remember the little girl who was desperate to hear from God?
I hear Him now. And I'm passionate about helping others have a relationship with Him and see how they can make that relationship deeper, stronger, and more intimate through fasting, prayer, and the Word of God.
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