QUESTION:
- What is [true] fasting?
- Is fasting really effective if it isn't sacrificial? 


So... once upon a time in the Bible, there was a lady named Esther and an amazing miracle that was performed through her. God was able to save an entire great people--the Jews--from death and agony that had been plotted against them.

King Ahasuerus, after making the mistake of exiling his queen due to the pressure of those around him, decided that constantly making choices off of others' opinions had only made his life more complicated. [This small event in itself proves that it is SO important as to whose voices you are listening to. God's voice? Man's voice? The world?... It makes a difference.] So the king now needed a new queen to fill the void that he allowed to be placed in his life through influence.

To summarize the story, the king sent for many young and beautiful women to come and basically be a part of a series of small events spent with the king in order for him to choose his new love. All of this really is pretty equal to a season of The Bachelor. 
Esther, a Jew, concealed her identity and was eventually chosen as new queen without her husband's acknowledgement of her race, beliefs, or culture.

The king and Esther however sincerely fell in love, and on began their relationship together. God knew that the time would come that Esther would have to take a huge step in faith and convince the king to save her and her people.

There are a lot of good points and topics in this story, but the point I want to make is about fasting.

15] Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

 16] Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

 17] So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.


Before Esther ever went to the king [possibly threatening her life], she went to her people and in verse 16, requested that all of the Jews fast food and drink constantly for 3 days.
The power in fasting is incredible, and at the end of this story God was behind her cause 100%, and an incredible miracle was worked out.

But what if the Jews hadn't fasted? What if they only had fasted from an event or a small object that they didn't really miss? How much would they have gotten God's attention?

I truly believe that the power in fasting comes by the sacrifice made personally. If it weren't a difficult task, it really wouldn't make much of a difference. However when you go out of your way to give up something that you love and desire greatly, it becomes a greater sacrifice and I believe God honors that with His presence and anointing.

Of course I don't mean that if you're not fasting food or if you fast only a meal that it isn't going to be effective. Fasting always depends on your personal walk with God and your personal desires. It was proven in the book of Esther that sacrifice to God means a lot, and He'll come through for you if you will honor Him. We only deserve as much as we give! . . . 


God bless!! :)

Hey!


Today I've been doing a lot of thinking about myself. As I live my youth I struggle with things, and my faith wavers. At times I've wondered how far God is from me, or really how far am I from God? A thought hit me in a perspective I haven't had before this afternoon as I was talking to God about myself.


What exactly is my problem, anyway?


So many times I will go to a National Youth Convention or a Youth Camp and leave on a spiritual high, at the top of the mountain and undefeated. I come home, and the flame kindled by the atmosphere [not even my own worship] at these conferences will last for a few days, maybe even weeks or months. But that flame is smothered by my own problems and life's relationships. I will then hit a low point, the lowest I can possibly sit at. I began to wonder after so long why it was SO hard for me to establish just a steady walk with God.


If you look at the 'great heroes' in the Bible, like Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Esther, David... it feels almost like they're superhuman and impossible to live up to. But as much as we learn and hear about these people on a daily basis, I feel that we have failed to understand their strength.


How do you receive a faith that can lead thousands upon thousands of Israelites to a promised land you've never even seen yourself? How do you approach a powerful [and highly disturbed] king who threatens the life of WHOEVER comes in the room? How do you go out and face a massive man with a couple rocks to sling at him?---I think the one thing that these people obtained that caused them to achieve these amazing works was BALANCE.


Of course, all of the other things are crucial. Prayer, fasting, Bible reading... these are our foundation and daily needed pursuits. But these things REQUIRE balance. Being a musician, I automatically thought of an analogy that made perfect sense to me. For those of you who sing, you realize that when you strive to hit a certain note, your voice cannot waver from that one pitch. While your voice stays steady, you will use "vibrato," or a constant wavering of your voice. While your voice is changing in and out, in and out, your pitch never goes up or down---it stays the same. I compared this small scenario to my walk with God. While I'm going to sometimes question myself and my faith will waver, my relationship with God must stay steady. It may come in and out, in and out... but if I will maintain that balance and not let myself drift up to the super highs or down to the extreme lows, I can obtain that anointing that will cause my life to light up even in a simple trip to your school or even the store.


So this is my challenge for you:
When you get up in the morning to get dressed for school, turn on some worship music or something to get you in the right mindset. If you have time left over after breakfast and you're just sitting there, try reading a passage in Psalms or Proverbs. It's amazing how much one scripture can direct your entire day. When you get home and you have a few minutes to yourself, just talk to God like he's standing next to you--after all, He is everywhere. God doesn't require an NYC service every moment of the day, but He does want us to spend time with Him and allow Him to direct us. And I promise you that the more you spend with God, the more you'll WANT to spend with God.


I love you guys, God bless!! :)