<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Why do we fast? Why should we fast? What is fasting? Who is to fast? There are many questions about fasting. I am sure you have many questions and hopefully we can answer your questions and guide you in a fast that will work for you.

There are several reasons that we should fast, I am going to focus on three reasons.

ONE is a humble admission of need. The need may be forgiveness of sin, comfort over some grief or sorrow, concern over the situation of an individual, a city, or a nation, or the need for guidance and direction from the Lord. For example, when Nehemiah heard about the condition of Jerusalem, he immediately began to mourn and seek the Lord in fasting and prayer (Nehemiah 1:4-11). He poured out his heart to God and admitted to God the needs of the people. Nehemiah had a great need. Take time to read it the passage. His prayer is powerful. For other examples see Daniel 9:3, 1 Samuel 7:6; 31:13, 1 Kings 21:27-29, Nehemiah 9:1, Esther 4:1-3, Psalm 35:13; 69:10; 109:24, Isaiah 58:5-6.

TWO is a humble request for help. This is closely linked to the first reason. Before we will ask for help we have to admit we have a need - a need we know we cannot meet. God alone can give the needed help. Our requests can include seeking the Lord's guidance for a decision (Judges 20:26), for healing (2 Samuel 12:16-23), or for safety and protection (Ezra 8:21-23). Ester 4:16 records Esther's plea for the people to fast for her for three days concerning the deliverance of the Jewish people. In Jonah 3:3-10, the entire city of Nineveh entered into a fast to repent of their wickedness and to seek deliverance from certain judgment.

In the New Testament, we find examples of those who sought the Lord with a whole heart at a time of great need or as an expression of humble dependence on the Lord to guide or provide in some way. In Matthew 4:2, Jesus revealed His dependence on His Father during the wilderness temptations. The forty days of prayer and fasting were a time of intense focus on the Father and submission to all of His will and His Word. When Jesus taught on fasting, He clearly showed that it was a matter of a heart-to-heart focus on the Father, a submission to His will , and an act of trusting in His supply for the need.

THREE is a haughty attempt to get one's own way. Isaiah 58:1-4 is one of the clearest rebukes to a proud heart full of selfish motives. This type of fasting is of no benefit.

God looks at the heart not the outer man. He is concerned that we are walking humbly before Him with a desire only to do His will. He delights in us seeking Him with a whole heart, and sometimes a whole heart requires a time of fasting. This thought brings us to the practice of fasting. How do we go about a time of prayer and fasting? What are the procedures? Answers to these can be found in the next posting.

Please leave a comment and let me know if you have or haven't.

I wanted to share with you a story that has touched my heart.

A worker in China writes: I am a single woman working in a Chinese city alone, but God is with me in everything! When I first arrived in my city, I moved into my apartment and called my family to give them my new phone number. My mother's first statement was, "An ambulance has just picked up your sister. She will be dead by the end of the week." (She had been suffering with cancer for some time.) I didn't know what to do.

After investigating a way to get to the states, God led me to call home again. I said, "God, I can't. I know my sister is gone." However, I called and found out that my sister had just died. I talked to my mom for a while and then sat on my couch alone. I asked God, "Why am I here? I should be with my family!"

Immediately there was a knock on my window. A young lady said, "I was told that I should come and see you. May I come in?" Totally unaware of what I was going through she plopped down on the couch and said, "I have been searching for God. Can you tell me about the true God? She accepted Jesus as her Savior that day.

I thanked God for reminding me why I live overseas and that I am never alone. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of grief, He is with me. Those who think I am a team of one can't see the One who stands beside me.

Psalm 23:1-4, "The lord is my shepherd; I have everything that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside the peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me."

God has called each one of you for a specific purpose. At this time in your support raising some of you may be asking, "Will I get enough raised?" Please do not get discouraged, work at it with all your might. Get your prayer teams to pray. This is when you need them around you the most. Don't lose sight of your goal.

Don't miss the opportunity that God has placed in front of you, like the women in China, she was obedient to God and look what God did for her. Don't get discouraged, if you are, please let us know. We want to encourage you and pray for you.

The prayer team is formed and praying, the budget figured out, the support letter is written; the names are in your database and ready to be sent out. What do you do now?

There are so many ways to go about this. Which way is right? Which way is wrong? Let me try to address some questions that you may have. But first, I want to say, there is not right or wrong plan. Let God lead you, follow Him through it and He will show you the plan to follow.

Q: When sending out your support letter, do you say in the letter that you will be calling?

A: I don't think you should put it in the letter, I think you should handwrite a P.S. at the bottom of your support letter. You will not want to call each person you send your letter too. Also, people read a handwritten P.S. first and then decide whether they will read the rest of the letter.

Q: What if I said that I would call, then I did not?
A: You have just told them that they really do not matter to you. If you say you are going to call, you must call.

Q: Do I really need to follow up each letter with a phone call?
A: Maybe not all, but the majority. Do not expect people to give by just receiving your letter. It takes the personal contact to get people to give to your ministry. People need to hear your passion for it. They need to feel a part of it.

Q: Should I call someone who I have not given a heads up that I was going to call?
A: Absolutely not! People need to have time to pray and time to process. If you call without warning to talk about them giving to your ministry they will feel like you are a telemarketer.

Q: How long after I send my letter should I call?
A: Usually a week. If you wait longer then they probably have thrown the letter away.

Q: What should I do?
A: This is the plan that is used by some in the office here. Please keep in mind that you need to develop a plan that will work for your personality. The biggest part is being obedient to God in your plan.

They sent our support letters out in batches. They handwrote a personal note on the bottom of each letter and told them they would be calling to answer any questions they may have. The following week they sent out another batch of letters and followed up each letter that they sent the week before with a phone call. The phone call was not to bring them to a decision, they wanted them to hear their passion for the work God has placed on their hearts and they wanted to answer any of their questions. These phone calls proved to be such a necessary step. The calls were hard to make but when it was over, they were encouraged.

After everyone received a support letter, then they went through their data base again. Praying over each name and asking God to show them who they needed to set up appointments with. When they came up with our list they sent out pre-call letters. In the letter they let them know that they would like to have the opportunity to sit down with them and tell them about their ministry. Two things they found out about this step. First, that people are more willing to talk over the phone then to set up a meeting over coffee at a coffee shop. It takes less time and they can talk to you while at little Joe's soccer game. Second, that people appreciated having warning that you will be calling them. Think about it, they need to have time to pray about it also. People don't like to be caught off guard, do you?

At the meeting or phone call meeting, bring people to a decision. This is a hard one but so important. You need to bring people to a decision. You need to ask straight out. When they have been given time to pray about it, you can expect people to come to a decision.

This is what they did and it worked for them. Please do keep in mind that you need to come up with a plan that works for you. Spend time praying about how God wants you to go forward from here. By the end of the week, I want you to leave a comment and let me know what your plan is.

I pray that no one gets discouraged. Keep lifting each other up in prayer.

Philippians 3:6&7 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."