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Doors
I remember telling a woman from a church, “I feel like our fast for this month is to be from crackers. Do you want to fast with us?”
She just stared at me. "I don't eat many crackers."
I shrugged, “Yeah. Me neither. Seems kind of weird to me too, but I believe that's the fast for this month all the same.”
Two weeks into that month some doors were opened that I could not open for 17 years. I was praying and praising out loud day and night. My tears were filling the spaces around me. We added fasting to our worship and 3½ months after making this fast thing a part of our lives, the doors were opened and my kids and I found ourselves staying at a hotel for a month.
Do you know what would be good in a hotel microwave for lunch and dinner for the next month?
Soup.
Guess what goes well with that soup?
Crackers.
Whatever God puts on your heart to fast from might seem silly.
But it's just not.
And the more you (and we) do this the more you (and we) begin to see His Hand in everything; doors opening and closing, God-sized provision, blessed and Divine appointments, financial blessings, physical provision, and sometimes an answer you have been waiting for since….
Here's the thing:
Think about this. When your child isn't ready for the next thing and you can see that, then why would you give him (or her) the next thing?
I don't do resolutions, or as I've heard some people call them, New Year's “planned disappointments” because people quit after the first week.
I had wanted to share this before January 1st but now that the New Year's Resolution thing is already here, I'm sharing this because it's really not about perfection but about praying, listening, and obedience.
Maybe you're completely satisfied with your life. My guess is there are some things that you feel need to change in some way.
I'm asking you to prayerfully consider this; and not actually even as a New Year's thing, but just 
Are you completely satisfied with your spiritual life?
I'm not here to argue if you should or shouldn't fast. I'm here to ask you why you're not.
There are doors you need to have opened and closed.
Fasting brings Supernatural help into the very middle of your situation and it has Power that nothing else does.
I don't even have to be able to explain why or how it works to be able to see it work.
Fasting won't seem so silly anymore when you begin to see the results happening all around you.
It may (will) surprise you when you pray to ask and God places on your heart what to fast from. It's sometimes going to be things you would not have thought of. That's what we have found in our household.
And sometimes (in fact, most months since we've started doing this over the past 3 years) it has not been fasting from food but from other things besides food.
Just do it.
This has opened (and closed) doors like nothing else I've ever witnessed.
A few years ago a woman brought me a book about fasting. I had fasted a few times through my life but now it's become our everyday normal life and there's no going back.
There's also a big difference between telling someone you're fasting or wearing sackcloth and ash on the streets for all to see.
It's like adding the finishing touches on a race car. It's like extra vitamins for growth. Maybe... it's like shaving cream. A razor will cut but apply shaving cream and the razor glides easier and closer and gives a more precise clean cut.
Fasting cuts some things out of your life.
God is asking you to surrender everything to Him. He wants “your” day to be His day. He wants your time; He wants “your” schedule.
Fasting is when you go without something for a 
And God hears it and He blesses it. My children and I are witnesses to this Truth.
If you forget, then whenever you remember just pray and ask.
I would be surprised if it's not an adventure every month for you. It is for us.
Whatever God puts on your heart He will test you on. That's something we have found to be true too.
This is especially interesting when the word is regret (which helped me be super-focused on every choice, every moment,) extra sugar, resentment (which helps with forgiveness and gives a new, higher sight,) or discouragement, or coffee.
And what about if He shows you to fast from control?
I've learned over the past three years that if God puts it on my heart to fast from control, He's GOING to give me a situation (or several) where it feels very out of control. He wants me to rely on Him; and not put my trust in anything other than Him.
I used to be excited to find what word it would be. Now, to be honest, I kind of cringe. Because when the word is discontentment, I know He's going to test that. But honestly it's good even so.
I remember the month I felt our fast was from desserts, and especially cakes if someone brought them to us. The very LAST day of the month we were going to a meeting. Guess what was served there? There were all the desserts in a dessert buffet. I ended up having a piece of pie, because, after all it wasn't cake that someone brought to me. But I have to tell you that one lousy piece of pie that looked tempting SO wasn't worth it. It tasted like disgust. Praise God that His Grace reaches even me.
The tests of faith are so interesting.
You just gotta do this. I can't wait to hear about your adventures!
People like to hear how others have trained in some kind of way for an armed service or a physical sport or other things like health or career. But I've found people do NOT want to be tested in their faith. People want things easy when it comes to faith. But God tells us that's not how it is.
And welcome to that place where you are lacking NOTHING. (THAT sounds heavenly! Probably because it IS heavenly!)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, NOT LACKING ANYTHING.
Tired of trying to keep doing things the way you've done them by leaning on your own understanding? (I was.)
You can write to share with us some of what He shows you if you would like to. I'm already praying with you for the fasts God places on your heart (even if they sound kind of silly.)
Here's to some opened – and some much needed closed – doors!
Kerri and her daughters are currently waiting in faith in Northwest Washington
for God to open doors to Alaska.
Once there, they'll be working towards the development of a homeless shelter
for domestic abuse and sex-trafficked survivors.
They welcome your prayers,
as well as financial partnership,
to bring to fruition the shelter God has pressed upon their hearts to create:
https://itisallaboutfaithblog.wordpress.com/