My soul sits in grief today. I’ve been watching a beloved, elderly pet go downhill and suspect we may have only weeks left. Our only other (also elderly) fur baby passed in March, and our son left this month to begin his life and career. Though we are so proud and happy for him, of course, it has proven to be a year of loss of the ones we nurture. My arms and nest are feeling more and more empty, and I can’t bear it.
There is also a battle ahead of us, one for which I feel weak and inadequate. Tomorrow is September 1, the first day in which we at Faith and Fasting begin fasting 24 hours a month for America, a mission intended to extend through the coming year, 2024. 24 in 24… seems to have an intentional ring to it, doesn’t it?
Before we discuss tomorrow’s 24-hour fast, I want to share an interaction I had with the Lord in July. On or about July 20, the Lord said to my spirit: “Forty days”. At the time, I assumed He meant fasting, that I needed to fast 40 days.
My initial response was, “I suppose I can begin fasting after our son leaves”, for he was within a couple weeks of departing then. But, the Spirit replied to me, “No, this Sunday at Noon”. Sunday was July 23. When I counted 40 days from Noon, Sunday, July 23, I landed exactly on September 1.
The Spirit of God was marking the days to the beginning of fasting 24 hours a month for America! The ultimate goal is the removal of the principalities who have set up kingdoms in America, are occupying God’s land! This is is a big deal to Him, something He longs to reverse, yearns to pour blessing out upon His land again, if His people will deny themselves, carry His torch of love for her and seek His face in earnest.
In my broken understanding of His message, I began fasting on July 23 at Noon, thinking I needed to fast 40 days. Three weeks in, the Lord gave me a dream and a vision on the same day. I dreamed I was looking down a straw into a fruit and vegetable smoothie, and it was rising up to me. Then, I had a waking vision of a King crab being lowered from above and placed in front of me.
If that vision sounds unbelievable to you, be reminded in Acts 10 it is recorded that disciple/apostle Peter had a dream of all kinds of animals being lowered on a sheet in front of him. The Lord told Peter that no animal was considered unclean any longer. With one dream, God set His people free from old covenant dietary laws.
Setting the crab vision aside for a minute, in thinking through what I’d seen and dreamed, I realized I had been hearing a phrase in my head the entire three weeks of fasting: “no meat, no milk, no bread”. This phrase had echoed through my mind over and over. While ignoring the idea it might apply specifically to the fast, my spirit was instinctively responding, “My meat is to do the will of my Father”. Sometimes I would add, “and Your word is my milk, and Jesus, my Bread…”
Stumbling along in understanding as always, after the dream and vision, I would finally realize the Lord never told me to completely fast 40 days, but to enter a season of discipline, a sort of Lent, cutting out meat, milk and bread in the flesh to allow Him to be those things to my spirit.
His ways are so mysterious and intentional. He loves symbols, has from the beginning of relationship with His people. No wonder Christ taught in parables, and His Spirit continues speaking that way through dreams and visions.
When I asked the Lord, “How long do you want me to avoid meat, milk and bread?”, I instantly had a mental vision of a young cow looking at me. From Scripture, in a dream or vision, what does a cow represent? We know from the testimony of Joseph’s dream experiences that a cow represents one year.
So, here I sit before you today a brand new, gluten-free, dairy-free vegetarian for the next year while on mission to restore America through prayer and fasting. I’ve already learned some incredible recipes that make this diet enjoyable, and may share one from time to time for anyone who wishes to join me in this unique journey of cleansing body, soul and country.
Back to the King crab lowered in front of me in the vision. I’ve come to laughingly call it “crab from the King”, because when researching the nutrients of crab, I learned only 3.5 oz contains a shocking amount of vitamin B12, nearly 500% the daily value our bodies need. Guess what is one of the biggest nutrients lacking in a vegetarian or vegan diet? Vitamin B12! So, my new diet for the next year will include some crab, at least. Orders from the King.
The Lord knows what He is doing! His true voice, when heard and understood properly, embodies intelligent reason and purpose.
Want to live with purpose? Learn to hear the voice of the Spirit. Yield yourself daily to Him, tell Him you want to know all the ways He speaks, to hear and understand. He will guide you and teach you His wonderful, mysterious ways. Be humble and patient with yourself, as I’ve learned to be. It is an amazing but sometimes bumpy ride, especially in the beginning.
Back to the 24-hour fast! In our house, we will begin tonight, probably at sunset and then eat again tomorrow night after sunset. You can do it however you choose or feel led, but that is a pure, 24-hour, one day fast. If you need help to know what a fast entails, check out older posts, “How to Fast” right here on Faith and Fasting.
During what would be meal times, we will spend a little time reading and praying for preparation and guidance for the coming year. True to the guidance of Isaiah 58, we will give a little extra to charity this month (already have) and make sure to meet the needs of our own household. Fasting is not an opportunity to call attention to oneself, nor to ignore the needs of those given us to love.
With all of this in mind, today I simply want to share with you excerpts from Joel 2. It is a heart’s cry from the Lord about the purpose of the fast for His land and people.
God bless each and every one of you who share our heart for God’s land, and are willing to give up a couple of meals once a month to petition Him for deliverance and change. Share the idea with your praying friends and churches. We CAN make an eternal difference!
Joel 2 (Literal Standard Version by Covenant Press)
12 “And also now,” a declaration of Yhwh (God/Yahweh), || “Turn back to Me with all your heart, || And with fasting, and with weeping, || And with lamentation.”
13 And tear your heart, and not your garments, || And turn back to your God Yhwh, || For He [is] gracious and merciful, || Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, || And relenting from evil (harm or adversity).
15 Blow a horn in Zion, || Sanctify a fast—proclaim a restraint.
16 Gather the people, sanctify an assembly, || Assemble the aged, || Gather infants and sucklings of the breasts, || Let a bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, || And a bride out of her closet.
17 Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar, servants of Yhwh, || And let them say: “Have pity, O Yhwh, on Your people, || And do not give Your inheritance to reproach, || To the ruling over them of nations, || Why do they say among peoples, Where [is] their God?”
18 And let Yhwh be zealous for His land, || And have pity on His people.
19 Let Yhwh answer and say to His people, || “Behold, I am sending to you the grain, || And the new wine, and the oil, || And you have been satisfied with it, || And I make you no longer a reproach among nations,
21 Do not fear, O land! Be glad and rejoice, || For Yhwh has exerted Himself to work.
23 And you sons of Zion, || Be glad and rejoice in your God Yhwh, || For He has given to you the Teacher for righteousness, || And causes a shower to come down to you, || Early rain and spring rain [as] in the beginning.
24 And the floors have been full [with] pure grain, || And the presses have overflown [with] new wine and oil.
25 “And I have repaid to you the years that the locust consumed, || The cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, || My great force that I sent against you.
26 And you have eaten, (are) eating and being satisfied, || And have praised the Name of your God Yhwh, || Who has dealt with you wonderfully, || And My people are not ashamed for all time.
27 And you have known that I [am] in the midst of Israel, || And I [am] your God Yhwh, and there is none else, || And My people are not ashamed for all time.
Yes and Amen!!!
All Scripture taken from: Press, Covenant; Coalition, Covenant Christian. The Holy Bible: Literal Standard Version (LSV), 2020. Covenant Press. Kindle Edition.
FAITH AND FASTING 