Hello Friends,
I want to share with you an article I got from a Mentor and
Friend, Bob Lotich, on Financial Fasting and how to do it.
I am going to be doing a financial fast for myself in January
and I encourage you to consider joining me!
Hope you enjoy reading it, Share it widely to your loved ones
and friends.
Best regards,
Mercy
The Bible talks about fasting in both the New and Old Testaments.
We read about Nehemiah fasting and praying for the children of
Israel because they were in a time of trouble.
ü
Daniel fasted and prayed
for three weeks drawing nearer to God.
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David fasted and prayed
in a time of personal repentance.
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Paul and Barnabas fasted
and prayed before presenting leaders in the church.
There’s a close relationship between fasting and praying because
fasting is a time for you to draw nearer to God. Spending time with God in
prayer allows us to hear from him and discern things that may be troubling us.
Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying before
going into ministry because he knew that it was important.
How much more should we follow his example and fast the things
that demand so much of our attention?
What’s a Financial
Fast?
The Bible doesn’t limit fasting only to food and drinks.
Anything that can be given up temporarily so that we can focus our full
attention on God can be viewed as a fast.
Paul references how a husband and wife might abstain from being
together for a time so they can devote themselves to prayer. So while the Bible
doesn’t have a section devoted to a ‘Financial Fast,’ I think the principles
can be applied to our finances.
There isn’t a lot of specific material to guide Christians in a
financial fast, which is why I wanted to cover it here. Financial fasting isn’t
meant to be easy or unintentional – it involves denying yourself so that you
can refocus your reliance on Christ.
How to Fast with Your
Finances
In holding to the principles of fasting that we see in the
Bible, I think we can fast financially by practicing the following:
1. Identify Necessities and Luxuries.
If you already have created a budget, this
may be a little easier for you to do. Take some time to really focus your
expenses on the things that you have to pay for – items like your house
payment, term life insurance, food, etc. If you can go without it (be honest
with yourself – eating out, iTunes music, going to the movies, etc) list it as
a luxury and do your best to go without purchasing it during your financial
fast.
The financial fast is not meant to keep you from enjoying the
things you already own. It’s a practice in contentment and reliance on God to
be our provider.
2. Resist the Temptation to Purchase Luxuries.
This is the difficult part of the financial fast. It’s so easy
to justify small (and sometimes large) purchases for convenience sake or
because we feel that we deserve it. Yes, I’m talking about the afternoon trip
to the vending machine, the morning Starbucks, and other conveniences that we
might be accustomed to.
The point of a financial fast is to help us to use our money
with purpose and to avoid irrational purchases that only inflate our standard
of living. It’s challenging and you will notice the sacrifices – which is the
point of the financial fast.
3. Focus on Contentment, Thankfulness, and Giving.
While you’re making these financial sacrifices, take a moment to
reflect on all that God has blessed you with and learn to be content with what
you have. Don’t be tempted to complain about what you can’t buy during the
financial fast. Instead, be thankful for all the things you do have.
You may start to see a few extra dollars because of the drop in
your spending habits. This is a great thing and should be used as a way to
cultivate a spirit of giving. Use the extra funds to bless a ministry in your
church, help a friend in need, provide for a family that needs support, or any
way that you feel God leading you to give.
4.
Grow in Prayer
Throughout your financial fast, prayer should be at the
cornerstone of all your decisions. Yes, as Christians we should engage with God
as much as possible – but fasting should involve a focused time of prayer to
seek God’s will and His direction in your life.
If there was one verse to guide your financial fast, I think it
would be this:
Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,
because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my
helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV
A financial fast is your declaration of freedom from the love of
money and acknowledgment of your dependence on God.
Whether you practice a financial fast for three days or three
weeks, I think it can help you grow spiritually and further your desire to give
freely.
Have you ever considered a financial fast?
credit:
https://christianpf.com/financial-fasting/
