How to Do a Financial Fast

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.

ü  David fasted and prayed in a time of personal repentance.

ü  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/

Righteous Idol Worshipper

A Must Read.

This message has awoken me dearly and I think you need it too. I thought I should share as received.

The Righteous Idol Worshipper?

I wondered why I was in the queue of accused at all. I am intelligent, aggressive, young, totally committed to my God. What am I doing here with this sheet of supposed sins in my hand I wondered?

I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't fornicate, I don't steal, I am righteous. Others should be here not me.

It was finally my turn to face the Man.

I placed my sheet before Him, He glanced at it and sighed softly. He looked at me and calmly said "Guilty of Idol Worship.

Imagine my anger, my fury, my indignation, I jumped out of the chair and said 'Of course not! Check the sheet again, check the name, it can't be mine.

He sighed again and mentioned one of my names that no one knows.

I would not be stopped. It's impossible' I yelled. I worship only God, the Most High, Maker of heaven and earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords. I bow down to none, I have no talisman, no amulet, no pot underneath my bed.

'You are guilty of idol worship' he repeated calmly.

He looked at me, I looked at Him. It seemed like forever.  The room was silent I could hear the clock ticking.

What Kind of Believer are You?

Three Kinds of Believers

Are you spending completely on things that pass away like a vapor–or are you investing significantly in the things of God, which do not?

I’m something of a student of human behavior, and I’ve come to some conclusions about how most people in the world relate to God and his gifts. With regard to those who do make some kind of attempt to serve God, I’ve observed that there are basically three kinds of believers in this world.

Earthly-minded Believers

The first category of people I’ve identified is a large one, perhaps because it requires the least thought.

They’ve compartmentalized the sphere of all their resources, whether time, talent, or treasure, and haven’t brought these under the Lordship of Christ.

These believers accept what God has given them and use their resources for their own comfort, pleasure, and personal gratification.

The Earthly-minded Believer sees money the way nearly everyone else does. He wants to keep as much of it as possible, and use it for his own personal enjoyment of life.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the financial fruits of our labor. God wants us to do so. The important question is this: Are you spending completely on things that pass away like a vapor—or are you investing significantly in the things of God, which do not?

Christian Philanthropists

The next category of believers is one that gives more attention to giving.

These are believers who have come to the conviction that God has blessed them, and they should give back a portion of what they’ve received to help support ministry and missions. For them, this is somewhat of a duty, an obligation to fulfill, like paying taxes. There’s an “oughtness” that guides them. They write a check or volunteer in some way, but there is no joy or purpose in it.

Perhaps it’s the way they were taught by their parents. Perhaps it is motivated by the sense of duty so that the church can fund some project overseas, or pay its budget, or provide some program. Perhaps it’s giving out of guilt. The important distinction is that it is “doing what I have to.” As a result, it’s not something particularly pleasant or enjoyable.

Kingdom Investors

There is one other kind of Christian giver and, as you might predict, this one is harder to find among us. The Kingdom Investors are people who grow in Christ, who dig deeply into his Word, and who come to see their resources in a brand new way.

Kingdom investors are motivated by the rewards that the Bible promises.

Kingdom Investors see all that they have and all that they own as their sacred trust, theirs to use strategically for the advancement of Christ and his eternal purposes.

Their time, talent and treasure are no longer an end in itself, but a medium, a palette to be used in the beautiful art of serving God. Who are these people? You’ll find them across the spectrum. The Kingdom Investors deploy whatever time, talent, and treasure they have available, and it’s a pleasing truth that while not everyone can invest great sums of financial wealth, everyone can give their time and their personal talents. These are all things that God has given so that we might find the unique joy of giving them back.

I would like to ask a question “Do you merely see your giving as an obligation or duty, or does it give you joy?”

See more at: http://kingdomnomics.com/three-kinds-of-believers/#.VcHu0xFRGP8

Who is a Successful Christian?

A successful Christian Living is a life that radiates and shows the love of Christ and the personality of Christ Jesus in whatever the person or individual does.

That person is someone who is born again, who has confessed that Jesus is LORD and saviour of his or her life and that person is living according to the precepts and laws of GOD. (Psalm 1:2-3)

What do you think; what is Successful Christian Living?  

Let me hear from you in the comments box below.

Have a lovely day.

Peace

Where is your Treasure?

How to Focus on Things With Eternal Value  by Rick Warren

Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21 MSG).

The real secret to becoming content is to focus on the things that have eternal value. It may be a familiar teaching to you, but Jesus said we should store up our treasures in heaven, not on earth, “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV). 

Think about the things in your life:

• What will last forever?
• What will last at least for your lifetime?
• What will last a few short years, months, or days?

Based on eternal value, what things are most important in your life? Where — and with whom — should you put most of your time and energy?

By reorganizing your life around eternal priorities, you’ll find yourself growing in contentment as you live according to God’s design and purpose. 

In conclusion, let us seek to focus on what matters most, that is the "Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added".

Stay blessed!
Shalom

Let God Guide You in your Decision-Making

“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 23:3b (NIV)

Sometime we are afraid of making the wrong decision and that creates stress.

God says there is an antidote to our indecision. Psalm 23:3 tells us, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The way we handle the stress of decision-making is by letting God guide us. 

You may be thinking, ‘But I have tried this!’ You asked God to guide you but then you became more confused than before. You still could not figure it out. You wonder, ‘Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?’ 

Does God play games with us? Of course not! God wants to guide us. He wants us to know His will more than we want to know it. Our problem is we often look for the wrong thing when we are trying to find God’s will.  

Some of us look for a feeling. Some of us want a formulaic approach to God’s will, some recipe to apply when we are making decisions. Some of us take a magical approach and hope God will give us some fantastic sign or wonder to follow.  

All of these lead to frustration and can cause us to miss God’s will. 

God does not want you confused and he does not want you stressed over making a decision. God wants you to know that he is there, guiding you every step of the way.

This is his promise, so you can believe this to be true: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 NIV).  

In our quest to know God’s will for our lives, you can also read this post to see how God protects us. 

This devotional entitle "God's Antidote to Indecision" is written by Rick Warren and I hope it has helped you to look up to God in every decision you make. God Bless You.

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Today we will learn how we can stop comparing ourselves to others by being content with what we have and who we are as children of God. Hope you enjoy it and apply it to your life.

Be Content: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others by Rick Warren

“Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others” Galatians 6:4 (CEV) 

The Bible says we should never compare our financial circumstances to others. For one thing, it undermines your ability to be grateful for what God has given you. It also leads you into discontentment because you will always find people who appear to be better off than you. 

Paul says such comparisons are foolish, “In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.” (2 Corinthians 10:12b MSG) One of the reasons Paul was used so greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted from his purpose by comparing himself with others. 

The Bible teaches, “Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others” Galatians 6:4 (CEV). 

What to do right now!

Ask God to show you ways that you compare yourself to others. Confess your comparisons and ask God to re-direct your heart toward contentment and gratitude. 

If you enjoyed this post, then kindly share with your loved ones. 
Stay blessed.