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Abideandseek

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  1. Good Afternoon Friends We have a new article to share with you all on Fasting, specifically steps for fasting as a beginner. I hope you enjoy the article! Be Blessed, Nick & Leah 7 Easy Steps For Fasted Prayer For Beginners Fasting is one of the greatest weapons we have for spiritual battle when teamed up with prayer. Here are 7 easy steps for beginners to fasted prayer. Throughout the entirety of the Bible, we see the power of fasted prayer. Fasting is still one of the greatest weapons we have for spiritual battle when properly paired with prayer. Maybe you have thought about fasted prayer in the past but never got around to it. I just recently started taking my fasted prayer seriously and have already seen its effectiveness. First of all, fasting may not be for everyone and if you have a medical condition of any kind or are at all concerned about the physical effects of fasting, please check with your doctor before doing so. Nowhere in the bible does it say that fasting is a required to live a fruitful life in Christ. Although media fasts and fasting from material things we pay too much attention to can be extremely beneficial in its own right, the type of fasting I am discussing in this article is a fast from food. For married couples who cannot do a fast from food, Paul does discuss a different kind of fast that can be done for a short time to devote yourselves to prayer. This is discussed in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. For many, fasted prayer has probably been something that you have thought of doing at one point but never got around to because you were not sure where to begin. My prayer is that this article can get you started on a journey of powerful spiritual battle. Here are 7 easy steps for fasted prayer for beginners! 1. Start small For those who have never fasted before, the idea of going for any period of time may seem daunting. But remember it’s not a race and it’s not about how long you fast, it all comes down to your motives behind the fast. God doesn’t reward fasted prayer based off of how much you deprive your body, it’s all about the heart. So honestly examine what would be a good start for you, is it one meal? A day? A week? Make sure to pray about how you should begin your fasted prayer journey. Over time, you can increase the length of your fasts if you feel the need or if something is pressing on your heart. 2. Plan The Fast It is important to not just bring your food intake to a screeching halt. You also want to know how long you intend to fast for ahead of time. This is where planning comes in. Remember first and foremost, fasted prayer is something that should be done for no other reason than to humble yourself before God and to take the focus off yourself and put it on your prayers. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16 After you pray about how long your first fast should be, you should begin to plan exactly when you will start your fast and exactly when you intend to finish. If you plan to just fast a meal at the beginning this may seem irrelevant but it’s good to put into practice for when you begin to fast for extended periods of time. When you know exactly when you intend to end the fast, you can more easily turn your focus away from the next meal and aim it toward heaven as your lift your prayers to God. 3. Pre Fast Prayer Before you begin your fast it is important that you first get your heart in the right place and to ask God to open the eyes of our heart to not only the areas of our own lives that need spiritual warfare but also the lives of others. Recently I have been fasting for just 24 hours each week and it has really been transforming my prayer life. Before I fast each week, I pray the day before just asking God to show me what I should bring to Him in fasted prayer and to reveal those around me who need deliverance and healing. This allows me to go into my fasted prayer with even more intent and focus. Not only does it give fasted prayer more direction, it also helps us to realize how important fasted prayer is and gives us even more motivation to do it. You can even keep a list of people and circumstances you want to pray for. 4. Preparation For The Fast After planning out your fast and praying about it, it is time to prepare physically for it. I myself have been intermittent fasting for years a part of my diet regimen and follow a fairly strict diet as it is, but for most pre-fast diet preparation is extremely important. Remember that fasted prayer is not about losing weight or depriving yourself of food, it’s about dedicating time and focus intently on prayer. Even with this in mind, it is still important to remember that it can be a big shock to the body, that is why step number one, start small, is so important. No matter how long you intend to fast for, the safest way to start fasting is to clean up your diet a bit ahead of time. This doesn’t have to be a drastic diet change just simply being cautious of what you are eating the week prior and decreasing your intake slightly will be enough to help ease into the fast. 5. Fasted Prayer When I first started fasting and praying, I was not sure if I should pray in the middle or at the end of my fast or if it even mattered at all. Initially, I set up an hour block near the end of my fast to dedicate to prayer. This will be entirely up to what you feel God putting on your heart. Honestly, I ended up just praying continuously throughout the day because God kept putting people and circumstances on my heart. This has become my favorite aspect of my fasted prayer journey, when I go into my fast I feel like I am going into battle, putting myself aside to pray for the needs of many. You will quickly find that your prayer will go far beyond the list you made from your pre-fast prayer time. 6. Drink Plenty of Water This fast is from food only you still want to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. For some, this may take some getting used to since most people don’t drink nearly as much water on a daily basis as they should. It is important to keep in mind that though you may not usually consume much water in general, without getting water from food and other sources, drinking water is crucial. Though hydration is extremely important, don’t stress out about trying to find out exactly how much water your body needs. An easy way to stay hydrated is just to drink a large glass of water every time you would typically have a meal or whenever you feel hungry. The best part about water intake is it is actually fairly hard to drink too much, so just go off of how your body feels and you shouldn’t have any issues. 7. End the fast slowly At the end of your first fast, you may be eager to head to your favorite fast food joint and order the entire menu. Bad idea. It is really important, especially if you have fasted for more than 24 hours to ease back into food. Otherwise, you could end up making yourself sick or at the very least feel extremely uncomfortable. I would say to keep it simple. Just start first by having a salad and a big glass of water. Then maybe some bread or a light snack. Remember that unless you have been fasting for weeks, you aren’t “starving” so just take it easy as you reintroduce the food to your body. You may find that you want to extend your fast when you reach the end. If this is the case, don’t just keep going aimlessly. Take time to pray about extending the fast and then plan it out before you continue. Fasted prayer can seem extremely intimidating at first and many people put the idea aside without even giving it a try. Maybe you are reading this article right now and you have thought about trying it yourself but never got around to it. Now is the time! Just follow these simple steps and adjust them where needed. Remember, fasted prayer is a personal journey and it is just between you and God. The length of time or how hungry we feel isn’t going to “enhance” our prayers but as we humble ourselves and put aside our fleshly desires we can bring our focus to the heart of prayer and overcome spiritual barricades in Jesus name!
  2. Hey Friends! We haven't posted on here in a little while but I wanted to share some of our most recent articles with you. This article is titled Financial Freedom and was written by Nick to allow us to see that we don't have to live our entire lives tied to money! Nick and I have both experienced the stress and unhappiness that money can have on you, but we are here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way! We hope you enjoy! Be Blessed, Nick & Leah Financial Freedom Most people spend their entire lives in financial bondage. Money doesn’t have to rule your life, it’s time to break out of from its hold and find financial freedom! Money for most is a very touchy subject. It’s hard not to feel defensive about our funds when it feels like everywhere we turn someone is trying to lighten our wallets. It’s amazing when we stop to think about how much of our time and attention we give over to money. Either thinking of ways to earn it or ways to spend it. We quickly fall into a vicious cycle of wasting precious time chasing a dollar, only to spend it on things that we don’t even have time to use! The problem is that in reality, it’s not the money we desire but the false sense of security it brings or the momentary pleasure we gain from the things it buys. “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:14 This wisdom from Ecclesiastes really speaks to the truth of our reality… all of life’s rewards are uncertain and ultimately unsatisfying. That is why to find true contentment we need a source of contentment that will ultimately satisfy. Jesus said in John Chapter 4 while speaking to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Financial freedom isn’t found in learning how to better balance our checkbooks or with industry-leading secrets that can teach us how to hoard up our wealth. True financial freedom is found when we renew our minds and come to the source of living water that never runs dry. Overcome The Fear For some, the mere thought of money strikes fears into their hearts. With the thought of bills piling up and the feeling that you can never get ahead, it is hard not to worry about it. I myself lived paycheck to paycheck for years. As soon as I got paid the majority of my earnings were spent before that weekend was over. Besides all the money I wasted on alcohol, cigarettes and partying I was always blowing my money on things that I thought would bring me some sort of happiness. The funny thing is that the days spent in fear of over drafting my account each paycheck greatly outweighed the moments of delight I would find in the things I bought. Honestly at the time I was making lots of money, had very few bills or financial responsibilities and was single, but I still never had enough to keep up with my spending. When we live like this we quickly begin to drown in financial worries and burden. It corrupts not only our happiness but also the way we live our lives and our relationships. The fear of financial uncertainty is a heavy burden for anyone to carry. Fortunately, we don’t have to. We can never escape financial bondage by just trying to not spend money, it just doesn’t work, at least not in the long term. Have some people done this with success? Yes, of course, they have. Anyone can stop spending money but it isn’t a long-term solution. If we just stop spending money, instead of addressing the true issue, we don’t escape financial bondage, we just give it a new name and dress it in different clothes. Instead of spending all of our time worrying about making ends meet, we just find ourselves spending time wishing we didn’t have to pinch every penny as we dream of all the things we wish we could buy but can’t. To find true freedom we need to renew our minds and find contentment in the absence of “stuff”. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 If we turn toward Jesus and openly embrace His perfect love, fear has no place. Financial worry will fade away and through His word, we can begin to renew our minds and focus on finding contentment in Him. Overcome The Hold Renewing our understanding of the world and the role money has in our lives is a process. As we take time in prayer and in the word, we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Escaping the hold that money has on us is so important. Besides the fear and worrythat tags along with financial troubles, it also begins corrupt us in other ways. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” 1 Timothy 6:10 Most people have heard this scripture before and maybe some have heard it but didn’t even realize that it was scripture. I have heard this misquoted so many times as “money is the root of all evil”. That is not what the scripture is saying. The true emphasis here is on the love of money. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. For some, seeing this scripture might be a bit disheartening. Most of us don’t mind turning to God when we are in need… but can’t we live for this world too? The truth is we can’t. We have to choose because the two are in conflict with each other. Paul said in Galatians 5, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want.” If we want to truly escape the hold that money has on us we need to turn away from it and turn toward Jesus. The good news is that if the two are in conflict with each other, you can be sure that when you truly surrender to the Lord there is no place for financial bondage. If the son sets you free you will be free indeed! Most of all it’s important to remember that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, not money itself. If we can overcome the fear that tags along with money and the hold it has on our lives, we can do something truly amazing. We can take the tool the enemy has been using to keep us in bondage and use it against him to build up God’s kingdom! Overcome The Need We have talked about overcoming the fear and the hold that money has on our lives, now it’s time to talk about overcoming the need. But as the two previous sections spoke to the process of obtaining financial freedom, this one speaks to the power of we have when we obtain that freedom. I’m not talking about overcoming our need for money. Unless you decide to start your own homestead, grow your own food, and make your own clothes, there’s going to be some need for it in your life. What I am talking about is our ability to use what the enemy intends for evil and purpose it for good; to use what God gives us to overcome the need in the world. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 We need to always keep the royal law found in scripture, love your neighbor as yourself on our hearts. God’s kingdom is a kingdom built onselflessness and service to others. A life lived in the bondage of the world is a selfish life full of wandering and disappointment. We all at one time have lived this way and everyone feels the emptiness this life leads to. It drives us to loneliness, unhappiness, depression, anxiety, addiction and it just gets darker and darker as we seek to find just a little fulfillment and joy among the gloom. It is also important to remember that most of us reading this article have way more than most of the world. Almost 50% of the world’s population lives on around $2 a day! That means if your household is bringing around $4,000 a month you are making 100 times as much money as 50% of the world’s population. Though not every household in the U.S. is making this much money, it’s still amazing to think about how people who are making that much are struggling to make ends meet. The only way to truly find financial freedom is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 We will never find financial freedom through pursuing more money or learning to “want less”. True freedom is found only through life in Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Whoever drinks His water will never thirst! Indeed His water will become in you, a spring of water welling up to eternal life!
  3. Coming from someone who waited to have sex until after marriage, I would agree with Shiloh. You are just increasing the chances of it happening even if you don't intend on it happening. Plus, I think it would be more respectful for everyone in your household if you don't share a bed with your girlfriend. I know it is hard because you may not always see each other and it is nice to have the one you love close to you while she is visiting but that is one thing I never did with my now husband, it is just a better idea to have separate sleeping areas. We prayed about it often, I suggest doing that as well and maybe even praying about it with your girlfriend. But good for both of you to make the decision to stay faithful to God and abide in Him! <3 I do have an article I have written on Listening to God's Relationship Guidance if you would like to check it out. Unlike you, I was in secular relationships prior to my marriage where I engaged in sex and once I surrendered my self to Jesus, my outlook on relationships completely changed! And changed for the better !! I have suggestions in there from experience and comparing my secular relationship to my Christian one, there are big differences between the two and I suggest things you and your girlfriend may want to consider <3 Take care and enjoy your girlfriend's company and know God just wants the best for you both <3 Be Blessed, Nick & Leah Co-founders of Abide and Seek
  4. Hello Friends! I am just finishing up an amazing book I came across this past spring that was released for purchase this November and it is truly eye-opening. I wanted to share a little bit about the book with you since it has given me so much insight on my current projects I have been called to as a Christian. The book is called, Called to Create by Jordan Raynor and it is an easy and joyful read that reveals that God is the ultimate creator, He created us in His image, thus we are creators too! We all were born with the talents and interests that God intended us to have, each one of us a little different, but similar because we are all yearning to make, change or create something. Each chapter is filled with insight, wisdom, and scripture, which makes his findings so much more sound and just speaks to your heart. My favorite quote by Raynor is when he is discussing the creation of the earth in Genesis, he states " After working for six days, God left the earth largely undeveloped and uncultivated. He created a canvas and then invited us to join him in filling it." I love this quote so much because it uncovers so much for our purposes and how God invited you and me to make this earth as beautiful as He intended it to be, each person with a gift contributing and working together! Just thought I'd share this book because it has brought me closer to God while reading it, as well as giving me the strength to continue this journey I have just begun with husband to create Abide and Seek. I will be attempting to read one book a month and I look forward to sharing more wonderful books with you all! God Bless!
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