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[Guest new_me_luv4real]

My relationship with God is not exactly very strong yet and I don't know if it would do me much good to fast although I have been told, thats what it takes to get rid of certain spirits. Of which I am sad to say I feel like I still strongly possess. What should I do. If I pray and ask God for understanding how do I know when he's trying to answer? I have't been very good at receiving his help? All in all I have'nt been the most faithful servent. I wanna be strong and over come everything the devil has to throw at me but I just feel like getting grounded is impossible sometimes. Heck I don't know maybe i'm excpecting stuff to fast and Lord knows I have'nt quiet leared how to just let go and let him have control. I want him to take over. I can't do it anymore. If you reply and think you can shed some light;thanks in advance. Your confused brother in Christ Philip.

P.S. I know the devil is the author of confussion but how do I just let go.

Edited August 13, 2004 by new_me_luv4real

[BobTriez]

Greetings in Jesus,

Welcome to Worthy Boards. You ask a VERY real question, and believe me when I say, you are not alone here. It's neat really to see how the Lord works and speaks to us as I've been in deep study over this very topic with a fellow member here at Worthy over the past few days. I have some thoughts for you that I'll put together later on when I get freed up a bit.....

Perhaps some others will offer some sage words of advice from Scripture as well.....and again, welcome! I just wanted to touch base, say "hi" and let you know that I'll get to this as soon as I can.

God sure uses life experiences and current issues to speak to others! Thanks for your question.

Serving Him,

Bob

[Matthitjah]

Phillip,

Who are you? Think about it? It is not a trick question.

It is about identity. :il:

Peace,

Dave

[Guest Called]

Phillip

Hi and welcome to Worthy Boards..

I have been dealing with some of the very things you mentioned. I want to share some things that God has been doing in my life just this past week...Please bear with me, this may get long...

If I pray and ask God for understanding how do I know when he's trying to answer? I have't been very good at receiving his help? All in all I have'nt been the most faithful servent. I wanna be strong and over come everything the devil has to throw at me but I just feel like getting grounded is impossible sometimes. Heck I don't know maybe i'm excpecting stuff to fast and Lord knows I have'nt quiet leared how to just let go and let him have control. I want him to take over. I can't do it anymore. If you reply and think you can shed some light;thanks in advance. Your confused brother in Christ Philip.

P.S. I know the devil is the author of confussion but how do I just let go.

I want to go over this part of what you said...I am not trying to ignore the part about fasting, but I think there is something deeper here than fasting..

This past week I have had one of the most difficult spiritual battles of my life (I am not exaggerating), the devil has been really coming against me, so much that I could feel it deeply in my spirit. I could not pray nor think. To be honest..I didn't want to pray because I didn't think God was hearing me or listening to me. I couldn't get an answer from God, I was getting complete silence, or so I thought.

I eventually got to the point where you are right now.. I said "I can't do it anymore", those were my exact words. I want to stop right there and share a passage in the Bible with you...

To you I call, O LORD my Rock;

do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,

I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

Hear my cry for mercy

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my hands

toward your Most Holy Place.

Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.

Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have done

and bring back upon them what they deserve.

Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD

and what his hands have done,

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

Praise be to the LORD ,

for he has heard my cry for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to him in song.

The LORD is the strength of his people,

a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Save your people and bless your inheritance;

be their shepherd and carry them forever.

You see in the first part of Psalm 28 David is pleading with God because God has been silent (this is where you are right now), however in the last part of the passage we see that God did hear his cries (this is where you will be) and God answered him.

First thing you need to do is examine your heart, repent of any sin that is in your life. Ask God to tear down any walls that are up in your life, any barriers that are standing between you and Him, God will reveal these things to you. God took all your sins upon Himself when He died on the cross and we are no longer slaves to our sin.

Galatians 5:1 says,

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Next, you need to be still and listen, get away by yourself and just listen. Can you hear Him? He is talking to you, but you must be silent. God knows your heart, He knows that you can't do it anymore and you know what? That is a great place to be, because it means that you are humble and now God can move in your life and He will. See we must humble ourselves, get rid of any pride, cause we cannot do it..We can't, yet we try, we try to solve our own problems, we try to figure everything out, we try to be good on our own! We cannot do it. We have to lay it all at the foot of the cross and let God do it for us. Just let it go...

Get in the Word because God will speak volumes to you! It is so important and doing that will help you stay grounded in the faith.

I am sorry that this is so long and if it seems jumbled forgive me, but I am still learning about this and I am not that great at explaining things.

If you have any more questions please feel free to PM me and I can go into greater detail about what God has been revealing to me about this. I am praying for you and I know God will answer you. I want to leave you with a verse that God gave me.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

And remember...It is not about you and it is not about me..IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM! Fix your gaze on Jesus, you will see him.

God Bless you!

In Him Alone,

Debbie :hug:

[naomi3]

I agree with Called.

Another scripture that has really helped me is this:

Phil. 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Too often we think we are "behind" schedule so to say, but know your not. The Lord has got you in the palm of His hand and His Word promises to finish His work in you. It just doesn't always happen as quick as we would like. I have also noticed in my own life some times I am "working" so hard to fix an issue in my life when He is working on another. get in tune with the Lord, let His perfect work be done in your life. Hope this helps. :hug:

Naomi

[stillwaters]

I have something to add to those above...their insights are so good. We often look around and compare ourselves to other brethren. Measuring ourselves by what we see in their walk. Or what we think we see.

The disciples had a lot of trouble with this too...always wondering who was the greatest. Lk.22:24-27

Peter was still having this problem after the Lord's death and resurrection and the Lord gave him clear direction for "his" life. Jn 21: 20-23

I thought the Lord showed me something once about the church being like trees of righteousness. We stand together as a forest...our branches can touch and intertwine...but each tree must stand upright in Him uniquely as an individual member. Putting down it's own roots into the river of life.

Hope this helps.

[stilllearnin']

Wow this is incredible, I have been blessed so much by what you have said, Called, Naomi, and stillwaters! and we haven't even touched on fasting yet.

I am tempted to not go to church this morning, because I can't imagine what the pastor has to say being more profound then what was just said here. (I will go anyway).

Thank you new_me_ for asking such a deep and personal question.

I am anxiously awaiting more discussion on this topic,

stilllearnin'

[Nero's Fiddle]

Maranatha, brother!

I thank my God for your sincere desire to do His will and be close to Him.

If you decide to fast, fast to seek God's face, not to get His attention.

God hears us and has compassion on us because He loves us. It is pure grace (an undeserved gift) that allows us to enter boldly into the throneroom of God. Nothing you could do could make you deserve it, but He offers it to you freely.

Fasting is an opportunity to turn your focus 100% on Jesus Christ. You seek his face and listen to His voice. It is a very important thing for believers, especially in this day, when we can get so wrapped up in our lives and in the world that we forget the simplicity that is in Christ.

Some folks seem to think that fasting is a sort of blackmail tactic. "If I fast, He'll have to listen to me and answer my prayers on my terms!" This type of fasting avails nothing.

Fasting is not about a lack of food... It is about an abundance of time spent concentrating on the Bread that came down from Heaven. :il:

You'll be in my prayers, bro.

All the love I have in Him,

NF

[stillwaters]

I have done a lot of fasting...it started out to be because of health problems...but because the fast became a way of life the only way I could get thru was to make the diets a "fast" unto the Lord.

As Nero's Fiddle pointed out, if the heart is right...and sometimes you have to wait for the Lord to put the right attitide into your heart for a fast, If the Lord is working with you in the fast...chains will break off your heart BIG TIME. There can be break thrus to hearing from the Lord too. and sometimes fasts can be very critical to help others to freedom.

The book of Daniel shows us how effective fasting can be. Daniel just refused to eat the king's choice food in the first chapter. It was a choice that deeply honored God and God saw that...honored that fast and began to establish Daniel and his friends in a pagan court.

Just cutting out certain foods...can be a fast...if you do it long enough something good is bound to happen.

Be sure not to compare yourself to others and their walk...you have your own rate of growth in the Lord and has been said before...He will perfect that which concerns you. It is always good to be hungry for the Lord and want more of Him.