Throughout Scripture, we see that people fasted for many reasons—one of which was to grow in sensitivity to God’s voice. This is because fasting positions you to hear God more clearly—shifting the way you see and altering your perspective. #lisabevere #lisabeverestudy #lisabeverecourse #lisabevere #lisabevereadamant #christianstudy #theadamant # #onlinecourses #truthisarock #truth #whatistruth #lisabeveresermons #3keystogettingunstuck ______________ Chapters: 0:00 – Lesson Teaser 0:27 – Fasting 7:53 – Why Do We Need to Fast? 10:19 – My Favorite Fasting Scripture 18:18 – Pray, Fast, Seek 19:55 – Closing Prayer ______________ Make a one-time donation to help fund our livestreams, content, events, and more: https://messengerinternational.org/

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well you know I think that too many

people think fasting is the Christian

diet and you know so they’re so excited

they’re going to I’m going to eat a ton

of Thanksgiving I’m going to eat a ton

at Christmas and then in January when I

fast I’ll give birth to my food baby but

fasting is not about a diet it’s it’s

about something way

[Music]

more welcome to hearing God and I am so

excited today I have my beautiful

daughter-in-law Juliana B joining me and

we’re going to be talking about the

topic of fasting so you guys recently

did a fast which actually really hurt

the heart of some of us tell tell them

about the fast that you did and why why

would you do a fast you’re a mom you got

four kids what’s going on yeah well

Addison and I um we had just been going

through a few weeks with a lot of

tension I mean we were getting in

arguments the way we did back early in

our marriage where it wouldn’t

necessarily resolve cuz the

communication just wasn’t complete and

it was a few weeks of this and it

started to feel like it was something

spiritual it was coming against us but

when you’re mad it’s kind of it’s hard

to be like this is spiritual we need to

remove ourselves from the situation

spiritual it was like why are you

letting this happened to us and um it

was late one night we had like sort of

gotten over something but we’re still

upset and I just said you know I think

we should do a 21-day fast and um I I

had the idea because actually Church in

the highlands something they do that I

love is they fast at the beginning of

the year and then they fast in August oh

wow so it’s it’s like a reset so I love

that you’re actually giving people

permission to fast other than the

beginning of the year exactly and it’s

nice too because you can look back on

the goals and the different things that

you the intentions you set at the

beginning of the year and evaluate where

you’re at the amount of time you have

left and do those goals still really

matter to you and so he and I entered

into this 21 days where we did no sugar

and we did um no media so for us we had

kind of gotten into the Netflix routine

where we put the kids down and we’re

exhausted at night so we would you know

watch an episode of the office or parks

and wreck and then you know fall into

bed and go to sleep and what this did

eliminating that option is it reset and

it reentered Our intention we had set at

the beginning of the year to be praying

together at night wow to be going

through a devotional together at night

and just the change and the shift that

happened I mean it was a recalibration

of our lives really wow I love that for

us to take this time and just to say

Okay God something’s off we don’t know

exactly what’s off but you do and we

need you to help us I love that well you

know I think that too many people think

fasting is the Christian diet and you

know so they’re so excited they’re going

to I’m going to eat a ton at

Thanksgiving I’m going to eat a ton at

Christmas and then in January when I

fast I’ll give birth to my food baby but

fasting is not about a diet it’s it’s

about something way more and um I love

that you guys chose to push a reset on

your relationship you know one of my

favorite scriptures for fasting is in

and I’m going to look professional now

Psalm 69:10 and I’m going to read it

from the new King James and this is

David talking he said I wept and I

chastened my soul with fasting you know

I found that there’s times where I can’t

cry when I should have cried and my

heart gets a little hard it gets a

little jaded and when I actually fast a

sensitivity comes back um social media

is a constant you know inundation of

things that we don’t even know of what’s

going on and I so that fast was actually

about resetting some boundaries on

social media and then I know the sad

thing for me when you guys are fasting

you still made desserts but you didn’t

eat them so I had to eat I took a HP for

you during your path um the ESV says

Psalm 69:10 it says when I wept and

humbled my soul with fasting so it’s our

soul that we need to reain in and if

David and this is just my thought if

David needed to rain his soul in this

man after God’s Own Heart how much more

Le of might need to re her soul in so I

want to talk what it means to Chas in it

means to discipline purify refine

clarify improve or as you mentioned it’s

a reset it’s a reset discipline is

training and fasting is a discipline

that brings clarification and insight

and here’s here’s what happened with me

the very first time I fasted um it was

was really interesting I it’s sad but

true I had bought a wedding gown that I

promptly outgrew I was bought a wedding

gown by faith cuz we were weird in the

word of faith T I bought a wedding G by

faith and then just ate Domino’s Pizzas

entire on chocolate chip cookie dough in

the microwave I’m like by faith and then

I could like went to get fitted for my

dress and they couldn’t zip it shut and

they were like this isn’t your dress and

I was like by faith I’m trying to hold

it and they’re like it’s this far apart

it’s not going and so remember I came

back and I just had such a realization

that I had food in the complete wrong

place and I was I actually kind of mad

at God like I became a Christian I gave

up getting drunk and now I’m fat and

this is your fault and he’s like I am

not force feeding you and so I remember

saying God I don’t know how to get this

in the right perspective and he said you

need to fast and and then he said and

you need to stop dieting and I was like

wait isn’t a diet just I mean a fast and

extreme diet yeah and he said no he said

A Diet changes the way you look but a

fast changes the way you see W and he

said Lisa I need you to change the way

you see everything the way you see food

the way you see life I was single

getting ready to get married I need you

to change the way you see family and so

I remember I was like all right I’m in

the season of transition and I need to

set a fast and one of the scriptures and

again at the time I wouldn’t even have

known to look at this up but Ezra 21

says I proclaimed a fast so that we

might humble ourselves before our God

and ask him for a safe journey for us

and our children with all of our

possessions and there’s Seasons changing

Julie and I mean you’re you’re coming

into a new season you and Addison both

are so what would have been okay yeah in

a past season needed to be reset yeah in

this season and so I love that God can

actually give us that reset button and

sometimes it’s not about fasting food

yeah you know so you’ve gave that

example of not fasting uh food because

you had kids and you’ve got to well you

did Fast desserts but actually you know

a lot of people do the extreme fast or

they do the Daniel Fast but sometimes

you just need to ask God what is it that

I need to fast yeah what is it that is

standing between me and you and I know

for me um I wrote down the weight and

this is not about eating disorders but I

said all right God if I’m not going to

diet and you’re going to change my

perspectives then I’m going to trust you

with my weight I’m going to stop

weighing myself I’m going to stop

measuring My Life by food I’m going to

stop measuring Myself by weight but

people have this cultural thing where

why would we fast now why do we need to

fast we’re under grace what what do you

think about that I just think that’s so

limiting

like our God is not just this linear do

this I’ll give you this it’s like like

you said so much of it is that humbling

ourselves and coming before him and just

saying like what fast do you want me to

do like things are not as they should be

and I mean I feel that any given time on

any day and I love too that these

Scriptures it was their Instinct we

should fast things are going great we

should fast things are really bad we

should fast yeah it was they just took

it to God in a way where it’s you are

greater and you know better right and so

it’s it’s

this

opportunity that I think for us to say I

have Grace I don’t need this all of it

well you know and here’s the thing about

fasting isn’t going to make me more

spiritual but it is going to make me

more sensitive and because I’m more

sensitive then I’m going to be more

consecrated and more separated and you

know I I always see fasting which is

it’s kind of counter inuitive it’s a

decrease of intake to increase capacity

and so I you know I just want to

challenge people out there I don’t know

where you are right now I don’t know if

you’re in a season where you know your

whole your whole soul is like totally

out of control and you need to humble

yourself then fasting is an incredible

opportunity for you to happen maybe it’s

social media maybe it’s desserts maybe

God is actually going to cause you to

have a juice fast you need to talk to

your medical doctors were not advising

you but there’s something there’s

something that you’re running to instead

of running to God or maybe you’re in a

season of transition like Ezra and you

say you know what I’m going to declare a

fast yeah it’s not that my soul is

arrogant I’m going to declare a fast

because I’m going from an old thing to a

new thing I’m going to a new place I I

want something more for our family I

know that when um the boys were little

we did a no TV Fest and we you know that

was that was very purifying you know CU

as a mom I was like what do you mean no

John you’re traveling I need the TV to

be on I need to put children in front of

the TV and he’s like no I really feel

like God wants us to fast TV for a month

goodbye and I like no but it was it

created an opportunity for relationship

and conversation that we were watching

TV all the time we didn’t make so I want

to talk about my favorite fasting

scripture which is Isaiah 58 and I’m

going to start with verse five it says

is this the kind of fast I have chosen

this is God talking to his people only a

day for a man to Humble himself is it

only for Bowing one’s head like a reed

or for lying on sackcloth and Ashes is

that what you call a fast a day

acceptable to the Lord and what he’s

actually saying is you’ve gotten used to

the form and you have forgotten the

substance you have forgotten the motive

behind a fast do I just want you to

mourn in front of me am I just looking

for you to Bow yourself down and he was

like no no no he said is this not and he

goes in verse vers 6 through 7 to say is

this not the kind of fast I’ve chosen to

loose the chains of Injustice and untie

the cords of the Yoke to set the

oppressed free and break every yoke see

God is actually saying I need you to put

something aside so I can put something

new on you he’s saying I’ve got an

anointing to set captives free I want

you to actually see the yolks on people

but you’re going to have to stop dieting

and you’re going to have to f so you can

see what I see and then he goes on to

say is it not to share your food with

the hungry and to provide the poor

wander with shelter and it says when you

see the naked to clothe them and not to

turn away from your own flesh and blood

fasting positions us with an increased

sensitivity to what is going on if our

heart’s been shut down to our own flesh

and blood we realize wait a minute I

need to make an adjustment here not they

need to make an adjustment yeah I need

to make and adjust it when we see people

in need that’s the great thing about

fasting you can actually say oh you know

what I got something for you because I’m

putting some stuff aside right now I’m

in a season where I can be a blessing

and then Isaiah goes on in verse 8 and N

he says then and this is what I love

he’s like if you’ve got the right

attitude if you understand what a fast

is about it’s breaking bondages off

yourself it’s breaking bondages off of

other people it’s not just thinking good

it’s doing good he says then your light

will break forth like the Dawn and your

healing will quickly appear then your

righteousness will go before you and the

glory of the Lord will be your rear

guard then and I love all of these then

then you will call and the Lord will

answer you will cry for help and he will

say Here I Am wow here I am you know and

we know that God is always willing we

know he’s always available but sometimes

there is this Meer in our own hearts and

this shadow where we can’t see and God

is like said then your light he he’s

already in light but then your light

you’ll be able to see you’ll be able to

discern and you’ll hear what I say here

I am here I am and so I love that reset

he’s lighting our darkness and you know

as we as I was coming over here I I got

some text messages today from some

friends that are like oh my gosh what is

going on in our world right now what is

going on in our world and there’s this

desperate need to not be a Pharisee mhm

not be

judgmental and yet Walk In Truth yeah

and not just walk in

truth but speak truth and people are

trying to figure out how to do this and

and I know this is my heart cry that I

want to do it well which means I’m going

to have a

sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and I’m

going to have a clear knowledge of the

word of God and then I have to merge

this Jesus always always seemed like he

could understand what the real question

somebody was asking yeah and we’re

getting trapped in our

cultures probing small questions when we

actually have this ability to break

bondage and release captives and so then

it’s almost like God comes and says I’m

going to wrap this around again and he

says in verse n if you do away with the

Yoke of Oppression with a pointing

finger and malicious talk if you spend

yourself in behalf of the hungry satisfy

the needs of the oppressed well pointing

finger is Judgment yeah but it’s not

just judgment it’s accusation because

judgment can be a good thing judgment

can be a decision for or against but

it’s accusing and oppressing other

people and so we’re going to have to

move from the realm of self which self

says well I’m better than them or I

don’t like them or they’re not part of

us or what’s going on and God’s like I

need you to put away this yoke of

Oppression of putting rules on people

that are weighing them down and accusing

CU I know when I don’t feel good about

myself then I’m like what about that

what did you hear what they did like God

why are you yeah God why are you holding

me to this standard are what are you

telling everybody else I want to know

that you’re doing that and he’s like you

need to put this away and then he goes

on to say then like again you your light

will rise in the darkness and your night

will become like Noonday and we need to

be a people who fast so our right our

light begins rise in the darkness yeah

and our Darkness becomes like noon day

we’re supposed to be lights that

actually draw people to Christ which

means we’re going to have the word of

knowledge Word of Wisdom word of God and

holy spirit leading us which requires

that sensitivity and it says the Lord

will guide you always he will satisfy

your needs in a sunscorch land and will

strengthen your frame so no matter what

is going on in our Earth how Barren it

is of the word of the Lord how Barren it

is of righteousness God is saying any

struggle is just going to strengthen

your frame if the entire land is in a

famine yeah you’re going to actually be

taken care of because you’re going to be

satisfied and I’m going to guide you and

then he says you’ll be like a

well-watered garden like a spring whose

Waters never fail and you know we can’t

do that no outside of God exactly so I

just really think this is a time period

where we need to bring back the fast m

not the diet I need to lose weight and

I’ll fast at the same time but really

people leaning into and like I’d love

you to show how you and Addison chose

social media I I understand that was um

you know watching things but and and

dessert like did you just feel like both

of those things were what um well social

media was certainly the distraction

factor I think so much of what you’re

saying God wants to transport us from

this natural realm into the spiritual

realm so that we have clear eyes to see

the world around us and so that for us

was just kind of a easy I mean football

season was starting up Z yeah so it was

a big sacrifice um but and then the

sweets was just kind of like and it was

anything extra just kind of beyond our

meat and our protein and vegetables

which is what we typically consume um so

for us that was just kind of a an add-on

the media was the biggest sacrificial

part and the the recalibration part

because we

knew we might not have known technically

but you know when you just know you’re

spending more time than you want to

spend right and that’s I mean I find

myself frequently doing social media

fast just because I don’t see anything

any kind of a return from that time so

recognizing time as a the commodity that

it is is and redeeming it yeah it’s a

distraction it’s a comparison Factor all

of these things I’m like so I’m I always

am asking God to recalibrate that

recalibrate that because I don’t know

what place honestly if any place that it

is meant to have in my own life yeah so

yeah well I think that if there was ever

a time for our nation and individually

churches corporately and the body of

Christ to Humble themselves pray fast

seek God’s face then now would be the

time and and I love that it goes on to

say your people your people meaning the

Christian people God’s people your

people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the agel foundations

and you will be called repairer of

Broken Walls and restores of streets

with dwellings so I love this idea that

God’s going to speak to us yeah and then

what he does in US causes a generational

shift of repairing and restoring so

we’re talking about hearing from God and

I want you to know that God wants to

speak to you and sometimes when there’s

a lot of things that are miring up then

a fast is what resets a fast also shifts

your appetite you get so used to eating

the same thing over and over again

whether it’s sweets or Netflix or social

media whatever it is it becomes a diet

that you take in and I’ve learned if I

want to be hungry for God then I need to

move away from some other things and

actually let that hunger be cultivated

so I hope that this session inspires you

I know as I was studying for this I was

like you know what Lisa you need to fast

you need to fast I I want to go to a

deeper place of hearing God I want to

know his voice and I know that you’re in

this course because you want the exact

same thing so we’re just going to pray

for you right now Heavenly Father you

know this child you you know that you

want to speak to them even more than

they want to hear from you and so father

we don’t want to put bondage on people

we want to release bondage so father

maybe they’ve heard about a fast and it

was Works will you just show them that

it’s a time of Liberty it’s a time of

feasting in your presence it’s not a

time where you make us feel shame but

that you lift us up and you remove those

things that weigh us down touch their

lives show them how they should fast

show them when they should fast and what

they’re fasting for and father we

believe that ultimately when we fast we

hear from you and you are our reward in

Jesus name

[Music]

amen