Fasting Day 6 + Prayer call reminder
Asha Brewer
Good Morning Sisters!
I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing about this fasting time with you, as well as some of the responses a few of you have sent back to me. Today being the latter part of the fast, I pose the question, “What happens next?”
To be honest, I’m not completely sure. I’ve never led a fast before. Plus, when I’ve fasted with my church, it usually ends with a celebration, like a revival, or a church service of some sort. So, I figured I would go back to the fasting Scripture and hopefully figure some things out?...
In Matthew Chapter 6, we see two topics discussed after the fast: 1. Lay up treasures in heaven and 2. Do not be anxious. Maybe this is Jesus warning us/ preparing us for temptations that will occur once the fast is complete?
I have always considered the lay up treasures in Heaven Scripture to mean my money and riches. As I matured mentally, I went from thinking I had to store money in Heaven (like a bank or security box) to thinking that if I ask for a car, I have to envision it in Heaven first. (I know, I know. Give me a break--I was in middle school, and I was trying. Lol). But when I read the Scripture today, I am compelled to believe that these “treasures” are not just things and the desires for things, but these treasures are people. Do you treasure someone so much that you carry their concerns on your heart? Do you treasure someone so much that to see them suffer weighs you down emotionally and spiritually?
I’m thinking this Scripture helps us to remember that even though we may be praying for, fasting for, and interceding on behalf of treasured people, we have to be certain to project these concerns and the heart we have for these people to God. As verse 21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we can manage to shift our focus from, “Let me help this person, let me pray for this person, let me save this person,” to “God, I offer this person up to you, her concerns, his desires, her empty places, his places of hurt, I pray that You will watch over him and fulfill his needs. I pray that You will direct me concerning how to pray for him, how to communicate with her, and what to say…” I’m thinking that when we put our heart for people in God’s hands, then we also take the ownership and burden of “saving” this person off of our plate. Perhaps it is in God’s plan to allow someone to take their own life? How does this then affect us mentally, spiritually, and in our faith? While we may never understand why God would allow this to happen (Isaiah 55:8-9), we probably also don’t understand why Jesus had to go through so much to save us from our sins….
Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
So I’m thinking this warning of laying up treasures in heaven keeps us from the burdening pieces of believing God will save and allows us to focus on the blessing of His saving instead. It removes our human (i.e. finite, limited in what it can do) compassion from the mix and replaces it with God’s infinite love and wisdom. That way we don’t get shaken in our faith if things don’t go the way we wanted them to. Instead, it pushes us to seek God in a way where we desire to pray His will on earth, instead of ours. (Matthew 6:10 <--- same chapter we’ve been focusing on, just a few verses ahead of the fasting section. This placement is interesting to me…).
I’m still chewing on this idea a bit in my spirit. Because I don’t like sometimes what God allows to happen, especially as of late with murders and everything going on. This is something I’ve been trying to digest for a while. What do you all think?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Prayer Call tomorrow (Sunday, November 6th):
-7:30 am Eastern
-6:30 am Central
-5:30 am Mountain
- 3:30 pm Dubai
For 30 minutes. Anyone can feel welcome to pray or share or testify or whatever! :)
Phone number is 641-715-3276
Pin is 678475
Happy belated birthday to Taeyjuana!
Happy birthday to Pavielle!
Happy wedding day to Antoinyce! | Dr. Asha Fields Brewer Creator of Healthy Conversations Speaker, Writer, Educator, Radio Personality |
    "Temple Fit with Dr. Asha," Wednesdays at 4pm on Heaven 98.3FM | |
Asha Brewer
Prayer Call (Sunday, November 6th):
-7:30 am Eastern
-6:30 am Central
-5:30 am Mountain
- 3:30 pm Dubai
For 30 minutes. Anyone can feel welcome to pray or share or testify or whatever! :)
Phone number is 641-715-3276
Pin is 678475
| Dr. Asha Fields Brewer Creator of Healthy Conversations Speaker, Writer, Educator, Radio Personality |
| "Temple Fit with Dr. Asha," Wednesdays at 4pm on Heaven 98.3FM | |