Prayer, Fellowship & Food
// February 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized
God’s heart is with His people. He loves how we are pursuing Him in fasting, prayer, worship and praise. This fast is not to be legalistic, but a joy and a blessing. Our goal is God and He already knows our hearts. It was not Daniel’s diet that made him a mighty man of God, God made him who he was as Daniel devoted himself to God in prayer.
PRAYER: Prayer is our priority. 3 times a day! Use any cravings as a reminder to pray. If your mind has ever wandered in prayer, check this out: http://www.ibelin.me/iBelin/blog/Entries/2009/2/26_reProgramming_the_mind.html
Please go to this site and lift up your sisters and brothers in prayer: http://www.kindlejoy.com/group/danielfast. This is an excellent site for keeping track of prayers and praises. Add your own prayer concerns. Be sure to lift of your pastors, leaders and families.
Remember, in prayer you should also listen. God’s got a Word for you that doesn’t have to come through anyone else.
FELLOWSHIP: Consider getting together with friends and family for fellowship and prayer weekly during the fast. Many of us will be going to weekly services, but these may not allow us the chance to touch, love, laugh, eat, pray and share as we could in smaller, more intimate settings. Invite someone who is not in your usual circle and let them experience the Christ in you.
Have a potluck fellowship and ask folk to bring something tasty you can perhaps prepare yourself another time.
FOOD: Be sure to eat beans, seeds and nuts daily. Tofu is great (though it causes gas in some of us…TMI). Canned beans are good if you check to be sure they don’t have too much sodium. Hummus and carrots make a great snack. Keep a snack with you at all times as may prevent you from snapping on someone…
Choose foods that are deep and rich in color. Go for darker greens (iceberg is like chewing water and has about the same nutritional value) like kale, mustards, turnips, collards, spinach and cabbage with the dark leaves still on. You can sautee’ greens in olive oil, add garlic, baking soda (helps to keep ’em green), a bay leaf if you like. Lower the heat way down, cover tightly and they will cook in their own juices (but keep an eye on it).
Go for some squashes. Try some with which you might be unfamiliar. Many can go in the oven and don’t require too much attention. Don’t turn ur noses up at canned veggies either. Frozen veggies are good too.
Eat brown rice. Make it in large amounts, put what you don’t eat in the fridge and you are good to go the next time. Use it in a stir fry of mushrooms, onions, peppers and whatever you have left from previous meals. Season it and go to town. I like to eat something like this from a bowl with a big spoon.
Oatmeal with flaxseed and berries will get you going in the morning and stick with you for a while.
Some folk are enjoying veggie burgers. Give them a try if you haven’t already. Avocados are really satisfying (high is good fat and calories though) and delicious with salt and pepper.
Try out a lot of different spices. Google vegetarian or vegan recipes. If you find something really good, share it here: http://lentenfast2009.blogspot.com/2009/02/recipes.html
Man, some of y’all are really trippin’! LOL!!! We just got started and folk tryna act like they can’t live with out junk food and caffeine and meat. Just remember when you get a craving to pray, “God, I want you more than a cheeseburger! God, I need you more than coffee. God, I love you more than Krispy Kremes!” We have to stay the course. We have to pray each other up and keep each other encouraged. We cannot fail the Lord.
I’m praying with you. Call my name in prayer too!
