Preparation is half the battle

Anytime you set out to do something of great significance, there has to be a time of preparation.

January 2011 holds several majors in my life and the lives of the people at Bridges of Hope Fellowship. Each January, we embark on a 21 Day Prayer & Fasting journey to draw closer to God and to experience the miracles of God in our lives. And each year, it's proved successful! However, it's really difficult if you don't prepare ahead of time. This year's journey begins this Sunday, January 9th. You can find resources that we and other churches are using at www.GetHope.info The neat thing is that churches all around the world are participating in this fast at the same time we are. So, we are not alone.

Some things that Natalie and I are doing to prepare.

1. Drink LOTS of water. Now, you may be like me and hate water. Try a little lemon juice in your water to keep it from tasting so bland. You'll get used to it. After all, if it was easy, everybody would be doing it. So, how much? Take your body's weight and divide that by 2. This will give you the total ounces of water you should be drinking each day. When you start the fast, you might add an additional 16 oz. for each meal missed. When you get to the Daniel portion of the fast, try to drink 16 oz. of water about 30 minutes before your meal and only drink 4-8 ozs. of water with your meal. Stay away from sodas and sugar loaded drinks.
2. Cut down your portions. When you eat, eat off of a saucer instead of a regular size plate. This will help you to eat only half of what you normally eat. It will begin preparing your body for the limiting and exclusion of food that is to come during the fast. When eating bread, eat a half of a roll or piece of bread instead of a full piece. Then pick off tiny bites instead of eating straight from the piece of bread. You'll find that you will eat less of it. We are taught to clean our plates in the good ole USA. However, you should eat slowly and in small bites so that you only eat until you get full, not to clean your plate.
3. Eat Dark Fruits. Keep in mind that the lighter fruits (i.e. bananas) are loaded with natural sugars. Try eating more of the dark fruits like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. This helps your body to not have to work so hard to break down all of those sugars in the fruit.
4. Have Quite Time. Even before the fast begins, it is good to start spending a few minutes of prayer, Bible reading, and meditation before or after each meal. This will help to get you in the habit of doing it NOW and it won't be so new to you when you begin the fast on Sunday.
5. Limit Entertainment. Start now to limit your entertainment, such as TV, internet, etc. Begin spending that time in prayer, reading, and meditation. It helps to gradually slow down from these things so that you don't have so much junk serving as a distraction from what the father wants to do in your life.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it is a starting place. Try some of these tips and see if they help you to get a jumpstart on your fast. Remember, fasting & praying is NOT easy. If it was, more people would be doing it. It is literally denying the flesh of it's desires and pleasures so that the spirit man can be awakened to full capacity.

Also, on January 9th, we begin our r12 journey. Each Sunday for 6 weeks, I'll be preaching through Romans 12 to help us discover what true spirituality looks like. What's a Christian really supposed to look like? We'll discover that together. So, don't miss any of the services. If you have to miss for sickness, work, etc., please watch it LIVE online or get the CD or DVD of the service.

Then each Sunday night, you really NEED to be in a Life Group to get the full effects of this r12 journey. There are 4 Life Groups and you should sign up ASAP at the bulletin board in the hallway of the church. It starts at 6 p.m. each Sunday night. Get your whole family involved!

So, needless to say, you know where my mind is at for at least the next 6-7 weeks. LOL!!!

Join us in the 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, as well as the r12 journey and watch God do miracles in your life!