1.17.2011

A Time To Fast


There is A Time for Everything


Ecc 3:1
 1 There is a time for everything, 
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

and there is also time to FAST. The time to fast has come upon us in an unexpected way. A blogger I read here and there and a sister in Christ is in desperate need of prayer and healing. There is no time like the present to imitate Christ and release the power He has promised us through fasting. Joanne suffered a major stroke on January 11th and is still fighting for her life. The most recent update is that she has been put in a deep coma to keep any brain activity down and to try and reduce the swelling occurring on the right side of her brain. You can read updates about this sweet woman and her progress here: http://thesimplewife.typepad.com/


In his book God's Chosen Fast, Arthur Wallis writes, "Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and [persistence] into our praying, and to give force to our pleas in the court of heaven."  The Heims family needs some urgent and persistent prayers on their behalf. I fully believe in prayer and I am all over fasting and prayer. I KNOW it works, I've seen it, done it, felt it and I believe fasting along with prayer just adds 'Red Bull' to your prayers, so to speak. 


If you can't fast right now, then please join us in praying for Joanne and giving to their family in any way you can. All the details of what they need are on her blog. 


Here are the details:


Fasting will begin tomorrow morning. You do what ever you feel led to do. If you have a health issue that does not allow you to fast from food...fast from TV. Please consider setting an alarm if you are fasting from something other than food to remember to pray for Joanne through the next 24 hours or longer if you feel led to fast longer. For those of you that are fasting from food, please remember when those hunger pains hit to hit your knees and pray for Joanne. 


Lord we claim Psalm 46 over Joanne right now. 
you are our refuge and strength, 

   an ever-present help in trouble. 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 
though its waters roar and foam 
   and the mountains quake with their surging.

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
 You o LORD Almighty are with us;
 You the God of Jacob are our fortress.
Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields[d] with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Father as you dwell in your City, dwell within Joanne. 
You have created the heavens and the earth and have the ability with one whisper to heal her. Lord we are reaching out to touch the hem of your robe in full belief and faith that You can heal her. Father, we know and believe You are who You say You are and we believe You can do what You say You can do, so we're claiming healing for Joanne and we are believing You for a miracle. 
In Jesus name we ask for complete restoration. Amen

I'm believing God

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Lord works miracles and prayer makes it so! I know this because God pulled me from a 17 day coma and cured me from Meningitis last year! I will be praying!

Marla Taviano said...

My husband and I are doing the Daniel Fast with our pastor and his wife and some friends from church. It's God's perfect timing, because we're doing it from January 11 to 31, and the 11th is when Joanne had her stroke. I'm so encouraged by the thousands of people praying for my friend. Thank you, Sara.

Bethany said...

I believe in the healing power of prayer. I will be with you, united in prayer, praying for Joanne!