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30 Reasons for Fasting

August 12, 2011 in Spiritual Disciplines with 15 Comments

If I’m going to do anything that’s difficult, and anything that may mess my world up, then I’m going to need some reasons why I must do it. Fasting is that discipline that everyone dreads. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who enjoys fasting. Fasting is hard. And if we are to partake of this spiritual discipline then we must have some reasons, and some results that we are looking for.

 

The type of fast I’m speaking of here is a fasting or abstaining from food. There are all sorts of fasts that we can do, however I’m writing particularly about fasting from food.

Here are 30 reasons for fasting…

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When I Don’t Feel Motivated

July 26, 2011 in Ministry, Spiritual Disciplines with 1 Comment

I wish I could feel like I do the day after a conference. I wish I could feel like I do on Monday morning like I do on Sunday evening. Staying motivated is one of our most difficult challenges. I set goals like most of you do, I try to take aim at a given target for a certain task, yet I don’t always feel motivated.

Prayer, fasting, studying, teaching Bible studies, doing outreach and getting tasks completed can get wearisome. Some days I just want to sit on my couch and watch Andy Griffith for hours. Even though I need to get things done, and I want to get things done I lack the motivation. Sure you can feel the spiritual high on Sunday, but then you have to learn how to follow through on Monday. You have to come back down to reality, and allow your feet to touch the ground after you’ve been in the heavenlies the day before.

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6 Excuses to Not Pray

July 22, 2011 in Spiritual Disciplines with 4 Comments

Matthew 26:40 And He came to His disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (ESV)

Every day I come to this decision on whether I should pray or not. Then it’s “How long should I pray?” This tennis match between flesh and spirit is daily. I know I need to pray every day, yet some how I can come up with every imaginable excuse. It’s natural to just conjure up a reason why I don’t need to pray that day. So I started thinking of excuses we use to not get on our knees or walk into our prayer closets even though we truly need to. What makes this heavenly communication so hard?

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Desire is The Difference

July 13, 2011 in Guest Posts, Ministry, Spiritual Disciplines with 4 Comments

From Nate; This is a guest post by Pastor Jon Vazquez. Pastor V is the Lead Pastor at Bethlehem Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Potts Camp, MS. He is an in demand preacher for conferences, camps and special events. Pastor V has been a prophetic voice and mentor in my life. Follow him on Twitter and check out his writings on his blog. 

In the late 90’s, to make ends meet, I went to real estate appraisal school and worked an appraisal company.  It wasn’t easy to balance pastoring, building a building and being an appraiser, but you do what you have to do.  The Indianapolis area was my market. One day I had an appraisal to do in the Speedway community near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The appraisal order was a refinance for Mr. Edward Bird.  I drove to the house, took the required photographs and rang the doorbell. A lady opened the door, said hello led me through the house.  I did my job observing the main level and the upstairs.  The house was a well-kept older home, nothing spectacular, a normal house for the market.  Finally, I was led to the basement.  When the door to the stairwell opened I noticed on my left a framed basketball uniform, it was an Indiana All-star uniform.  There was a lot of memorabilia.  Then that I saw many pictures including a green #33 Boston Celtics jersey, with the name Bird on the back.  Next to it was a picture of basketball superstar Larry Bird standing next to his younger brother Mr. Edward Bird, also known as Eddie Bird.

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Staying Spiritually Balanced

July 12, 2011 in Ministry, Spiritual Disciplines with 6 Comments

Staying spiritually balanced in an unbalanced world is difficult, especially trying to stay spiritual in an unspiritual world. It’s the battle we all must fight each day, each moment of our lives.

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.          

 Being carnal and spiritual is not being balanced, it’s still being carnal. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Carnality is the opposite of God, it’s his enemy, so we can’t use carnality as a weight to balance out spirituality. It simply can’t work that way. Being carnal for three days and being spiritual for four days doesn’t make one ‘balanced.’ On the other hand, speaking in tongues and seeing angels and devils all day doesn’t make you spiritual. Paul heard and seen great things that couldn’t even be spoken of, yet he could build tents in his spare time. 

There has to be a way to keep our feet on the ground and our minds and hearts in the heavens. It’s quite the conundrum. However, I believe it is attainable. Our target isn’t to be both carnal and spiritual, it’s to be spiritual all the time and being effective as an individual. Every boxer gets a few moments in between rounds, and we too fighting the good fight of faith must take a time out or we will burn out.

Here are 5 tips for spiritual balance…

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