I invite you to join a centuries-old tradition: fasting for a cause.
Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days. But this Primary Fast will last only 14.
Some fasts require that you eat nothing during the fast. But this Primary Fast lets you eat one full, wonderful meal a day. Did you know that General Stanley McChrystal has lived on just one meal a day for decades. And one meal a day was enough to drive him through the war against al Qaeda.
Drink lots of water. Most of the water you need comes from the food you eat, according to research. If you’re not eating, you need to replace that water with something else. Plus, drinking water will stave off the hunger in the first few days.
The point of ritual fasting is not weight-loss or health, but fasting will you lose weight. And it can improve your health. (See my articles on fasting and holding your breath.)
If the point of fasting is not physical, what is it?
It’s spiritual. It’s good for your soul and good for your character. It tames your animal desires. It’s a sacrifice.
I have no idea if God grants wishes to people who fast. I know that God gives strength to people who fast. Fasting doesn’t make God better; it makes you and me better.
Here’s the simple plan for the 14-day Primary Fast
- Choose an in intention and write it down. No need for long paragraphs. Just a word or a name will do. My intention for this fast is Dottie Bailey for 110th Missouri House District.
- Day One: Eat as you normally do. But pray before and after each meal. Acknowledge that you might be missing this meal tomorrow. Ask for strength. And ask that your small sacrifice help you accept the answer to your petition. (You most definitely will get an answer.)
- Day Two: Skip breakfast. Despite what you’ve been told, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. It never was. There’s no science to back up that claim made by marketers and sellers of breakfast food. Instead of breakfast, say a morning prayer. (This is the awesome prayer I say every day before starting my work.) Pray before and after lunch and dinner.
- Day Three: Skip breakfast. Skip lunch. Add a moment of prayer as a substitute for lunch. Drink an extra glass of water. Enjoy a great dinner.
- Day Four to Day Fourteen: Repeat.
- August
- Return to normal.
A lot of articles on fasting advise you to reintroduce food slowly and carefully. That’s true if you consume nothing but water for more than three days in a row. It’s nonsense if you’ve been eating one meal a day.
On the first two or three days, you’ll feel hungry. Don’t worry. It will pass. Your body will begin burning its own fat for energy. Once that happens, you will not feel hungry again. But training your body to run on fat takes discipline. Water helps.
If you break the fast, don’t beat yourself up. Enjoy the extra meal, thank God for the food, and move on. Everyone slips. It’s natural.
If you break the fast four of the first five days, you’re probably not fasting. Give it up and try something else.
If you do decide to try this fast, please let others know how it’s going. Use the comments below to share your experience and your intention (if you wish).
Finally, the intention for your fast can be anything, but I suggest we focus on the August 7 primary.
- Pray for Dottie Bailey in the 110th (Wildwood, Eureka, and Pacific) so our legislature has a voice for freedom and prosperity for all.
- Pray for Yes on Prop A so our neighbors can find good jobs to support their families.
- Pray that all of our votes promote freedom and goodness.
No matter where you live, we welcome your prayers and fasting for Dottie Bailey in the 110th. If you live in the 110th House district, we need your vote on August 7. It’s a Tuesday. And we need you to tell one or two of your friends and neighbors that you’re voting for Dottie because she actually shares your view of government.