It has officially been 24 hours now. I've done this kind of fast before, but it feels a little bit different this time. I don't have the headache tonight I usually feel (which is normal during fasting), but I didn't study as intensely or as long as usual either. Honestly, I'm not really that hungry right now. I don't have that wrenching feeling in the pit of my abdomen, but it is still a difficult thing to visit the kitchen. I go there for water, but other foods are in view. I think I am going to hide them when I finish this post.
I've been reading a book from Reslife's Word Shop entitled Fasting by Jentezen Franklin. I can tell Pastor Duane read it before preaching his sermon on fasting, because some of the points in his sermon are also found in the book. However, the book offers more in depth insights into the benefits and taxes to one's body, mind, and spirit.
The book recommends drinking a gallon of water throughout the first three days of fasting. Not only will you feel full, Franklin says, but you will also flush out toxins from the body that have accumulated. I measured my glass and, according to my estimate, I will need to be drinking fifteen of them per day. I only made it to six and half. Yes, drinking a lot of water is good, but I hate that feeling of chilling cold water in winter which awakens my stomach when I drink it. The first five glasses quenched my thirst, but I would rather drink no more after that and close off my stomach than frequently remind it of how empty it is.
Even though fasting can be unpleasant, I believe the benefits are worth it. As I draw close to God, fighting my body as I do, he shows me things I didn't see before---things I would not have known on my own. My motivations are becoming more clear. Why do I do what I do? This is helping me better understand what I should do with my life. It is a painful process, but I believe the benefits are worth it.
