I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32)
“As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after Thee.”
That is my daily prayer, based on Psalm 42:1.
I just want more of God and His wisdom and goodness and guidance in my life, don’t you?
But how to get it? How to get “me” out of the way to create more room for Him?
Jesus gave us some powerful insight when He said in Luke 9:23 that if we want to follow Him, we must first deny ourselves.
So, what are we denying ourselves? It almost seems un-American to deny ourselves anything, and yet there it is in black and white, or in this case, there it is in the red letters, “Deny yourself.”
One way people denied themselves throughout the Bible and throughout history is by fasting. It has been a simple formula throughout the ages. You want to get closer to God? You fast.
Fast what? That’s a little open ended. Yes, you can fast all food, but only for so long. What I like to do is choose things I can fast - and keep on fasting - perpetually. Right now I’m fasting 16 things, and number one on my list is this.
I’m fasting all beverages except water.
I started that in December, 2022 when I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like God was downloading a new plan for me, and that new plan included fasting all beverages except water…which I started doing immediately.
And what a blessing it has been!
How so? Well first of all, it felt like a gift from God, and it felt like freedom! Yes, there was the usual withdrawal from caffeine for a couple days, and the much longer withdrawal that comes when changing daily habits, but once I started to break free from those, it has been nothing but good.
Yes, it means denying myself all the other beverages, but once you break free and get used to drinking only water, it’s no big deal, and your body loves it! Your body loves working with water and not having to filter through all the garbage we typically drink. It also means you aren’t drinking any calories, which is great for losing weight.
Drinking only water will also save you lots of money. No more expensive drinks in restaurants. No more high dollar coffees. No more stocking up on drinks at home. You just made your shopping trips easier and less painful because hey, you’re only drinking water!
Does anything you’re drinking have a hold on you? Are your beverages the boss of you more than you are the boss of the beverages?
First Corinthians 6:12 says, “I will not be mastered by anything.” Are your beverages mastering you, in any way? If so, consider fasting all beverages except water.
Your beverages might be mastering you if…
--if you drive way out of your way for a certain beverage,
--if you are spending more money than you wish you were spending on beverages,
--if you have shirts or hats or other products to connect your identity with that beverage,
--if you are waiting in the drive through right now just to buy that special beverage,
--and here’s a huge one, listen…if your body goes into withdrawal without that beverage, then your beverage is mastering you, and you are not mastering it.
First Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I became a man, I put away childish things.” Are you making your beverage decisions with childish reasoning? “Hey, it’s what I feel like drinking.” If you’re ready to take it up a notch, consider fasting all beverages except water.
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and fasting is one way we diligently seek Him.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter six that when we fast our Father will reward us.
What are you fasting? If you’re looking for something to fast, something you can keep on fasting perpetually, something that is helpful and beneficial in every way, physically, financially, spiritually, mentally…then prayerfully consider this.
Consider fasting all beverages except water.
I’ve been doing it for quite a while now, and I highly recommend it. It has changed my life for the better in many ways, and I think it will do the same for you.
May God bless you today.
I’m Doug Apple.
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