Daniel Fasting

I feel sick. I think I might throw up. I just ate a plateful of Chinese food, followed by glasses of chocolate soymilk, and Sangria, topped with a Ghirardelli's Dark & Caramel bar. Gluttony is bad.

Tomorrow, I begin a 21-day Daniel Fast with the Assembly of God megachurch I've been attending down here, James River Assembly. JRA is about to open up a new campus (one church, two locations!), and in preparation for that, the church leaders decided to fast, as an act of submission to God that He might give them wisdom. At last Wednesday's prayer service, the pastor opened that fast up for the church body to participate, an act of community that I really appreciate.

I've never fasted. I have friends who do it regularly, in various forms. I know of the scriptural references to fasting. The pastor was able to lay out a pretty good logic for a Daniel Fast. I'm up for anything. I'll admit that this experience provides two opportunities for me.

Firstly, I want to know the spiritual value of a fast. Secondly, I want to know what it's like to participate in such a powerful act with such an enormous and powerful organization. I just twittered "Daniel Fast" to find out what other people were saying, and quite a few of the posters were getting ready for JRA's fast. I'll admit, I think that's cool. As I went grocery shopping, and planned recipes, and went about the business of preparing myself for my Lord, others were as well. What a cool shared experience. The church is so large, and I know so few people, I don't know how much of a connection I'll have with the other fasters throughout the next three weeks. But for right now, I feel connected. I like that.