Today, a few will be begin 24hours of fasting for Masha Fox - Marsha is such a strong Christian, humble, and always available/active for church services/projects.
Marsha found out she had cancer and the little I know about her specific situation, it seems relatively aggressive - has already been in/out of hospital for surgeries, and starting all of the follow-up measures already, and this is just week #2.
I've never participated in fasting and am learning more about this (more reading for us all in the comments) but starting 1pm today, we'll start the process of substituting food/substance with prayer for Marsha and her family.
We sing "Our God is an awesome God he rains on Heaven and earth" - I know greater things have happened thru prayer and over time, I have not doubt that the healing of this affliction is within His power. Requesting we collectively keep them in our prayers for a focused 24hours.
Side note: this idea just came up.. we will do this again for Marsha (and others) over time.
Thanks for taking time to read this personal note! csb
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Found these notes on Fasting - I've not had time to detail-read this yet, but just providing material for us all.
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Fasting practice in Christianity
The "acceptable fast" is discussed in the biblical Book of Isaiah, chapter 58:3-7, and is discussed metaphorically. In essence, it means to abstain from satisfying hunger or thirst, and any other lustful needs we may yearn for. The blessings gained from this are claimed to be substantial. Christian denominations that practice this acceptable fast often attest to the spiritual principles surrounding fasting and seek to become a testament to those principles. They often cite Jesus, who discussed a particular type of demon as being exorcisable "only by fasting and prayer". The opening chapter of the Book of Daniel, vv. 8-16, describes a partial fast and its effects on the health of its observers. Fasting is a practice in several Christian denominations or other churches. Other Christian denominations do not practice it, seeing it as a merely external observance, but many individual believers choose to observe fasts at various times at their own behest, and the Lenten fast observed in Anglicanism is a forty day partial fast to commemorate the fast observed by Christ during his temptation in the desert.
[edit] Biblical accounts of fasting
Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights while he was on the mountain with God. (Exodus 34:28)
King David fasted when the son of his adulterous union with Bathsheba was struck sick by God, in punishment for the adultery and for David's murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite. Nevertheless, the son died, upon which David broke his fast (2 Samuel 12:15-25).
King Jehosaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah for victory over the Moabites and Ammonites who were attacking them (2 Chronicles 20:3).
The prophet Isaiah chastised the Israelites in Isaiah 58 for the unrighteous methods and motives of their fasting. He clarified some of the best reasons for fasting and listed both physical and spiritual benefits that would result.[1]
The prophet Joel called for a fast to avert the judgement of God.
The people of Nineveh in response to Jonah's prophecy, fasted to avert the judgement of God (Jonah 3:7).
The Pharisees in Jesus' time fasted regularly, and asked Jesus why his disciples did not. Jesus answered them using a parable (Luke 5:33-39).
Jesus also warned against fasting to gain favor from men. He warned his followers that they should fast in private, not letting others know they were fasting (Matthew 6:16–18).
Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights while in the desert, prior to the three temptations (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2).
Jesus said : Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21)
And he (Jesus) said unto them (disciples), This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)
The prophetess Anna, who proclaimed the birth of Jesus in the Temple, fasted regularly (Luke 2:37).
There are indications in the New Testament as well as from the Apocryphal Didache that members of the early Christian Church fasted regularly.
When food is not eaten, the body looks for other ways to find energy, such as drawing on glucose from the liver's stored glycogen and fatty acids from stored fat and eventually moving on to vital protein tissues. Body, brain and nerve tissue depend on glucose for metabolism. Once the glucose is significantly used up, the body's metabolism changes, producing ketone bodies (acetoacetate, hydroxybutyrate, and acetone). Even where this transition to alternative forms of energy has been made, some parts of the brain still require glucose, and protein is still needed to produce it. If body protein loss continues, death will ensue.
Short term fasting causes a starvation response that encourages the body to store fat once eating is resumed. This is one of the pitfalls of Yo-yo dieting. The starvation response is the switching of the body from carb+fat energy generation to amino acid+fat energy generation. The amino acids are synthesised from the breakdown of muscle tissue. Since muscle tissue is always metabolically active and requires energy to function, the reduction of muscle tissue also reduces the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Basal metabolic rate is the absolute minimum energy requirement of your body while at rest. it can be compared to a car's fuel requirement when idling the engine. One of the effects of fasting is to reduce the body's energy needs during times of scarcity, analogous to turning the idle lower or replacing a big engine with a small engine. Thus, when the same amount of food is eaten, fewer of the calories are required for basal metabolism, but the rest, a greater percentage than before the fast, are stored as fat.
After approximately three days of fasting, feelings of hunger usually become infrequent or disappear altogether. According to Herbert M. Shelton, N.D., N.D.Litt., D.C., a proponent of Natural Hygiene, whose 45-year-long career of promoting water-only fasts for up to ninety days was punctuated by being repeatedly arrested for practicing medicine without a license, the 'hunger' experienced during the first three days of a fast is "gastric irritation", and not "true hunger."[8]
Fasting – what I learned. I found myself reaching for food out of habit, often when I really wasn’t hungry. It’s obvious the body doesn’t function as well ‘under nourished’, with a few head-aches that caused distractions during this time-period.
I found a real closeness in my relationship/walk with Christ during this time – as mentioned before, every time I felt hungry or experienced head-aches, I would pray (many-many times over this 24hour period), asking for healing/comfort for Marsha, as well as her family. I did find my ‘prayer language’ was much more profound - meaningful/purposeful.
The connection for me is this; are we ‘reaching for Him’ out of habit, do we function as good without Him? He is the ‘lamp to our feet’, so with out His presence in our lives, I know I become very distracted. I’m glad that we all participated in this focused prayer- time for Marsha – even though I’m sure she is unaware that this was going on, I felt a strong closeness to her and sympathized with her situation.
I know God was/is completely aware of our efforts. I do know ‘He is the great physician’ and already knows the outcome, but my prayers were/is He heard our petition and will grace Marsha with His miraculous healing.
We’ll be doing this again in the future.
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