This is going to be my last post on this TVVT blog.
I've decided to take all of my fasting off the record and pursue a different mentality of fasting.
Yes i will still be fasting 3 days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but our fasting team that we had is mostly over and done with and, when it starts up again one day, i feel the adequate cultivation in the Spirit and in the natural (this blog/ people going hard after fasting and righteousness) has been fulfilled.
So with that i just want to say, bless you if you've run onto this site. Feel free to read through posts of this blog, use the material for your own good. If you like something and want to make it your own just take it!
Prayer and Fasting is so important to our walks with Christ. Learn it! Live it! Cultivate a long history in fasting with the Lord. Voluntary weakeners pays off, the Lord is searching even now for humble people who will allow Him to work in/through their life.
God Bless!!
-Drew
e-mail:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
April 22-24
Connecting the dots...
In this fast group we use on Matt 5:6 as our focus verse:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
I want to just throw it out there and say that God is the righteousness this verse is focusing on. How could we as sinful beings ever hope to say that we are righteous? We can have righteousness take hold in our hearts and manifest in our lives but apart from God, Who causes that to happen, we are not righteous.
So what does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to burn to be more like God. Hungering after God is a gift that He gives us to increase Himself in our lives. He tweaks our hearts and causes us to run to Him.
So what should my response be if im burning to know more of God or if i'm wanting and willing to act upon the way i feel towards Him?
Well there are many things you can do, but im going to highlight something out of Matt 9:14-15
14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "The attendance of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast."
Mourning after Jesus is longing for God in our lives. We all have a God shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. Nothing else will satisfy. What happens when we come to grips with ourselves and actually want to do something about the longing for God that we have? Well Jesus invites us to fast.
I believe the best way to increase hungering for Jesus (the word, prayer, dwelling with His Spirit) is to fast. and i also believe it should be the next step in the relationship. Jesus said "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast." Those days are upon us, its now that fasting and longing for righteousness and Jesus apply to our lives.
So i'd invite anyone who strolls upon this page or who regularly reads and even fasts to 'sign up' again this week and take time to fast and pray and really seek the Lords heart either on this topic or on another area of your walk that He has placed on your heart. I want to hunger and thirst after Jesus, i want to be lovesick for my Bridegroom. Fasting a little or a lot won't change the fact that God wants to satisfy. He'll meet us all where we are and give grace to those who seek Him. Lets just take things in stride this week and press in. Don't be shy.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
In this fast group we use on Matt 5:6 as our focus verse:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
I want to just throw it out there and say that God is the righteousness this verse is focusing on. How could we as sinful beings ever hope to say that we are righteous? We can have righteousness take hold in our hearts and manifest in our lives but apart from God, Who causes that to happen, we are not righteous.
So what does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to burn to be more like God. Hungering after God is a gift that He gives us to increase Himself in our lives. He tweaks our hearts and causes us to run to Him.
So what should my response be if im burning to know more of God or if i'm wanting and willing to act upon the way i feel towards Him?
Well there are many things you can do, but im going to highlight something out of Matt 9:14-15
14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "The attendance of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast."
Mourning after Jesus is longing for God in our lives. We all have a God shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. Nothing else will satisfy. What happens when we come to grips with ourselves and actually want to do something about the longing for God that we have? Well Jesus invites us to fast.
I believe the best way to increase hungering for Jesus (the word, prayer, dwelling with His Spirit) is to fast. and i also believe it should be the next step in the relationship. Jesus said "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast." Those days are upon us, its now that fasting and longing for righteousness and Jesus apply to our lives.
So i'd invite anyone who strolls upon this page or who regularly reads and even fasts to 'sign up' again this week and take time to fast and pray and really seek the Lords heart either on this topic or on another area of your walk that He has placed on your heart. I want to hunger and thirst after Jesus, i want to be lovesick for my Bridegroom. Fasting a little or a lot won't change the fact that God wants to satisfy. He'll meet us all where we are and give grace to those who seek Him. Lets just take things in stride this week and press in. Don't be shy.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
April 15-17
Matt 6:19-21
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
A few things about this:
-Jesus straight up tells us not to store up treasures on earth. As a lover of God i want to take this seriously and do what He says.
-Then He tells us that our hearts will belong to heaven (the kingdom of heaven) if we store our treasures up there.
So how does one store up treasures in heaven?
Well Jesus tells us in the verses just before these how someone can receive treasures in heaven.
3 main ways listed in chapter 6 are, giving to the poor, praying and fasting.
Jesus says that God will reward us if we follow through with these things in our lives.
These rewards are treasures in heaven.
Not only will we store treasures in heaven and be rich when we get there but also our hearts will be at a place where these 3 things are important to our daily lives, and if we would actually go hard after giving to the poor, praying in the closet and fasting we would live a life that is 'other than' and we'd live as those whose hearts are in another world and whose minds are focused on something 'above'. Who "waists" their money just giving it to people who don't deserve it and didn't work for it? Who gives up time to go away and be alone to pray? Who doesn't eat!? WHO DOES THAT?!
Well we should! Lets live extravagant lives and build upon these things and make them realities in our minds and hearts. Lets get our hearts up there in heaven and lets be strangers in the earth. Lets not conform to the day in day out nonsense that the world has to offer.
Lets fast and get there together!
Amen!
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
A few things about this:
-Jesus straight up tells us not to store up treasures on earth. As a lover of God i want to take this seriously and do what He says.
-Then He tells us that our hearts will belong to heaven (the kingdom of heaven) if we store our treasures up there.
So how does one store up treasures in heaven?
Well Jesus tells us in the verses just before these how someone can receive treasures in heaven.
3 main ways listed in chapter 6 are, giving to the poor, praying and fasting.
Jesus says that God will reward us if we follow through with these things in our lives.
These rewards are treasures in heaven.
Not only will we store treasures in heaven and be rich when we get there but also our hearts will be at a place where these 3 things are important to our daily lives, and if we would actually go hard after giving to the poor, praying in the closet and fasting we would live a life that is 'other than' and we'd live as those whose hearts are in another world and whose minds are focused on something 'above'. Who "waists" their money just giving it to people who don't deserve it and didn't work for it? Who gives up time to go away and be alone to pray? Who doesn't eat!? WHO DOES THAT?!
Well we should! Lets live extravagant lives and build upon these things and make them realities in our minds and hearts. Lets get our hearts up there in heaven and lets be strangers in the earth. Lets not conform to the day in day out nonsense that the world has to offer.
Lets fast and get there together!
Amen!
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 7-9
Its the GBF! (Global Bridegroom Fast)
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer and fasting to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer and fasting to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
April 1-3
Colossians 3:17
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
This is a hard reality to deal with. Doing everything in the name of Jesus and always with a spirit of thankfulness towards God, even when we don't want too or when things around us aren't going our way. Its important to get this understanding in our grid and to really contend to get it in our hearts and minds. It seems so easy to just get mad or frustrated or jealous and to totally forget that Gods perfect leadership is at hand in our lives. Its always important to give thanks to God in every situation. He's always at work for His and our good in our lives. So praise Him! If we put Jesus first in all we do and keep His praise in our hearts through thankfulness we can start on a road to greater understanding of this verse and of our Lord. Things like this don't happen over night but they happen one day at a time. One word, one deed at a time.
Fasting and praying this into our understanding seems like a great idea this week. Feel free to join in, or feel free to pursue the Lord in your own way. Having a focused lifestyle is so important when we run after the Lord. Fasting can totally help us in this pursuit.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
This is a hard reality to deal with. Doing everything in the name of Jesus and always with a spirit of thankfulness towards God, even when we don't want too or when things around us aren't going our way. Its important to get this understanding in our grid and to really contend to get it in our hearts and minds. It seems so easy to just get mad or frustrated or jealous and to totally forget that Gods perfect leadership is at hand in our lives. Its always important to give thanks to God in every situation. He's always at work for His and our good in our lives. So praise Him! If we put Jesus first in all we do and keep His praise in our hearts through thankfulness we can start on a road to greater understanding of this verse and of our Lord. Things like this don't happen over night but they happen one day at a time. One word, one deed at a time.
Fasting and praying this into our understanding seems like a great idea this week. Feel free to join in, or feel free to pursue the Lord in your own way. Having a focused lifestyle is so important when we run after the Lord. Fasting can totally help us in this pursuit.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
March 25-27
Philippians 4:6-7
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There is a time and a place in every believers heart when they decide they want to go hard after God. There are also seasons in an already devoted, maturing believers heart when they decide they will increase in focus or consecration for a season to pursue the Lord in a different way when the motives and circumstances seem right in their life.
I personally come before the Lord with my issues and my failures and I continually ask the Holy Spirit for grace to succeed and be perfect the way my heavenly Father is perfect (Matt5:48). Its in these moments that I turn from the ways that would engage in before and I will try to make a conscience effort to be different knowing the Holy Spirit will empower me to walk differently.
This is when the lie of the enemy comes in and he tries to make me think that I'm just pretending and that even though I say and act and think that "everything is all right" the devil keeps reminding me "no, everything is not all right look at all these issues in your life, look at all these areas of complacency and distress and unrest"
But the truth is as I take my thoughts and my prayers before my God, Who is all knowing, all loving and truly good I must give thanks to Him and I must tell myself that I'm not pretending but I am contending!
I wanted to write this in here to encourage anyone who comes to this page and anyone who will encounter the Lord this week in fasting and prayers and say: we have to get our heads up on things above. We gotta set our minds on a higher place (Eph 4:20-24) and we have to continually give thanks to God who seriously has made a way for us through the grace given by Christs blood which covers our lives(Eph 5:20). Don't let the enemy drag ya down with his lies. Settle in your heart where you want to be with the Lord and how deep you want your love to go for the Son and then push on by making it a reality in the ways you think, talk and act. Don't just pretend to live this life but truly contend to make it a reality. We all have to start somewhere. One step at a time is all the Lord is asking!(SOS 1:4)
Amen.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There is a time and a place in every believers heart when they decide they want to go hard after God. There are also seasons in an already devoted, maturing believers heart when they decide they will increase in focus or consecration for a season to pursue the Lord in a different way when the motives and circumstances seem right in their life.
I personally come before the Lord with my issues and my failures and I continually ask the Holy Spirit for grace to succeed and be perfect the way my heavenly Father is perfect (Matt5:48). Its in these moments that I turn from the ways that would engage in before and I will try to make a conscience effort to be different knowing the Holy Spirit will empower me to walk differently.
This is when the lie of the enemy comes in and he tries to make me think that I'm just pretending and that even though I say and act and think that "everything is all right" the devil keeps reminding me "no, everything is not all right look at all these issues in your life, look at all these areas of complacency and distress and unrest"
But the truth is as I take my thoughts and my prayers before my God, Who is all knowing, all loving and truly good I must give thanks to Him and I must tell myself that I'm not pretending but I am contending!
I wanted to write this in here to encourage anyone who comes to this page and anyone who will encounter the Lord this week in fasting and prayers and say: we have to get our heads up on things above. We gotta set our minds on a higher place (Eph 4:20-24) and we have to continually give thanks to God who seriously has made a way for us through the grace given by Christs blood which covers our lives(Eph 5:20). Don't let the enemy drag ya down with his lies. Settle in your heart where you want to be with the Lord and how deep you want your love to go for the Son and then push on by making it a reality in the ways you think, talk and act. Don't just pretend to live this life but truly contend to make it a reality. We all have to start somewhere. One step at a time is all the Lord is asking!(SOS 1:4)
Amen.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!
Monday, March 17, 2008
March 18-20
James 1: 2-4
2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
My sister gave these verses as the Word of the Lord over my life in this season. So i said "I'm going to use this as my next TVVT focus!" and so here we are.
I want this verse to pass from just words on a page to the Lord's sovereign touch on my heart.
This week lets fast and pray and really find the meaning of these verses asking the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth and to press the reality of what these verses say in our daily lives and to reveal more of the Father through them. Thank you Jesus that you've made a way for us to come close to You and that You've given us clarity in times of hardship through your Word, Your Spirit and Your undying love for us!
-Amen
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.God Bless!
2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
My sister gave these verses as the Word of the Lord over my life in this season. So i said "I'm going to use this as my next TVVT focus!" and so here we are.
I want this verse to pass from just words on a page to the Lord's sovereign touch on my heart.
This week lets fast and pray and really find the meaning of these verses asking the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth and to press the reality of what these verses say in our daily lives and to reveal more of the Father through them. Thank you Jesus that you've made a way for us to come close to You and that You've given us clarity in times of hardship through your Word, Your Spirit and Your undying love for us!
-Amen
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.God Bless!
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