Day 14: Daniel Fasting and Devotion

Today ends my 14th day of Daniel fasting. I'm totally used to this healthier diet now. My husband and I have been talking about how more fruits and vegetables sustain us longer. We are finally to the point of really enjoying our new healthier lifestyle. It has been hard to cook for the whole family and get the kids to be on board, but it's getting easier and the longer we try the easier it gets to find recipes and prepare food.

Spiritually I've come into a place of really hearing God more clearly. To be honest, I've never been in prayer and in the Word so much. I feel like I need more and more time with God. I've put other things aside in order to consume all that I can. And I feel like it still isn't enough. I've looked deeper into the things that people speak into my life-- I'm more aware of the spiritual things. In this last week, I've heard some amazing things from God.

The most important thing was family. God has really been dealing with me and my lack of teaching to my own family. It all begins at home. And while I knew this, I was filling up my time with so many things-- 'good things', but not 'God things'. So I've redirected my attention in this area a lot. This week, I'll begin home schooling my son. I found a great Bible curriculum t0 teach from as well. I'm really excited about it! I've shopped for curriculum for weeks and getting ready to submit paper work tomorrow. I've known that the best thing for him was home schooling, but I was caught up in my own life, church, and school and didn't address the issues. Great answer from God here! Everyone is on board and God has already put people and resources in my path for support and great information.

Along these same lines- and after seeking God so much in these past couple of weeks- we realize how much we were excluding God from so many parts of our life. We realize now how valuable prayer is and that we should be in prayer about everything! We should be praying with our kids more. We should pray about the relationships in our lives. We should be in prayer about so many of the important things that we think we have under control.

At the beginning of the fast, I made a list of things to be in prayer over. I actually prayed about the things I should be praying over for this period of time. The list is long. But this is such a great way to get answers from God. I've put the same things in front of me for prayer for two weeks. *I have never done this! Ha! But so glad I have.

It's been a great week with the Daniel fast. The Jones family is making huge changes and taking steps in faith. Not all of these changes have been easy. Most have actually been very hard. But what I'm learning is to use my faith. I'm learning to hear and really trust God. I've learned that when we draw near to God, he draws near to us. And when we take steps of faith for Him- whether we find out later it was right or wrong- when we do it for Him, it pleases Him.

Today's scripture reading:
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. --Hebrews 12:1

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
--2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
--2 Timothy 2:7-8