Fasting

Lately I have been sensing God telling me to fast.

Now, I am not talking about food necessarily, I am talking about another type of fast. A Facebook fast. A blog-reading fast. Even a blog writing fast.

Now, lest you think I am an addict who scours the Internet for hours each day, let me set the record straight. I’m pretty limited in the time I spend surfing the net. I read only a few select blogs and at that, only once or twice a week. I check my email a time or two a day and usually only go on Facebook once ย a day. It isn’t the time that I spend on these things that is the problem. It is the way I am consistent with them.

I never miss a day.

However, when it comes to my spiritual life, I am not as consistent. Yes, I strive to read my Bible each day (and this year, thanks to my friend and fellow Proverbs 31 speaker Wendy Pope, and her challenge to read the Bible through in a year, I have been the most consistent yet.) But my prayer life or scripture memory habits?

Not so much.

And I am ashamed. How is it that I am able to connect online with many people per day, but connect with the Lord through the week often in a rather hit or miss fashion?

As I have been pondering this question, I have sensed that it has to do with my impatience. I hate to wait. And I am not too fond of silence while waiting either. Thus, Facebook and things of the sort can easily hook me. Why, I leave a status update and almost instantly people are piggy-backing on my comment. Or they click that they “like” the comment.

Oh…..this girl loves to be “liked”.

And Facebook is a place where my worlds all collide. I can hop on my page and read comments left by family members, current friends, cyber friends, an old college roommate and someone from my junior high school all in one post.

But when I pray, often God is silent. Or appears slow. He doesn’t answer right away. He doesn’t thunder from heaven “I like that prayer kiddo!” He is much deeper than that.

I need to tap into that deepness.

Thus, I am feeling the need to take a break from my laptop and plug into the Lord more over the next few weeks. Then I can continue to blog and offer more give aways.

I hope you understand. And I hope you’ll be back. I plan to resume once what I say my priorities are once again matches how I spend my time. Prayers appreciated….

Now, time to announce the winners of last week’s give away with Alice Craig:

The winner of the Tiny Tots Bible Story Book is: ย ย Maggi; timestamp June 12, 2009; 12:10 am

And the winner of the matted 11x 14 picture of choice is: Heather; timestamp June 11, 2009; 10:16 pm

Congrats ladies! Please email me your mailing address at [email protected]

As for the rest of you dear cyber friends…good-bye for now. I’ll see you when my fast is complete…

Sweet Blessings,

10 Comments

  1. I’m just catching up on some blog reading. Thank you for your authenticity and being so real here. I totally identify with what you have written. Just this past week God has called me to “Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” Matthew 11:28 (The Message)

    Resting in Him,
    Joy

  2. I haven’t been to your site in awhile… I’m pretty sure the Lord sent me here to read this! …. I’ve been feeling like I need to ‘fast’ from Facebook and get priorities straight. Thanks for the nudge.

  3. I will be witing for you to get back. In the meantime draw
    close to the Lord abd establish the disciplines God puts on
    your heart. I personally take a Sabbath rest from the computer every Sunday. I haven’t tried Facebook!

  4. Karen –

    This is amazing! I know you’re on to something. In 2 different circumstances yesterday, God nudged me with 1 Cor 6:19-20, Romans 12: 1-2 and Matt 6:33. I have written them down to memorize and begin praying back to the Lord. He also suggested a physical fast, AND then I read your post!! More than once I have considered deleting my Facebook account. I will join you on this “break” as I believe that is what God is calling me to do as well. Our God is so awesome, and I love when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, He is speaking loud and clear to us!

  5. Wow Karen, I felt like you were talking to me personally and hinting to me that I too should be getting my priorities straight. Thanks for sharing and thanks for opening my eyes. : )

  6. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed fast, Karen. I’m feeling the facebook thing to and really need to see what God wants me to do.

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