TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2022)
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:1-3 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 272ND DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE!
With just three months to the new year, according to the Gregorian calendar, we have so much to thank Our LORD and savior for. Being a Citizen of God’s kingdom is the best citizenship on the face of the earth.
God will take the broken us, amend us, and then mold us into who or what He intends us to be. I have been in ministry for over 30 years and have seen Him do this in my life, and over and over in the lives of others; sometimes by our hands.
This morning, I was going through the stories of some people of God who are ahead of us, both in ministry and Christian life, and I saw how much their lives where broken. Some married more than twice and broke their lives in the process but God still picked them up, repaired their broken lives, and kept them in ministry.
I marveled at the mercies and second and third chances of God for us humans.
Only in God’s kingdom can you find the LORD using once broken and unworthy vessels to save perishing souls. Indeed, being a Citizen of God’s kingdom is the best citizenship on the face of the earth.
I remember an incident that happened at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja where we lodge for the Abuja Conference.
I went down to a part of the Hotel that had offices for business and all that to attend to something. Then I ran into people who were signaling to get my attention for this business or the other. They did not know that am a full-time pastor and that Business was not allowed for messengers of the LORD of our humble capacity.
However, a young man later pushed his way to me and I gave him a listening ear. He then introduced himself and offered me Canadian Citizenship, with options of Citizenship of some other European nations if I was willing to invest certain thousands of dollars in those nations.
IT WAS INTERESTING BUT IT NEVER STOLE MY INTEREST.
The best citizenship is not an American, Canadian, British, or European Citizenship. The best Citizenship is Citizenship of God’s kingdom.
Now, there is nothing wrong with having the citizenship of any nation on earth. If the LORD grants you an opportunity to have one, accept it, and then use it to advance His plans and purposes in that nation, but the best Citizenship is God’s Kingdom Citizenship.
If you are a Citizen of God’s kingdom, you are a different breed on the face of the earth. You are a Citizen of Heaven living in a world that is not your own. You are a pilgrim passing through a world that is also passing away.
You will not worship who or what others worship. You will not bow to who or what others bow to.
There will be no other name under Heaven that you will take refuge under except the name Jesus Christ. You will know Him as the One and only True God and He will be your God, your judge, your king and your lawgiver.
Meaning, even when you sin against God, He will be the one to deal with you. The enemy will never be allowed to take up a disciplinary action against you.
The throne of God will be what rules your life if you are a Citizen of Heaven. And if you are intimate with the One who sits on that throne, you will be brought into deliberations that happens in the throne room. You will be having Heavenly Dreams, Visions and Revelations of the LORD.
Your conversation, persuasions and drive in life will be different from that of others. You will be living like a glorious alien in a dying world that may not even understand your decisions and dedication to the LORD.
The life and times of Daniel explains all that.
You know, some of the Old Testament Saints were Heavenly patterns and pathways for our generation. They were a shadow of things that Christ was coming to accomplish in our lives. And now that He has accomplished them, we see the light of how the foundation of what we have now was laid in their lives each time we study their lives.
WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE CRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON BIBLICAL FASTING FOR 29 DAYS NOW.
Their lives have helped us to understand the kingdom mysteries that guides, defines and structures how Biblical fasting should be like in every generation, including ours. Today we will be looking at the second aspect of Biblical fasting called partial fasting, and the life of Daniel will help us.
Our devotional text says;
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:1-3 NKJV
The word mourning is a code for fasting.
As a pattern of how our relationship with God should look like when we become part of the Citizens of His kingdom, especially part of those who are intimate with the one who sits on the Throne, Daniel had a revelation that drove him into a partial fast.
He did not just get up and said he wanted to fast. Something he saw in the Spirit killed the desire for pleasant food, meat, wine and even the desire to look good physically, by taking his bath and anointing or perfuming himself. It threw him into partial fast.
Only a Heavenly burden can do that to a man.
The fast lasted for three weeks, according to scriptures. Now, Daniel did not do this kind of a fast when he was young. He did the fast when he was well advanced in age, and his body was failing him.
Let me advise that Partial fast is not for the young except they are weak and cannot stand an absolute fast, or they chose to be lazy. The young should always go for absolute fast THE BIBLE WAY because Jesus was in His 30s when he fasted absolutely. Moses was even in his 80s when he did same.
We have shared in previous devotionals how to embark on an absolute fast safely.
ACTUALLY, HOW YOU FAST AND HOW LONG OR STRONG YOU STAY IN IT, IS A CHILD OF THE STRENGTH OF THE BURDEN IN YOUR HEART.
If the burden is weak, you will want to go lazy but if it is strong, you will most times go absolute like Jesus and Moses did. And if your body is failing you but the burden in your heart is strong, you will go partial instead of using the frailty of your body as an excuse not to fast.
Daniel went partial because of the frailty of His body.
Partial fasting is for those whose bodies or situations will not let them go absolute either because of age, or other factors of life.
For instance, a breastfeeding mother who God impregnates with a burden should not go absolute. She should respond with a partial fast. One who has just recovered from an illness can respond to any burden to fast with a partial fast.
One who is studying for exams can either go absolute or partial. Whatever will keep you feasting on the word while you are fasting is highly recommended. Because if you fast without feasting on the word, or taking time to meditate and pray deeply, you are on hunger strike or a religious jamboree.
Fasting, either partial or absolute, is only meaningful if one gives himself entirely to prayer and to the ministry of the word during the fast.
Now, what is a partial fast? A partial fast is not abstaining from food and water, but abstaining from certain food and drink intake so that you can concentrate on seeking the LORD. It could be abstaining from food only but taking sufficient water, or abstaining from strong meals and taking light meals only, maybe once a day or at regular intervals in a day.
There are those who take juice or fruits during a partial fast. Others take tea but tea (depending on the type) is not always advisable because of what it does to the body. Some medical personals have advised against taking coffee during a fast. It can ruin one’s sanity, they say.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEEK MEDICAL ADVISED OR THE COUNSEL OF A DIETITIAN BEFORE YOU EMBARK ON A PARTIAL FAST.
If you want to reap the blessings of Biblical fasting, understand that partial fast is for lengthy fasting periods. It is not for those who want to tarry with the LORD for few hours in a day.
Except you are diminished in strength, if you want to tarry with the LORD for few hours, do an absolute fast. That will bless you better.
Since, partial fast should not be the way for the young ones or people whose age have not diminished their vigor, we should not dwell much on it. Anyone who want to do a partial fast should take any light food or drinks that will repair or build their bodies during their fast, not something that will break it in the long run.
I believe enough have been shared for the day.
Do not use what we have shared here on partial fasting and become spiritually lazy. Spiritual laziness will lead to spiritual breaches or leakages in your life.
What you take during a partial fast should be for the purpose of strength not for quenching hunger. The lazy will want to use light meals to quench hunger, calling it partial fast. Daniel never ate to quench hunger but to retain strength for his frail body.
Hunger is one thing we endure during a fast. We quench it by faith in the power of God to keep us, not by taking light meals during our fast.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR US TODAY!
“Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning!
Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time— For strength and not for drunkenness!
Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks.” Ecclesiastes 10:16-18 NKJV