I've posted here a number of times about my difficulty in hearing answers to my prayers. Sometimes I think I hear a yes, only to find out it was wishful thinking. <P>Tonight I was listening to the radio when Tony Evans came on with a sermon about fasting. It's something I haven't tried yet. I've been in a financial and marital crisis for a year now. While I see baby step improvements in some areas, overall I feel stuck in the same place I was stuck last year. I feel blessed in many ways and I am very thankful for the absence of death, destruction or injury in my life right now. On the other hand, serious choices are staring me in the face, and I don't know which direction to follow. <P>I need a plan, and I want divine guidance. I'm probably getting guidance now but I'm too ignorant, blind, or deaf to understand. There can't be any shortage of things God wants to say to me. I want to hear those things. I believe God has a plan for each of us. I haven't a clue what my plan is. Do you think fasting would help me?

In my experience fasting, I have had to learn how God speaks to me. I will receive an understanding from certain scripture for that situation. People will say things to me that answer what I was petitioning God for. If I keep hearing the same thing, like say on a televised service then again from co-workers or conversation with a friend, I definitely know that as confirmation from God. Timing: At times, I fast, I may get my answer during my sacrifice, or days, even months later. I should also mention, that I do not only fast from food. I will go without certain other things I enjoy, that I devote attention to like certain hours of t.v. viewing, for example. Kenneth Copeland began reading his Bible in the morning, instead of having the newspaper like he normally did without fail. During this time of sacrifice, he said he received much more revelation and strength that was needed for the times ahead.<P>You say you need a plan: You have it already. Meditate on the Word. Pray. Choose life, truth, joy, patience, forgiveness, be of good courage. Know that God is up to something good, that He has prosperity, hope AND a future ahead for you and yours. Something is going well, you said so yourself: the absence of sickness, death and so forth.<P>Finally, do not get caught in the trap of I-don't-see-anything-happening-so-there-must-not-be-anything-happening. You must remember, when you have done everything, you still have to stand. Stand and believe, be still and know that He is God. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. I do know.... keep posting

Thank you so much for your reply ymon. I haven't seen you post here before. I am encouraged by your words. I have but a mustard seed of faith that I believe will grow into a tree. The germination period is excruciatingly long!

Hi Lonesome,<P>Isaiah chapter 58 talks about fasting. Here is some of it:<P>"For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways..."<P>"Why have we fasted, they say, and You have not seen it?"<P>"Yet on the day of your fasting you do as you please, and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen?"<P>Is not this the kind of fast I have chosen:<BR>to loosen the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,...to share your food with the hungry, do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing of the finger and malicious talk, and spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry...<P>then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. <BR>The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden..."<P>You might want to read the whole chapter yourself. The attitude of our heart seems to be what is important. God knows our heart and that is what He is interested in.<P>God does promise to gude us and show us the way. He will do that for you, but in His timing. Here are somethings I wrote down from a talk by C. Stanley on waiting:<P>1.God's timing is perfect. He is not late<P>2.Waiting has HIs definite purpose: dig deep and seek His intimacy; prepartion time for a decision or response. He needs to position me and those around me to receive what He wants to give; He may be trying to get my attention about some problem in my thinking or behavior<P>3.Find peace and security in the silence of God<P>4.Wait quietly and patiently for His direction with the expectation and hope that comes from faith.<P>Hope this helps, Lonesome. I have had big issues in the past that took a long time to resolve. Looking back I see God was not idle, but working all the time and healing all kinds of areas of my life. He is faithfull and wants to guide you. Do the next step in front of you each day and He will give more. Do what you already know, if the whole doesn't seem completely clear yet.<P>Let me know if you tried fasting. Do not be discouraged. You have already grown a tremendous amount over the past year. Look back and see that God has not been idle. You are moving forward.<BR>

I read Isiah 58 after hearing the sermon on the radio. btw, the radio station is also online at <A HREF="http://www.kbnj.org" TARGET=_blank>www.kbnj.org</A> in case anyone with a speedy internet connection cares to listen. Tony Evans comes on at 7:00 CST. The sequence of his topics are guiding me. I am grateful. I envision "answers to my prayers" to be an unmistakable voice in my head that is not my own (and not the enemy's!). Perhaps my answer is simply being delivered on the radio. Ah, what do I know? <P>I did a quasi-fast on Tuesday. I didn't give up coffee! Now there's a sacrifice. But I did refrain from food all day and ate that night. As the hunger set in, I felt like so many things were going wrong. My printer broke, preventing me from getting work done. I tried to back up some computer files (one of my procrastination favorites), and my cdrom burner was ruining every disk I tried to use. sigh. Rather than being discouraged, I remembered the sermon. The enemy will hold on even tighter, desperately trying to hold me down when he sees I'm heading for a higher plane. <P>For a long time I've waited quietly and patiently for His direction. I believe I've mistakenly woven idleness and inaction into my equation. I got that clue from reading the original Boundaries book by Townsend and Cloud the day of the fast. I believe that everything I have is what God has given me. I focus too much on what's missing. I plan on integrating my prayer activity with being a better steward of what I have. Another book I find very helpful is "Simple Abundance". It's a daily guidebook, and the month of May focuses on this very concept. Maybe I'm finally moving to another step, with a little more light.

Hello heart (: I would have gotten back sooner, but there was some work going on at the site.<BR>I am glad you are seeing where the improvements are needing to be made and therefore following through. With the difficulty of the computer and its functioning, you have got to know you are on the right track, since those distractions come and were piling up. But remember the half full glass: it will not stay difficult. The more you do good, the more on guard against problems you have to be. In my family, there has been a stronghold of staying too busy. So I guard against that in my activities, so that I can keep growing spiritually. God has given me a spirit of action to get things done. I am always careful now to make sure I consult Him in what I do and not just act on my instinct. You are in my prayers and thank you so much for being part of my life. I need some insight too.<p>[This message has been edited by ymon (edited July 11, 2001).]

Thanks again ymon for responding. I worry that the computer holding these message boards is about to croak. It takes soooo long to move around! <P>So, when you do your consulting about what to do next, how do you know what the answer is?

Hi Heart. I pray all is well with you.<P>Now, I have been taught that when I seek God, I pray specifically. It is important to be specific with God. In the New Testament, I believe it was Apostle Paul who told the church that the reason their prayers were not being answered was because they were asking amiss, or asking with the wrong motives. God does know the heart. In 2 Kings chapter 13, vs.18- 19, Elisha instructed Jehoash king of Isreal to strike the ground. Jehoash only struck the ground 3 times. Elisha told him had he kept striking the ground as God wanted, he would have completely defeated the Arameans that killed his father. Instead, he would only defeat them 3 times.<P>In light of this, I have learned that as I am walking in His way of doing, thinking and being right, there is nothing that God is not able to do. That includes confirming what I am asking Him for. In Malachi 3, vs. 10 God Himself challenges me to test Him, to be obedient and patience, and see for myself if He will not hear me. In the New Testament, Paul tells the church to try the spirits to see whether or not they be of God.<P>I tend to ask God to send me confirmation. I have no way to tell you now how it comes, except that I just know that is especially for me. He will let me hear something over and over and I just know in my spirit it was the answer I asked God for. Now when I say that I mean, I may hear a teaching from Joel Osteen, then my Husband and I will have conversation, and he say the same thing! Or I may read these messages, and you will have posted some information related to what I am seeking God for. Maybe you will overhear someone's talk or tell someone something that God wants you to heed as well, but He will put someone else's challenge in your path, so you can find the solution He has for you. That happens to me alot when I fast.<P>Just relax, God already has it figured out. Don't look too hard, you will miss it. You will know. Just do not doubt God. He will reveal your answers in ways you do understand.

Great topic!<P>I think that I have learned God's voice by learning His character - and knowing the "kind of" God that He is...<P>I know what God doesn't like - because I get this little bit of a conviction in my heart about something...<P>Sometimes when I am facing something that is really hard to discern, I remember the words of a pastor: "When you come to a 4 way stop, and you don't know which way to go, pull over".<P>So, sometimes I will not make a decision - and will just wait until I have more information - and usually another option comes along that feels really better. <P>Sometimes, I know that I have a real desire in my heart for something - and the world is telling me "no", but I know that the desire is in harmony with God's character - so I know I have to step out a little on faith. <P>The previous poster is absolutely right about this: God's timing is perfect.<P>TnT

Again, I say being still is at times the most difficult thing to do, but the next thing God desires. Increase that patience, you know? But I am learning that I would rather "pull over" or rather, when I'm in doubt, I don't! And that is faith. That is what I have learned moves God- when I show Him that I believe Him, trust Him enough to wait, to just be still....