For quite some time now I have Fasted and Prayed for my family on a Tuesday and seen some amazing results. I get the Above Rubies magazine and many years ago we were invited to set Tuesday as the day to fast and pray for families and although I don't do it every Tuesday it is definitely a day I focus on.
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 58:6-9a
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn
and relent
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the Lord your God.
Joel 2:12-14
23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this,
and he answered our prayer.
Ezra 8:23
All Scripture is from New International Version
God has come through many times so I keep at it. By lunch time when the hunger creeps in I spend time in prayer and just that seems to curb it away.
So Tuesday February 20th in New Zealand was the day that Cyclone Gita struck. We didn't get any damage here and the garden got a good water, but central New Zealand and especially the top half of the South Island, were badly affected with flooding, strong winds, power cuts, slips and even snow.
When I woke the place was eerily still; not a breath of wind, but later in the day, when I visiting the Parish Chairman to drop off his paper work for this weeks meeting, "Gita" arrived. The wind was so strong it moved a huge bean bag across the covered deck and the rain came in sideways. I thought to myself, "hmmm should have left five minutes ago," but then it calmed. I was able to get to the car and home with out getting soaked.
Before I came home, I checked out Carl and Sarah's section as I was told the builders had put up the sign. Sure enough, it was erected and a nice smooth concreted entrance shone in the rain. I felt a sense of excitement for them that at long last something was starting for them. Its been months since they first decided to buy,as no sooner has one demand been met, then another would arise. But now.it looks like their home is going to begin.I also set Tuesday aside for doing our own sort of admin type things. I clear my own desk at home, paying bills, checking accounts, filing paper-work away and seeing to any errands or phones calls that need to be made. I also finalize my shopping list then loading everything I need into the car, set out to get groceries and run all the errands etc. This day I wasn't sure what we were gong to get with the cyclone so I was keen to get out and home as quickly as I could. To start with I ended up working late as I had so much paperwork to sort, print and photocopy, not to mention my report for Thursdays meeting and the photocopier decided to make its own decision with some of the copying! In fact I was two hours late home.
So it was into Putaruru, post mail, pay the dentist, get groceries, then through to Matamata to the bank then The Warehouse for Harry and around to the Parish Council Chairman.
Once I was home safe and dry the rain seemed to stop and even the sun came out. It was a simple tea of chops, roasted potatoes and a large salad (all from our garden) and then to bed earlier than usual.
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