Post-fasting blues: feeling low

[Lafftur]

I am with a very conservative Lutheran Church.
I used to be apart of several churches over time. I started out baptist as a child, then was with a charismatic non-denominational, then Calvary Chapel, then back to baptist. Then I started to study church history, as part of ordination process. What I learned about church history changed my whole outlook. Now I pretty much can not stand what revivalism has done to so many people who love God but struggle under stupid teaching. Like this lady who obviously loves the Lord Jesus but feels as if she much chase after Jesus, and go on a fast to save her husband, and having a pastor who says stuff like if you don't feel the presence of God you ain't working hard enough. He should be horse whipped for putting people who want to love Jesus and know he loves them, in such a bondage.

We were NEVER created to chase after denominations to find God we were to seek God with all our heat and mind.

Our Heart has to lead and our Mind follow in pursuit of God. Only our hearts can find God. Our minds or human reasoning is blind and cannot see, understand or know God without our heart.

Let God have possession of our heart and mind so He can fill both with His life-giving Love and knowledge of WHO He is, amen. Then, we can know Him and love Him, amen.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

We were NEVER created to chase after denominations to find God we were to seek God with all our heat and mind.

Our Heart has to lead and our Mind follow in pursuit of God. Only our hearts can find God. Our minds or human reasoning is blind and cannot see, understand or know God without our heart.

Let God have possession of our heart and mind so He can fill both with His life-giving Love and knowledge of WHO He is, amen. Then, we can know Him and love Him, amen.

I have no idea what you are talking about.
People who love God need teaching of sound doctrine, and the truth of his word, not emotional strumming. This OP is evidence of how destructive bad teaching and emotionalism is. The scripture says be you transformed by the renewing of your mind.
The Bereans, were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were true.
They tested what was being taught by the scriptures to make sure they were being taught sound teaching.
I have no idea where you get that the mind must be lead by the heart, it certainly isn't from scripture.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Mark 7:21-23 ESV
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Genesis 6:5 ESV
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 8:21 ESV
And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Proverbs says to keep your heart with all vigilance.
Vigilance means to watch out for something. Guarding your heart by controlling what enters it by using you mind to test things by the scriptures.
Humans aren't so compartmentalized that the heart and mind are divergent. Where a person focuses their mind their heart is there also. So we must put the truth of God's word in our mind renewing our mind so that God by his word creates in us a clean heart.

 

[presidente]

I had reached a plateau in my faith and hoped that the fast would help break through some of those barriers. My pastor always says that if you can't feel God, it's on you as you aren't trying hard enough. I dont know how much harder I can try.

How about this, "If you don't feel God, just rest in the fact that He loves you and you know He hears your prayers."

Where does the Bible even emphasize 'feeling God'? It is great if you can have a sense of God's power and presence, but if not, you have faith in God and His word, so why should it bother you?

 

[Ahwatukee]

As you may know, I did a 21 day partial fast for my husband who is a non believer. I also was just searching and yearning for more connection and closeness with God.

I think about Jesus all the time. If I'm reading, its generally the Bible or a book about God. If I am watching videos, it's a sermon or testimony. If I listen to music, its worship music. Of course I am a sinful, fallen creature but I try my best to follow Him and wrestle with many decisions to make sure I am following God's path for my life. I pray for almost as much time as I am conscious and awake. I had reached a plateau in my faith and hoped that the fast would help break through some of those barriers. My pastor always says that if you can't feel God, it's on you as you aren't trying hard enough. I dont know how much harder I can try.

The fast ended on Saturday and I was expecting some kind of amazing move of God in my life to happen rightaway. I don't know why I feel so disappointed and surprised that things haven't changed radically. I know I am being silly and need to pull myself together but I have been crying out to God to move, and feel so deflated. I feel like during the fast, I poured myself out to Him and laid my deepest, innermost parts out to Him. So many vulnerabilities came to the surface and I shed a lot of tears. I feel like I really bore my heart and just exposed so much.

Silence.

I feel like I poured heart out to someone and they just changed the subject. I am usually so hope-filled and full of faith that nothing is impossible with God, that He is loving and takes all of our hurt. I am chasing and chasing Jesus and feel like I can't find Him. I cannot try any harder to seek His face. I feel so weepy and alone and just need some encouragement.

I went into the fast in the hope of interceding for my unbelieving husband, and came out of it wondering if he has a point in his unbelief.

Help!

Thanks for reading.

Greetings Thenorthstar,

It is good that you are always meditating on God and His word. I know that your heart is in the right place by fasting for your husband. But regarding fasting, I would suggest following that Jesus taught:

"When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matt.6:16-18)

In other words when you fast, don't let anyone else know that you are fasting and don't make it appear that way. And don't announce it on the web-site so that others know that you are fasting. But as the scripture says, keep it between you and God the Father. The following is other related information to those who have unbelieving spouses.

"If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

We will be praying that God would unharden your husbands heart and instill the fear of God into him and will draw him to Jesus. For Jesus said, "No man can come to the Son except the Father draws him."

 

[Lafftur]

I have no idea what you are talking about.
People who love God need teaching of sound doctrine, and the truth of his word, not emotional strumming. This OP is evidence of how destructive bad teaching and emotionalism is. The scripture says be you transformed by the renewing of your mind.
The Bereans, were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were true.
They tested what was being taught by the scriptures to make sure they were being taught sound teaching.
I have no idea where you get that the mind must be lead by the heart, it certainly isn't from scripture.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Mark 7:21-23 ESV
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,

The Word of God gets perverted when a person speaks It without God’s love.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT upon your own understanding.

The Lord shall be found when we search for Him with ALL OUR HEART.....doesn’t say with all our MIND.

You believe the Bereans were searching scripture with their MINDS but, it was their HEARTS that they were searching the scriptures because their emotions were determined to know God.

All decisions we make are based on emotions.....emotions play a part in our search for God and our relationship with God.

 

[DesertWanderer]

Of course I am a sinful, fallen creature

Nope, I respectfully disagree.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21.

God no longer looks at you as a sinful, fallen creature. You ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Halleluiah!

My pastor always says that if you can't feel God, it's on you as you aren't trying hard enough.

Another lie from Satan. The fact is, God lives inside of you. How much further do you need to look?

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Cor 3:16

God doesn't want your fasting or your piety or your trying to find Him. He simply desires your acknowledgment that he's always with you.

I don't know why I feel so disappointed and surprised that things haven't changed radically.

I wonder if God is waiting for you to claim victory instead of defeat. After all, no matter what happens to us in this life, we've already won. Victory over Satan is already assured. The blessed assurance of everlasting life with the Father is reason enough to celebrate.

I am chasing and chasing Jesus and feel like I can't find Him. I cannot try any harder to seek His face. I feel so weepy and alone and just need some encouragement.

I went through something like that about three years ago when my wife left me for my best friend. My spiritual battle was no nastier than yours, though. But I do know the feeling.

It's like God puts you in the middle of a giant battlefield armed with only your fists. And all you see are all these cannonballs hurling at you. You look around, and you're completely alone.

Jesus went through the same thing. It may surprise you that I say that. But here's the evidence:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Mat. 4:1

What a battle that was. But I believe that the Father was getting Jesus ready for the cross, just as He gets us ready to bear ours. I believe Jesus was left completely alone for those 40 days.

And I believe you have not felt the father's presence for a reason. But I assure you, He's there.

My advice is to find something to work diligently at. I often find a revelation from God in my work. Try planning your entire day on paper. Then try to hit every benchmark or goal.

Get a second job or start a new business. Just don't sit idle. The minute Jesus left the wilderness, He went to work.

As you come out of your wilderness, I would implore you to do the same. Peace is just around the corner.

May the Lord's blessings be upon you, dear sister.

 

[Absolutely]

my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Read madame guyons writings
I learned through her "Deep call out to deep".

She said job was not totally destroyed until his wife cursed him.
We are supposed to lose our lives at salvation..

Job represents the destruction of the flesh

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

The Word of God gets perverted when a person speaks It without God’s love.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT upon your own understanding.

The Lord shall be found when we search for Him with ALL OUR HEART.....doesn’t say with all our MIND.

You believe the Bereans were searching scripture with their MINDS but, it was their HEARTS that they were searching the scriptures because their emotions were determined to know God.

All decisions we make are based on emotions.....emotions play a part in our search for God and our relationship with God.

They didn't search the scripture with their heart, they searched them by reading them, and understanding what they mean.
People are not that compartmentalized, where a person's mind is the heart is also.

I knew you would go to proverbs 3:5 and not keep 6. And that you would misconstrue the meaning.
So let's us as God said to the prophet;

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord : though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
And let's examine what proverbs 3:5&6 says and means.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 ESV

TRUST the Lord with all of your heart, means to conform your heart to TRUSTING the LORD, not follow your heart. Because we as humans tend to allow our emotions to inform our understanding. So this proverbs is saying don't do that but rather, trust the Lord. And do it by conforming your heart to trust the Lord. And then gives us how to do this conforming our heart to trusting God. That is By acknowledging God in all our ways. Our way being how we do things.

To ‘lean not on your own understanding’ is really just another way of saying we need to live by faith.

Abraham was trusting God not following his heart; he knew that Issac was the son God had promised him. when he and Isaac were walking up the mountain to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.

Daniel was trusting God not following his heart, he followed what he knew the Lord had commanded him, when he was being led to the pit to spend the night with some hungry lions.

Stephen was trusting the Lord, because he knew what had been promised him by Jesus, he wasn't following his heart. when he was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.

The Bible does not contradict itself, and say the heart is sick and wicked and then say to follow or trust it. The Bible continually tell us to conform our mind and emotions to his word. In order to do that we must understand his word to do that we must study his word. In studying his word he will conform us to his image which includes his love because God is love.

 

[Lafftur]

They didn't search the scripture with their heart, they searched them by reading them, and understanding what they mean.
People are not that compartmentalized, where a person's mind is the heart is also.

I knew you would go to proverbs 3:5 and not keep 6. And that you would misconstrue the meaning.
So let's us as God said to the prophet;

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord : though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
And let's examine what proverbs 3:5&6 says and means.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 ESV

TRUST the Lord with all of your heart, means to conform your heart to TRUSTING the LORD, not follow your heart. Because we as humans tend to allow our emotions to inform our understanding. So this proverbs is saying don't do that but rather, trust the Lord. And do it by conforming your heart to trust the Lord. And then gives us how to do this conforming our heart to trusting God. That is By acknowledging God in all our ways. Our way being how we do things.

To ‘lean not on your own understanding’ is really just another way of saying we need to live by faith.

Abraham was trusting God not following his heart; he knew that Issac was the son God had promised him. when he and Isaac were walking up the mountain to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.

Daniel was trusting God not following his heart, he followed what he knew the Lord had commanded him, when he was being led to the pit to spend the night with some hungry lions.

Stephen was trusting the Lord, because he knew what had been promised him by Jesus, he wasn't following his heart. when he was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.

The Bible does not contradict itself, and say the heart is sick and wicked and then say to follow or trust it. The Bible continually tell us to conform our mind and emotions to his word. In order to do that we must understand his word to do that we must study his word. In studying his word he will conform us to his image which includes his love because God is love.

Where does God put His Love in us? Is it in our "hearts" or in our "minds"?

Romans 5:5 King James Version (KJV)
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

[presidente]

They didn't search the scripture with their heart, they searched them by reading them, and understanding what they mean.
People are not that compartmentalized, where a person's mind is the heart is also.

I knew you would go to proverbs 3:5 and not keep 6. And that you would misconstrue the meaning.
So let's us as God said to the prophet;

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord : though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
And let's examine what proverbs 3:5&6 says and means.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 ESV

TRUST the Lord with all of your heart, means to conform your heart to TRUSTING the LORD, not follow your heart. Because we as humans tend to allow our emotions to inform our understanding. So this proverbs is saying don't do that but rather, trust the Lord. And do it by conforming your heart to trust the Lord. And then gives us how to do this conforming our heart to trusting God. That is By acknowledging God in all our ways. Our way being how we do things.

To ‘lean not on your own understanding’ is really just another way of saying we need to live by faith.

Abraham was trusting God not following his heart; he knew that Issac was the son God had promised him. when he and Isaac were walking up the mountain to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.

Daniel was trusting God not following his heart, he followed what he knew the Lord had commanded him, when he was being led to the pit to spend the night with some hungry lions.

Stephen was trusting the Lord, because he knew what had been promised him by Jesus, he wasn't following his heart. when he was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.

The Bible does not contradict itself, and say the heart is sick and wicked and then say to follow or trust it. The Bible continually tell us to conform our mind and emotions to his word. In order to do that we must understand his word to do that we must study his word. In studying his word he will conform us to his image which includes his love because God is love.

Who in the conversation said to 'follow your heart'? I must have missed that.

The Bible teaches us to love the Lord with all our mind and all our heart.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Where does God put His Love in us? Is it in our "hearts" or in our "minds"?

Romans 5:5 King James Version (KJV)
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Yes God put his live into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that we receive by faith if you read that whole passage in context. Because you have to back up to verse 1. So that passage in contexts says that by faith and the love of God we can endure suffering, because it produced that chain of good characters listed.
This passage is not a directive to follow your heart. But rather a directive to by faith, knowing God's love is poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit; endure suffering knowing that it produces good character.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Hosea 4:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hos.4.6.ESV

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Who in the conversation said to 'follow your heart'? I must have missed that.

The Bible teaches us to love the Lord with all our mind and all our heart.

Yeah, you ain't to good at following a conversation. So my recommendation is that if you can keep up don't butt in.

 

[Magenta]

So my recommendation is that if you can keep up don't butt in.

Is that a typo? If you can keep up? And what's with this "butting in"?

Public forums are set up for people to join in at any time,
and they can likewise leave any conversation at any time.

No special permission or invitation is required.

In relation to the heart of man => Here is an excellent page on the matter

 

[Lafftur]

Who in the conversation said to 'follow your heart'? I must have missed that.

The Bible teaches us to love the Lord with all our mind and all our heart.

Hello @presidente,

You really haven't missed anything. @Blackpowderduelist and I are going round and round over "heart" vs. "mind." He is all about the "Mind" and I am all about the "Heart." This is a great discussion to knock some rough edges off of both of us. I hope we can disagree and still walk in love towards each other....

There is actually a beautiful "BALANCE" to both Heart and Mind when studying scripture. Also, there's nothing wrong with having "emotions." Emotions are great motivators! Passion for God is so life-giving!

 

[Lafftur]

Is that a typo? If you can keep up? And what's with this "butting in"?

Public forums are set up for people to join in at any time,
and they can likewise leave any conversation at any time.

No special permission or invitation is required.

In relation to the heart of man => Here is an excellent page on the matter

@Magenta - I clicked on your link, I loved it! Excellent contribution to help us all understand the heart of man. Thank you!

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Is that a typo? If you can keep up? And what's with this "butting in"?

Public forums are set up for people to join in at any time,
and they can likewise leave any conversation at any time.

No special permission or invitation is required.

In relation to the heart of man => Here is an excellent page on the matter

Sorry. I was already frustrated about a situation at work and my frustrations came through on this post

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Who in the conversation said to 'follow your heart'? I must have missed that.

The Bible teaches us to love the Lord with all our mind and all our heart.

Sorry, about the harsh post. I was already frustrated about something else and vented it toward you. Please accept my apology.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

Hello @presidente,

You really haven't missed anything. @Blackpowderduelist and I are going round and round over "heart" vs. "mind." He is all about the "Mind" and I am all about the "Heart." This is a great discussion to knock some rough edges off of both of us. I hope we can disagree and still walk in love towards each other....

There is actually a beautiful "BALANCE" to both Heart and Mind when studying scripture. Also, there's nothing wrong with having "emotions." Emotions are great motivators! Passion for God is so life-giving!

It makes since actually that we disagree here, being I am a man and you are a woman, God created us quite differently in that respect.
I try not to be so frustratible but can be some times.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

I broke a bolt in a very expensive machine part and am very frustrated right now. I had to call my boss and tell him how expensive this will be to fix.

 

[presidente]

Sorry, about the harsh post. I was already frustrated about something else and vented it toward you. Please accept my apology.

Apology accepted. I actually thought you were beating a straw man on the idea of following the heart, but wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt in case there was something I had missed.