21 Days of Fasting

Fasting
Abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.

January 2021 could not have come fast enough for me. I expect that Stephen King’s next novel will be called 2020. The year was full of twists and turns and stuff that nightmares are made of. My nerves were rattled and I couldn’t seem to grasp any sense of normalcy, so I decided to invest the first 21 days of January to prayer and fasting through Church Of The Highlands in Alabama. I have participated several times in this event, but this year it seemed a bit more urgent. I contemplated what I was going to abstain from and landed on Social media and shopping, this meaning ALL forms of social media and ALL forms of shopping.

My bible and I meet every morning for coffee and discuss the theme of the day. I always leave with a much clearer insight of how my day should go. The 21 days of prayer is very helpful to keep you on mission and the task at hand. I learn so much about myself and where I am headed during this time. I participate online as the service is held in Birmingham. Prayer service is divided into 3 parts; Worship, a brief sermon and then a 30 minute prayer time on your own. I choose to do my 30 minutes outside as that is where I feel the closest to God. I am a free spirit and like to do things against the grain so I do my 30 minutes while walking our neighborhood.

The first Five days were rough to say the least, I noticed that I would reach for my phone constantly to look at my social media and have to put myself in check. The boutiques were calling my name and how would they survive without me. I was sure that my favorite clothing shops would be gone when I emerged on day 21 at 10am.

Things that helped me stop scrolling

• Walked outside
• Spent more time talking with my kids
• Cleaned out our closet
• Read books, blogs, and magazines
• Created a gratitude journal

The 21 days of prayer opened my heart and eyes to see what God expected from me. I was in a better place mentally and was ready to hit the ground running. I didn’t do resolutions this year but instead changed up my habits and I really am seeing results in all areas of my life.

What I learned

• To steward my time and money wisely
• If I am to finish my life well, I must run well
• Learning to take correction with humility
• That I missed nothing on social media
• Focus on being present in everything I do
• There are always lessons in trials

The Church of The Highlands has archived the entire 21 days of prayer if you are interested. I would highly encourage you to take this journey to see what God may say to you as we walk through this minefield we call life.