Five Things I Learned From My Forty Day Fast

Five Lessons Learned From My Forty Day Fast

Introduction

1. Today I am finishing a forty day fast. When we started this stewardship campaign, I felt in my spirit that God was calling me to fast for forty days. I have never done anything like this. I have never desired to anything like this, but I just knew in my spirit that God was calling me to step out and take this journey with Him. I have not eaten any food for the past forty days at all. I have drunk a lot of water and a lot of juice. I have drunk a lot of warm water and tea but no food for forty days.

Enter Pizza man: “Excuse me, I have a pizza delivery. Is there a Mr. Di Yanni here?

Ps. Dave” “Oh yes, that’s for me!” Pizza man brings the pizza up on the stage, Ps. Dave pays him and he leaves.

Ps. Dave then open it up and says, “That is not delivery, that DeGorno’s!” Then he takes out a slice and eats it. “Wow that is good. I can’t tell you how much I wanted to eat a slice of pizza for the past forty days!”

2. All kidding aside, I want you all to know this has been the most incredible forty days of my entire life. I have never been so challenged. I have never prayed so much. I have never felt the presence of God as much in my entire life.

3. Today I would like to share with you some of the things that God has taught me these past forty days.

Spiritual warfare is real

1. The first lesson I have really learned is that spiritual warfare is real. As we attempt to grow spiritually, the enemy gets agitated and makes a more concerted effort to discourage and hinder us. During this forty day fast I have fought some of the most incredible spiritual battles of my life.

2. At the end of the first week, I had severe stomach pains. It got so bad I had to go to the emergency hospital. I ended up having my appendix taken out. Then the next week I was getting up in the night, a little dizzy with the meds I was taking and I slammed my head against the wall. I was back in the emergency room again! Now I have a reminder of my fast, a forty day scar! Then the next week I had a renter go ballistic on me. In the last 20 years I have had many renters and I have never had a renter problem like this. I actually had to contact a lawyer to start proceedings to take her to court if she did not stop harassing me with 15 and 20 telephone calls a day! Then the next week I wrote a letter to the newspaper about a situation that happened at the Reynoldsburg Home Coming Game. I complained that allowing a lesbian to be escorted by her girlfriend was totally inappropriate. Of course that got a bunch of homosexual, lesbians and a bunch of liberals who claim to be Christians raging mad at me. They wrote a bunch of mean-spirited and very judgmental letters to the newspapers and the school newspaper about my opinions. So much for diversity! I guess the diversity that liberals preach actually means that people should accept diversity so long as you are like them, but don’t dare speak out against them. I think that is also called censorship! Then had my car paint balled, I am not sure but I think it was some of the outraged students! Then last week my mother passed away. I truly felt I was being pushed to my limits.

3. When you attempt to do something out of the ordinary, whenever you attempt to try something new or great for God, all the demons get upset about that and it stirs up a demon hornets nest. Man have I been stung these last forty days. Which leads me to my second lesson I have gotten a true heart revelation of these past forty days.

Without friendship and support the Christian walk would be lonely and difficult

1. The second lesson I learned is that without friendship and support, the Christian walk would be lonely and difficult. When I struggled with the idea of doing this forty day fast, I was wondering if I would have the discipline to do this all the way. I did not want to start and then quit. God gave me the idea of asking six guys to fast one week with me. So I put some feelers out to see if there would be a response. Then on the Monday before the fast was to start that Wednesday I was out to lunch with Roxanna and my daughter Hannah and my son Jason, and I was telling them that I was thinking of doing a forty day fast, at that moment I was still unsure. My son Jason got all excited and said, “Dad, I was praying about doing a week long fast, but I asked God for someone to do it with. I’ll do the first week with you!” Now those of you who are parents know what I am saying when I say, “That got me excited! My son wants to fast a week with me?” I said right there, “I am going to do this” That was all I needed. Then the next day, my son in law Jesse calls me and tells me he wants to fast a week with me. Then I got a call from Steve Fitterer, he said he would fast a week with me, then a call from Dave Keseg and then Mark Poland and Ps. Simon also said they would fast a week with me. I would never have been able to do this without their support. Each Sunday they were all excited and ready for the week, and it got me all excited again and stirred my spirit. Each day we called each other at noon and talked and prayed. I know me and I would rather die that let someone down. I have gained great strength knowing someone is struggling with me. On top of all of that I have been so strengthened in my inner man, feeling the prayers of so many of you as you have told me that you were praying for me and then so many told me that they were fasting with me one week also. With all the struggles it was so uplifting to have the support and the concern of so many of you. I just don’t know how people survive without friends and family. This has truly made me appreciate all that I have with my family, and friends and all of you’re here at the church.