This week, I decided to skip my Manna Monday posts and focus on a topic that really taught me a lot about myself, my walk with God and how important staying spiritually connected to Him truly is: fasting.
Some people have the misconception that you are a body and you have a soul or spirit when, in fact, it's the opposite. You are a spirit, you have a body. In growing a relationship with The Lord, the goal is to constantly be feeding your spirit rather than your body. Flesh is sin and, unfortunately, the source of many of our decisions. That's where fasting comes into play.

Fasting doesn't mean you stop eating just because God tells you not to. Like everything else, there is a meaning behind what He asks of us. Fasting is when you stop feeding your flesh and focus on The Lord to feed your spirit. My pastor described fasting as "telling your flesh no." So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to tell my flesh no...and it was awesome. Was it hard turning the cold shoulder every time somebody walked by with a cookie or wrap from McAlister's? Definitely. But did my relationship with The Lord flourish because of it? Absolutely.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I didn't eat anything for a week. I chose to fast with my church for three days and we ate one meal per day. Not too bad, honestly. Every time that I felt like eating, I focused my mind (and heart) to Him. Whether it be a silent prayer or delving into one of my new favorite books "A Woman and Her God," I found that focusing my heart and mind on God became easier. The first day was obviously the hardest but the next morning, I woke up refreshed. I came to understand that the Word of God is just as much a necessity as actual food.

It was an enlightening experience to say the least and I would 100% recommend fasting to all of my friends and family who want to strengthen their relationship with God!