Kenny Hibbard

Today’s devotional ask you a very important question.  Are you to busy to have a personal devotion time with God each day?  Is your day so rushed that you don’t have time for PRAYER  BIBLE  WORSHIP?

These are the elements of great Personal Devotion.

Have you ever asked yourself why you are running around all day long from one thing to another?  Like many of you….during this time of year my daily schedule gets more full. I coach football and adding those hours does not mean I get to subtract from my normal responsibilities.  It just means I have manage my time better, for a season cut some other fun things out and have longer days.

We all have times or seasons that are highly demanding. The wise thing is to not have that pace month after month all year-long.  Do you have anything in your schedule that could be taken out? Many times we have to prioritize between good, better and best.  Do what is wise and what is best!

The fasting should be showing you that you can determine what is always on your mind by what you do or don’t do during the day.   It also shows us that things that we did not think were controlling us……do.

A fast is a great time to learn to cut out time each day to read your bible, pray and have that moment where you honor and adore your Heavenly Father.

If you have struggled this week……that struggle reminds you of your needs and desires.  Make sure that your greatest need and desire is for God. He alone satisfies your empty soul. Sometimes we are too busy as we are trying so many things….hoping it will satisfy us.   Also, if you have struggled and given in a few times…..pray and ask God to help you. Then get back to keeping the fast.  You will be glad you did not give up.

Today’s daily reading in our Daniel Fast book talks about prayer!  The NEED for it……and how many times we need to pray NOW.  ASAP……could stand for: Always Say A Prayer.

I have talked to so many people who are telling me how hard these first few days have been. Many Many Many people are having headaches due to the loss of caffeine. Others feel sluggish…..still others just don’t like not eating what they want. I told you this past Sunday that about mid-week you would have thoughts about “what a jerk Kenny is for coming up with this idea.”  The temptation would come to your mind….”does God and anyone really care if I am doing this?”

In these moments……ASAP.

Also, in these moments think about how good you will feel when you accomplish the task. When you Endure. Think about how fun it will be to break the fast with a worship concert, communion and then a great meal with hundreds of people who have done the same thing!

When you have those negative thoughts…….ASAP and ask God to show you something in your life. Ask him to draw you closer to Him and have him show you what aspect of your life you need to change so that you have a Lifestyle that honors Him with your mind, body and soul.

Remember, if you want to or NEED to……we will open the church doors tonight at 7pm for you to come to the kids auditorium and pray with others.  No schedule , nothing planned, no time table…..just come pray. Pray for your fast, pray for your family, pray for you finances, pray for your kids, pray for TEAM CHURCH! Pray for whatever you want!

Today, August 10^th, starts the second full day of our church wide fast. By now you know what kind of endurance, mental toughness and spiritual trust this will take. You have also probably realized that food is on your mind a lot more than it normally is during certain times of the day.

This is one of the greatest benefits to a fast. Your mind is always on what you are not eating and what you want to eat……this reminds you of what and why you are doing this fast. Again, let me remind you that throughout the day when the fast comes to mind……pray. Pray that God will meet your physical and spiritual needs. Pray for yourself to grow into the person that God wants you to be! Pray for Team Church that we will see a new and fresh spirit sweep though our people and that we will continue to be a church that reaches for God’s best!

Speaking of prayer…….we are going to open up the kids auditorium each Wednesday and Sunday night at 7pm through August 22^nd when we break the fast. Feel free to come and pray each of those nights starting at 7pm.

I have talked to a few people about their experiences thus far…….the stories will be plenty. If you have a specific way that God is using the fast in your life……please send a short paragraph to ragans@teamchurch.com we may use it (with out your name) as we all learn together and maybe your story will encourage someone else!

Have a great day today! Stand firm….Pray…..and seek God in this special time.   If you feel like giving in…..call someone that you know is doing it also and ask them to pray for you!

The registration for our  Fall Season of Home Teams ….starts this Sunday!