I am fasting March 1, 2019- March 1, 2020.
No, I have never done this.
Yes, God told me to do it.
Teresa tests as a “J” on the Meyers Briggs, which means she likes things planned.
The Holy Spirit and God’s voice throw all the “J’s” and the “K’a” and the “el-em-in-o-pee’s” out the window if you haven’t noticed.
I also like structure and routine. As you can see, I got about as much structure as a Jenga game ready to topple over…thus marking the fact that He is Lord of this daughter and I bend where He goes.
God is leading me step by step in this year long fast.
1st was 40 days…no sugar. This was the first time I ever fasted no sugar. He showed me it was a prophetic act of the American church that got spiritually fat off of Bible studies and conferences and not ACTING on what we learn. Yes, it is good to learn, like it is good to eat, but we must also work out…like live what we believe…head to the heart stuff…faith in action.
No sugar was also interesting to fast, because I never realized how much “buzz” we get from it until it is taken away. They call it a sugar “high” and a sugar “detox” for a reason.
Next was 21 days only fruit. This was symbolic of praying for fruit in someone’s life. Yes, He told me to fast for just one person.
Then 3 days no food. Like Esther. I was headed to Nepal and believing the nation could be saved in a day. Why not? Esther fasted 3 days and Israel is delivered. I like to believe the Bible can be lived out and with even GREATer things…like Jesus said.
Then 21 days Daniel fast. This was while in Nepal.
Then 100 days no sugar. This was mostly in America into Ethiopia.
Then 40 days only water. You can watch this video to hear more about that. That was another level. And also the first time I had ever fasted even one day on water much less the whole 40. It was wild.
The water fast started in Ethiopia and ended in Nepal. Yes, I went back to Nepal. If you pray for a nation to be saved…you gotta be willing to put your money with your mouth is. And your time and schedule too.
Currently, I am on the “no sugar fast” again until the end of year. He allowed me to eat whatever on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. My mom is thankful. Her sweet potato casserole was tha bomb, like always.
Sometime between now and January, He will tell me what to fast starting Jan 1, 2020.
Lou Engle called for a world wide fast starting March 1, 2020, the day I finish this year long fast, so who knows….maybe I’ll do that too.
You can jus’ call me Anna (Lk 2:36-38)….but don’t really. My name, Teresa, means harvester. I like that declaration every time someone calls me name. Esp…my nickname from age 1…”T.T.”…double harvester.
Why am I fasting? I am praying for revival in America. Frank Bartleman was an intercessor that fasted and prayed for one year leading into the Azusa Street Revival in the early 1900s. God told me to fast like Bartleman believing for revival in America.
Before March 1, 2019….actually back in early 2018, God began to stir my heart for revival. He had me read about Evan Roberts in the Welsh Revival. I just found out recently that I was saved on the same day the Welsh Revival started!! This is when Evan Roberts gave his first sermon to 17 people that sparked the REVIVAL in 1904!
I have fasted my whole Christian life here and there. I now only fast when He tells me to fast. It’s not a discipline for me. It’s obedience.
So I am expectant.
And when I can’t have a plantain…I think of revival. When I am rolling in a wheelchair on day 40 of the water fast, I wanna belt out like Rita Springer’s “It’s gonna be worth it” to all who will listen.
SO what do I eat?
Having never done a sugar fast, I first started with this list that I found on the internet for a “Sugar Detox.” Here are all the food I can eat:
In my quiet time, I drink coffee:
Shout out to Alissa, a dear dear dear friend, who left this for me on my porch as a gift when I got home from Nepal after completing my 40 day water fast.
I drink my coffee with unsweetened almond milk.
This happens to be my favorite one. Almond and Coconut.
Thanks to this no sugar list, I found out what spaghetti squash was. I’m a fan.
I bake it in the oven at ~400 for ~15 minutes….then cut it open with a knife, then use a fork to scrape all the “noodles” out. P.S. God is so creative.
Then, I put some olive oil spray in a frying pan and give them a few more minutes to cook there.
I usually add this delicious…completely no sugar sauce to it. TT, in her normal eating, only likes “real” food. (fruits, veggies, meats, dairy) So no boxes, no cans, no processed nothing. But I will go for this jar of sauce. It’s like the one shelf item I have.
Lemme tell you, er’thang and its mama has sugar in it these days. I have to read labels just to see that there isn’t some funky artificial sweetener in cashews at the convenient store. You’d be surprised. I was. No wonder we are addicted!
So here’s to the sauce.
I may sprinkle some goat cheese on it too.
Shout out to Taco Billy for my love for goat cheese. It’s rated best restaurant in all of Asheville in the TT’s review of “Best restaurants in Asheville.” You GOTSTA have Mama’s favorite or Support Group. Whenever I get done fastin’…TT is comin’ fo ya.
On my Race, (World Race Jan 13′) we had a “PB” club. It was a private group consisting of a few select people that Erin Hogan and I noticed were bent toward probiotics. You had to get invited to the group. All that to say, I love yogurt, esp Greek. On the sugar fast, I can only eat plain…so Siggi’s for the win. And Chobani is also a good runner up.
I like to mix my yogurt with ground flaxseed. You may be like “gag-a-maggot.” But fo real…don’t knock it til you try it. You just might get invited to da PB club.
On the reals though…Probiotics are my M.O.
Prevention and not prescription is the way I live my life. I think about eating healthy, like getting good Omega 3’s in salmon, as preventative medicine. Like pay for salmon now and you won’t have to pay for heart surgery later.
Unless I absolutely have to, I won’t take a Tylenol. If I get sick, I rest, drink water and still exercise and I usually get better pretty quickly.
Of course, Jesus gets trump card…so when He tells you to fast 40 days with only water, you obey….because He’s good and we don’t make our health an idol either.
I use this mixture of yogurt and flaxseed to dip my eggs over medium in. I like my eggs brown like I like my…hair.
One of my favorite foods (in life) is SALMON!
I bake it at ~400 for ~30 minutes.
I usually sprinkle goat cheese on it after it’s baked.
I love all the good fats I get with salmon. Pre-Jesus, TT ate horribly. Burger King… chicken sandwich, extra mayo, fries and a diet Coke, please.
Then He came in the scene and He invades ya whole life. Your taste buds change in every facet of your life. I used to crave drug dealers with corn rows and a gold toof. Now I crave a man of God who cares more for the glory of God than his own life.
Your taste buds change. That’s how A.D. lyfe works. After the death of your own way…you choose to do it His way, right away.
As much as it is in my power, I want to eat healthy and live to be 120.
TT has 195 nations to go to.
I eat these zucchini spirals too. Thankful that my spiralizer is in the mail so I can start noodling out my own veggies.
1. It will be cheaper
2. I can do this with so many veggies.
I also love me some guac. This kind at Kroger has no sugar. Yes, most guacs have sugar for some reason. But this one doesn’t and I like it spicy.
I snack on nuts. Pecans ar-muh-fave but I don’t shun Macadamia’s or Brazilian nuts…just peanuts. If I eat peanuts, I get congested within 30 minutes. That’s a story for another blog. I could do peanut powder, but that has sugar in it, so a no.
And lastly, I may have tea. This is one I enjoy. Nothing wrong with my throat, just like the taste.
And that is basically all I eat on a sugar fast.
Of course, when I am on the Camino in Spain…I get what I get. Cheese omelettes were my go to. Plus nuts. At World Race Training Camp, eggs, plain yogurt…chicken, and other veggies. So it depends on where I am. If I am home, in Gainesville, I eat at home and grocery shop. And these are my staples.
Maybe God will call you to fast something this year.
I can tell you, I have had the most amazing year of my life.
