Everyday Imperfect

  As a child, the only time I ever heard about fasting was when the preacher of our little baptist church happened to mention or preach on Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.  In my teen years, when my family started going to a Pentecostal church, I saw where some people made fasting and prayer a regular part of their devotion to the Lord.  This was a new concept to me, but I couldn't help but notice those who practiced periods of fasting and prayer had a lot more power and faith in their relationship with God.   I know there has to be others in my shoes from back then - wondering what the big deal is with fasting added to your prayers.  So I thought I'd jot down a few truths I've learned along the way (with the help of some awesome pastors I've had, as well as MY pastor and leader - my husband!).   Because this is the way my brain functions, it will be somewhat of a list format, but please feel free to ask questions for clarity's sake.  As I tell m...

Isn’t it interesting that as many times as you read or hear about a Bible story all your life (especially if you grew up in the church), all of a sudden one time you hear the same story and something remarkable jumps out at you that you never realized before?  That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago when I was doing a devotional on Lazarus - the guy Jesus raised from the dead.   I actually have been going through the Bible in a year, and I like to have my YouVersion app read it to me while I’m getting ready each morning.  This particular morning, I learned something that really shook me, to be honest.  Here’s a quick backstory— Jesus and his disciples were on their way, ministering and at some point came upon a village (which we now know was Bethany), where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. - this is where most of us first learn about Mary & Martha, who were Lazarus’ sisters.   Luke 10:38: 38  As Jesus and the disciples continued on their ...