—An Exhortation on Fasting And PrayerMay 1978DO NO.689

TO: ALL HOMES OF LOVE WORLDWIDE

FROM: Maria & Timothy Concerned

DATE: May 1978DO NO.689

SUBJ: Proclaim a Fast!

Dearest Family:

God bless you and greetings in Jesus' name.

1. WE WANT TO NOTIFY YOU OF AN URGENT SITUATION which will require your desperate prayer as well as your utmost cooperation.

2. BECAUSE OF STRAIN AND OVERWORK, DAD IS VERY SERIOUSLY ILL and is unable to either eat or drink. So he is requesting as many in the Family as can and are willing to fast with him from all solid foods for three days as soon as you receive this notice.

3. HE HAS BEEN WITHOUT SOLID FOODS FOR THREE WEEKS‚ so if he can do it for three weeks‚ you should be able to do it for only three days. His condition is so severe that without your desperate prayer and cooperation in this, we may soon lose him.

4. THERE IS A GREAT WAR GOING ON IN THE SPIRIT WORLD AGAINST DAVID, and the Devil and all his demons are seeking to destroy him because he is the man they hate the most in the whole world. But we are not alone in this fight! The Lord is fighting for us, and right now the Archangels are battling the devils in a constant great war to save the Lord's anointed.

5. DAD AND MARIA HAVE RECEIVED THE TWO MESSAGES: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Mat.17:21), and "Proclaim ye a fast throughout the land." So we felt it urgent to pass this on to you for immediate action.

6. THERE WAS LOTS OF FASTING IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. Fasting is mentioned 74 times in the Bible! The Jews fast on the Day of Atonement. The Muslims fast 40 days during Ramadan! (But they eat too much at night—ha!) Moses, Joshua, David and Elijah fasted, and all Israel fasted on several occasions when hard-pressed by their enemies. Fasts were usually proclaimed by the leaders.

7. JESUS FASTED AND EXPECTED HIS FOLLOWERS TO FAST after He was gone (Mt.9:15). Cornelius fasted four days‚ and all his house were saved and received the Holy Ghost! (Act.10.) Paul and Barnabas and the early churches fasted. (Acts.14.) These first missionaries were called out through fasting. (Acts.13.)—And we are advised in 1Cor.7:5 to "give yourselves to fasting and prayer".

8. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LOT OF FASTING IN THIS CENTURY during the early days of the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit and in the more recent "Latter Rain" movement, for power and the gifts of God. It's about time we fasted too!

9. IT'S A TIME FOR PRAYER and seeking the Lord, in this case specifically for Dad's healing‚ as well as any urgent needs you may have in your own situations. Each day have united as well as individual desperate prayer, Bible reading, MO Letters, unifying inspiration and testimonies. It would also be a good time for communion.

10. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT ALL MEALS BE SUSPENDED FOR THREE DAYS for all adults 12 years of age and over, except pregnant and nursing women and children. Fasting will benefit the sick! Please refrain from all solid foods.

11. BUT HAVE AVAILABLE TO ALL AS MANY LIQUIDS AS THEY NEED to drink, such as water with apple cider vinegar and/or honey if desired‚ herbal teas, fruit and vegetable juices, milk drinks and/or other liquids, except for alcoholic beverages. You could even have soups or blended foods if you must, particularly for the weak or sick.

12. THIS IS ALSO A TIME FOR FASTING ALL BODILY PLEASURES, unnecessary talking, sex (except with FF fish in cases of desperate need) and any unnecessary work. Of course, any essential work such as answering phones‚ caring for children, etc., will have to be done.

13. BOTH RELIGIOUSLY AND MEDICALLY, FASTING HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE, reaping not only spiritual but physical benefits. Dr. Koger used to frequently fast for the sick or souls, drinking only fruit juices. At the Soul Clinic and Dad's missionary schools they used to fast once a week: They completely closed down the kitchen for a whole day, usually Saturdays.

14. BABIES LIVE AND GROW HEALTHY ON ONLY MILK for the first 3 months of their lives. Even you yourself did it then for months, so don't worry, you can now do it again for only three days!

15. IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH!—Do You care enough for Dad to sacrifice your meals for three days to show God you are desperate and willing to do all you can to battle with him in the spirit for his healing?

16. IF YOU HAVE ANY BOOKS ON FASTING OR WITH PASSAGES ON FASTING—SUCH AS NATURAL HEALTH BOOKS, WE URGE YOU TO READ THEM. Here are some good quotes that we have gathered from a number of such books we thought would be interesting and helpful to you:

17. "THERE IS MUCH SAID THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BIBLE ABOUT FASTING. We will consider some of its uses and benefits. God instituted fasting for both spiritual and physical benefits. The priests in Christ's day fasted twice a week. Throughout the history of the Bible, the people fasted and prayed in order to gain victories.

18. "IT HAD TWO PURPOSES: The upbuilding of the body and the spiritual upbuilding of the soul. ... Short fasts for a day or two are very beneficial both spiritually and physically—especially when plenty of water is taken in connection with deep breathing exercises. ...

19. "A SERIOUS MISTAKE IS OFTEN MADE WHEN TOO MUCH FOOD IS TAKEN SUDDENLY AFTER THE FAST‚ and much injury to the system can result. A great deal of the effect of the fast is thus lost." (Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss, pages 57 and 58.)

20. "ALL KINDS OF PHYSICAL UPSETS (most of which have their origin in the stomach and bowels) can be cleared up without medicine. All the sufferer has to do is what an animal does by instinct when it is ill—go without food. Of course, this is far too simple to be tried by the majority of people, who have the erroneous idea firmly fixed in their minds that they will perish if they do not eat to 'keep up their strength'.

21. "ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF ENERGY COMES FROM FOOD; the major supply is from the air. When ill, the system is able to digest and assimilate hardly any food; or not any at all. So any food eaten is only a tax on the already depleted energy which is so urgently required to correct what is wrong in the system, and not to waste on getting rid of unwanted nourishment. Food eaten in such circumstances tends to turn foul and add to a toxic state already existing." (The Natural Home Physician by Eric F.W. Powell, page 107.)

22. "THERE IS NOTHING NEW ABOUT TOTAL FASTING: The Old and New Testament mentioned it 74 times! Generally‚ there is some hunger for the first two days, then the craving subsides. (And you may feel light or like you could float—getting more spiritual all the time!—Our Editor.)

23. "MOST TOTAL FASTERS DO SUFFER FROM WEAKNESS and should have sufficient bed-rest and/or limited exercise." (Food Is Your Best Medicine by Henry G.Bieler, MD, page 145, 146.)

24. "FASTING IS A UNIVERSAL CUSTOM. The initial feeling that one needs food is basically linked to habit and clock-watching: It is midday, everybody else is eating, so we must be hungry, too.

25. "THE HUMAN BODY OFTEN REQUIRES NO FOOD AT ALL. During a fast, it is not necessary to refrain from simple drinks. Try honey in warm water, fruit juices or China tea. During fasting‚ avoid any activity that makes you excessively tired. Exhaustion is rarely therapeutic.

26. "THREE DAYS FASTING IS THE AVERAGE period required to cleanse out the body." (A Guide to Alternative Medicine by Donald Law, PhD, DBM PsyD, page 112‚ 113.)

27. "DURING A FAST, TAKE PLENTY OF WATER, but drink it slowly. If desired, the water may be flavoured with fruit juices. Following a fast, commence feeding first on fruits and fresh salads.

28. "NATURALLY, ONE HAS TO USE WILL POWER to go on a fast—that is what the will is for—to be made use of. Fasting helps to keep the body in subjection, hence the reason why it is also a spiritual exercise." (Natural Home Physician, by Eric F.W. Powell, page 107, 108.)

29. GOD BLESS YOU! We love you very, very much and thank God for each of you. We are so thankful to have such a sacrificial family, as was evidenced by how you all responded so well to our recent pleas for serious financial help to WS: It came! Hallelujah!

30. WE THEREFORE KNOW BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVE FOR THE LORD AND DAD as well as your concern for his health, you won't fail to respond to this even more urgent situation, with immediate desperate looking to the Lord with prayer and fasting for the health of our beloved Prophet and King.

31. WE'RE DEPENDENT ON EACH OF YOU and your desperate prayers in seeking the Lord in this very vital matter. Perhaps‚ from now on, all should fast at least one day a month‚ maybe on the last day of every month.

32. DAD RECENTLY SAID, "I NEVER CARED MUCH FOR FASTING because I never thought that I could. But the Lord is now making me fast and trying to teach us all about fasting."

33. IF SOME OF YOU FEEL that a total fast would be too taxing to your health or strength, perhaps you could sacrifice and show unity with the rest of the family by remaining at least on a liquid diet of blended foods.

34. ANYTHING WHICH WOULD SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY with the Family during this time of desperate seeking of the Lord for Dad's healing would be acceptable to the Lord‚ even if a total fast would be difficult for you at this time. God bless and keep you and make you a blessing! Much love and prayers,

Maria

Timothy Concerned

(Dad's handwritten comment:) —Amen!—Dad —Thanks! I'm better, but keep praying!