Has anyone honestly felt like they were blessed by fasting? - Page 3 - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

ute4ever · 11-06-2007, 04:07 PM

Point taken.

It was my view that fasting was an outward expression of sincerity, that would increase the likelihood of God listening to the prayer and choosing to honor it.

Solon · 11-06-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creekster

I have never thought of it as a bargain. It is an act on my part to help bring me closer to God and the influence of the spirit thereby making my prayers more effective (from my point of view) and making it more likely that I can see and understand God's will.

This seems to me like the way it's supposed to work.

I just think that some people I know consider it a quid pro quo bargain. Hence, their legalistic approach (i.e. fasting for precisely 24 hours; doesn't "count" unless you break it with a prayer, etc.).

Archaea · 11-06-2007, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ute4ever

Point taken.

It was my view that fasting was an outward expression of sincerity, that would increase the likelihood of God listening to the prayer and choosing to honor it.

Why would God need an outward expression?

God doesn't need our fasting, we need it to make us more humble. And I may be in the minority, but I'm not even certain God "honors" prayers.

Except for a certain football game involving a Sir John Beck, in which my prayer was answered, I don't believe God "answers" prayers in the traditional sense. He will listen, listen, listen and infrequently communicate. There is very little if anything we change other than ourselves through prayer.

marsupial · 11-06-2007, 04:37 PM

I am a horrible faster, but a few times when I have had a purpose and really put effort into it I have received the help that I needed.

This may sound silly but I fasted about potty training my son. He is as strong willed as they come. I set a date for fall break when danimal would be home to help and fasted about it a couple of weeks beforehand. My son, on his own, decided to give up diapers the week before fall break. I am sure cynics will say it was a coincidence, but I believe I was blessed for my fast.

SeattleUte · 11-06-2007, 04:39 PM

Funniest expierence I had with fasting occurred a few years ago long after I had sworn it off. My wife and I went to this lodge in the North Cascades for brunch. It was a beautiful day and we sat on the balcony overlooking the forest with the snow capped mountains in the distance as we ate our eggs benedict, lox or whatever. I started listening to a conversation at a nearby table. There were four adults and a lad maybe fifteen years old. The four adults were pigging out and the kid wasn't eating; he had nothing in front of him but a Bible laying open as he supposedly was reading. Two of the adults were his parents and they were telling the other two that this kid was going through some rite of passage in a fundamentalist Christian sect and couldn't eat because he was fasting. He was on something like his second or third day of fasting, the poor little shit. Strangely, the kid was dressed like some kind of punkster, with spiked hair and all.

I'm thinking to myself, hardly able to stop laughing at the dark comedy, "Someday I'll read this kid slaughtered his parents in their sleep. If so, I'll go testify on his behalf at his sentencing."

All-American · 11-06-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archaea

Why would God need an outward expression?

God doesn't need our fasting, we need it to make us more humble. And I may be in the minority, but I'm not even certain God "honors" prayers.

Except for a certain football game involving a Sir John Beck, in which my prayer was answered, I don't believe God "answers" prayers in the traditional sense. He will listen, listen, listen and infrequently communicate. There is very little if anything we change other than ourselves through prayer.

God doesn't need the outward expression. WE do.

myboynoah · 11-06-2007, 05:00 PM

In answer to the question: Yes. I can think of two specific occasions, one over 20 years ago and the other just two weeks ago (although I am sure there are others I have forgotten and should have written down in some kind of journal).

Follow on question: Is it right to pray or fast that individuals, other than ourselves, change behavior? If they do or don't change behavior, what does that mean?

Goatnapper'96 · 11-06-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by non sequitur

I remember growing up and fasting every Fast Sunday, but I never remember feeling like I received any particular blessings for doing so. Is fast Sunday just a mundane ritual or does it really serve a purpose?

When I was about 11 years old my older brother came home pissed about something and kicked my cat. It damn near killed the thing. It walked around a bit and would just fall over and it couldn't eat. I started fasting friday night for that mangy critter and did so until sunday morning. Sure enough my mother got me out of bed sunday morning to show me my mangy little critter chowing down like Private Pyle. The experience struck a memorable chord with me.

I believed in the principle then and I still do now. However, now I am more in the camp that feels fasting is a process of helping man to overcome the natural man and make his mortal body more aligned with his spiritual body. I guess that puts me in with Archaea who treats fasting no different than the many other religious and or philosophical sects who treat it likewise.

BYU71 · 11-06-2007, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

When I was about 11 years old my older brother came home pissed about something and kicked my cat. It damn near killed the thing. It walked around a bit and would just fall over and it couldn't eat. I started fasting friday night for that mangy critter and did so until sunday morning. Sure enough my mother got me out of bed sunday morning to show me my mangy little critter chowing down like Private Pyle. The experience struck a memorable chord with me.

I believed in the principle then and I still do now. However, now I am more in the camp that feels fasting is a process of helping man to overcome the natural man and make his mortal body more aligned with his spiritual body. I guess that puts me in with Archaea who treats fasting no different than the many other religious and or philosophical sects who treat it likewise.

I knew it, I just knew it. As a kid you had a cat.

BYUruss · 11-06-2007, 07:34 PM

Fast Sunday sacrament meetings exist so that blowhards such as TripletDaddy can sit in front of the congregation and spout nonsense, or other members who talk about their vacation to Florida. There are a select few who actually get right to the point.
So yeah, It's blessed me with patience.

11-06-2007, 04:39 PM	#25
SeattleUte fairlds.org Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 10,665	Funniest expierence I had with fasting occurred a few years ago long after I had sworn it off. My wife and I went to this lodge in the North Cascades for brunch. It was a beautiful day and we sat on the balcony overlooking the forest with the snow capped mountains in the distance as we ate our eggs benedict, lox or whatever. I started listening to a conversation at a nearby table. There were four adults and a lad maybe fifteen years old. The four adults were pigging out and the kid wasn't eating; he had nothing in front of him but a Bible laying open as he supposedly was reading. Two of the adults were his parents and they were telling the other two that this kid was going through some rite of passage in a fundamentalist Christian sect and couldn't eat because he was fasting. He was on something like his second or third day of fasting, the poor little shit. Strangely, the kid was dressed like some kind of punkster, with spiked hair and all. I'm thinking to myself, hardly able to stop laughing at the dark comedy, "Someday I'll read this kid slaughtered his parents in their sleep. If so, I'll go testify on his behalf at his sentencing." __________________ Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster Last edited by SeattleUte; 11-06-2007 at 04:43 PM.

11-06-2007, 05:00 PM	#27
myboynoah Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Memphis freakin' Tennessee!!!!! Posts: 4,530	In answer to the question: Yes. I can think of two specific occasions, one over 20 years ago and the other just two weeks ago (although I am sure there are others I have forgotten and should have written down in some kind of journal). Follow on question: Is it right to pray or fast that individuals, other than ourselves, change behavior? If they do or don't change behavior, what does that mean? __________________ Give 'em Hell, Cougars!!! Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins. Of all religions that I know, the one that most vehemently and persuasively defies and denies the reality of death is the original Mormonism of the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith.

11-06-2007, 04:07 PM	#21
ute4ever I must not tell lies Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5,103	Point taken. It was my view that fasting was an outward expression of sincerity, that would increase the likelihood of God listening to the prayer and choosing to honor it.

11-06-2007, 04:37 PM	#24
marsupial Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I... Isn't it so fun to spell? Posts: 1,701	I am a horrible faster, but a few times when I have had a purpose and really put effort into it I have received the help that I needed. This may sound silly but I fasted about potty training my son. He is as strong willed as they come. I set a date for fall break when danimal would be home to help and fasted about it a couple of weeks beforehand. My son, on his own, decided to give up diapers the week before fall break. I am sure cynics will say it was a coincidence, but I believe I was blessed for my fast.

11-06-2007, 07:34 PM	#30
BYUruss Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 89	Fast Sunday sacrament meetings exist so that blowhards such as TripletDaddy can sit in front of the congregation and spout nonsense, or other members who talk about their vacation to Florida. There are a select few who actually get right to the point. So yeah, It's blessed me with patience.