On Prayer and Fasting

Do not bring before God stinted petitions and narrow desires... ask, therefore, after a Godlike fashion, for you are before a great throne... --Charles Spurgeon

The Bible has plenty to say about fasting, and none of it discourages a believer from adding fasting to his or her faith. Biblical fasting means doing without food for a specified or indefinite length of time. Some fasts include going without both food and water. Other fasts give up only solid food while drinking water or other liquids. The prophet Daniel went on an extended fast where he gave up only certain kinds of food and drink while partaking of others. The Lord obviously honors any sincere committed effort in the area of fasting.

When we fast Biblically, according to the fast The LORD has chosen, Isaiah 58 says we can expect the following results:

* Bands of wickedness are broken
* Heavy burdens are lifted
* The oppressed go free
* Health Springs forth speedily
* The glory of the Lord protects us
* The Lord guides us continually

With such incredible benefits associated with fasting, doesn't it stand to reason our enemy, Satan, would mightily oppose God's people in this very vital area of obedience?

Jesus was clear that in the area of deliverance from demonic bondage, some devils will not come out--ever--without both prayer and fasting on the part of those who are praying for those who are in bondage (Matthew 17:21).

Daniel needed to hear from God, desperately, so he made an indefinite commitment to fast until he heard from Him.

There are certain illnesses that are nothing more than demonic strongholds, and deliverance is needed before health can be restored.

Jesus said so himself when the woman touched the hem of his garment. He said, "For 18 years, this daughter of Abraham has been bound by Satan...."

The importance of fasting within the Body of Christ cannot be underestimated.

I have heard (and teach myself) that we should be led of the Lord in our fasting (and we should). All Christians, but especially those who fast, should steep themselves in the Word of God as well.

But there is absolutely no excuse for any believer not to have some sort of regular, committed time of fasting in their life. It is scriptural for our leaders to call the people to a fast.

If we have a born again President, Governor, Senator, State Rep or Mayor, and he or she should call a fast (for our Nation, State, County or City), it would be within the written will of God to cooperate with such efforts to seek the Lord's leadership and protection.

Queen Esther called her people to a 3 day fast--no food or water--before she went in to see the King. I'm sure they prayed for her personal protection as well as favor with the King for the lives of all the Jews. The amazing result of that fast is now history.

It is within the written will of God to cooperate with a godly Pastor or Church leadership that calls the congregation to a fast. We see in scripture where the leadership called the people to fasts.

We should cooperate with our spiritual leadership in this vital area (that is why it is so important that we be very certain we have submitted ourselves to leadership that is truly Spirit filled and Spirit led).

Regular fasting should be a part of every believer's life. Jesus said that after he was gone, his disciples would fast. Every believer is (or should be) his disciple.
We are not all Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors or Teachers, but we are all disciples, and Jesus said that after he was gone, his disciples would fast.
But what about the believer who has a medical condition that makes fasting dangerous. The Word of God says that when we fast, our health springs forth speedily. Because of this promise, these believers, even more so, should find ways to fast.

How about committing to giving up a favorite food or foods for a certain length of time or at specified times? That can usually be done safely even while following a prescribed diet. Partial fasts are scriptural.

As long as the fast stems from a sincere heart, committed to obedience to the Lord, why wouldn't God honor his Word in this respect? The bottom line is, none of us are exempt from fasting, and the incredible spiritual, emotional and physical benefits to both ourselves and others are outlined clearly in the Word of God. We just need to heed the warning in Isaiah 58, and be sure that we are fasting for the right reasons and not for our own self righteousness or glorification.

by Jocelyn Andersen
image source

Positive Techniques For The Kitchen That Will Save Money And Time

Many of us are time pressured. We want to cook healthy meals for our family but, between working long hours and spending time with our partner and kids, we just haven't got time to cook, have we?

Actually, there is time. By changing your methods, looking through your recipe collection for quick healthy recipes or searching online for free recipes, you can cook healthy meals for your family and do everything else that your busy lifestyle requires. Ultimately, it’s all about 'efficiency' - in much the same way as business managers use time and motion studies, you can refine your kitchen techniques to be time efficient and still produce great cooking.

Here are 14 quick cooking tips to help you: -

* Have a plastic bag or container on the work top for rubbish so that you don't have to keep going to the rubbish bin.

* Keep ingredients you use frequently on hand and within reach.

* Don't be put off by recipes that seem to take a long time. If you read the instructions carefully, you will find that many recipes involve just 15 minutes preparation and 45 minutes cooking in the oven. For more details visit us at www.july4-recipes.com. These are great for a busy lifestyle as the allow you to do other things during the 'oven time'.

* Prepare a washing up bowl of hot soapy water so you can throw things in it to soak or wash up when things are cooking.

* Use the microwave - speed up grilled chicken by microwaving it first on medium high until it starts to turn white and then grill.

* Build a collection of recipes - keep a file on your computer or a ring binder file of favorite healthy recipes which are quick to prepare and cook. Choose a range of recipes - diet recipes, vegetarian recipes, dessert recipes and low crab recipes.

* Spend a weekend re-organizing your kitchen - move saucepans nearer to your cooker, keep knives in a block on the worktop or on a magnetic strip on the wall, hang utensils on hooks above the work surface and know where measuring jugs and bowls are. Having things to hand and knowing where things are will cut down preparation time.

* Use a magnetic, erasable shopping list board on the fridge to note down items as you run low on them. That way you will never run out of vital ingredients.

* Don't rush - Rushing around can cause mistakes and accidents and therefore add more time to cooking.

* When you have found some healthy recipes or low fat recipes read through them and choose ones that have fewer steps or ingredients. For more results login on to www.apples-recipes.com. Some free recipes online will give preparation and cooking times to help you plan.

* Multi-task - while one thing is cooking prepare the next step. It’s surprising how much time is saved if you can manages this.

* Plan ahead and use shortcuts - buy ready chopped vegetables and prepared salads.

* If you are making a sauce, make double and freeze a batch. If you freezer is big enough, you can keep months worth of tasty sauces available at a moment or two's notice.

* If you are chopping onions, peppers or herbs, chop twice the amount and freeze - this will save time in the future as they will be on hand for healthy recipes and vegetable recipes.


Remember, although preparing quick meals is a great idea to help manage your busy life, it is also important to 'cook with love'. Fast cooking does not have to be 'shoddy' or cut corners, you are, after all, cooking for those you love the most and they deserve your best. Remember to pay full attention to any recipe you are preparing, no matter how quickly it is prepared - one moments loss of focus can result in a meal that is virtually inedible, and nobody will enjoy that experience.

I hope you find these quick cooking tips useful, and that you are able to maintain a healthy time/family balance in your lives.

source: Article Avenue

How to Save Money While Still Drinking Gourmet Coffee

By Lili Rousso

For those who enjoy drinking gourmet coffee, they may be in for a world of hurt with the recession the country is facing. Stopping by popular coffee shops and dropping up to $5 on a latte may very well be a thing of the past for many. But it doesn't have to be that way. There is a way to have your gourmet coffee and drink it, too!

Anyone who has frequented coffee shops knows just how hard it can be on the pocketbook. Having a taste for fine gourmet coffee shouldn't break the bank every week. Yet, for many people, it does just that. So, just how does one go about partaking in great coffee, while not sacrificing a day's pay to do so? It's simple.

The answer lies in becoming a home coffee connoisseur. Taking the power out of the hands of coffee shops and putting it into your own, at home, will help you keep the gourmet coffee you have become accustomed to, while still keeping money in your wallet for other things. Still not convinced? Consider the following:

1. You'll spend less. A lot less. Compare what it costs to stop by a place like Starbuck's every day with how much it costs to create great tasting gourmet coffee at home, and you'll see just how crazy it is to continue pumping extra money into the former. In fact, if you stopped by a coffee shop and bought one drink per day, at $3 that would total $1,080 per year! If you were like many, who buy two per day, you would spend an average of $2,160 per year.

On the flip side, if you purchase a home espresso machine, the average cost per cup is only around 50 cents. Drink two cups a day and your total spent per year would only be $360, which is around an 85 percent savings per year!

2. Keep the quality. Let's face it, if you are like many people you have become accustom to drinking good tasting coffee. Just because times are tight, you shouldn't have to give up this one thing that you really enjoy. Plus, it probably helps define who you are. Right? Being a fine coffee drinker is one of the defining characteristics that some people have.

3. Boost Morale. Being able to keep the little pleasures in life, such as drinking gourmet coffee, helps to keep your morale up. Keeping the morale up is a good way to stay positive and helps fight depression, which many people experience during such economic times. Enjoying a home-made espresso each day may just be the extra boost you need.

4. Increase Alertness. Medical researchers have done a lot of studies involving caffeine. Many believe that it increases mental clarity and helps with alertness. Plus, for those who are cutting gourmet coffee breaks out of their diet, there can be withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and sluggishness.

5. Share with Others. When you get your coffee from expensive shops you are not in a position to share with friends and family. It would just cost too much to try to do so. But, having a home espresso machine can put you in a position to impress your guests. And once they find out how much money you actually save, they may join you in making the switch to home-brewed gourmet coffee.

6. Keep the Control. When you opt for getting your coffee at gourmet shops like Starbuck's, you have very little control over what you are drinking. Sure, you place an order for a drink, and the length of the name may take a while to memorize, but how much do you really know about the ingredients going into that drink?

When you make gourmet coffee at home, you have all the control. You know what type of coffee you are purchasing, where it comes from, how much went in, etc. You maintain more control over what you are consuming. Plus, as a bonus, you have more control over when you get to have it, no more beating the clock or being left high and dry on the holidays.

Gourmet coffee is good medication for the mind, body and soul. People have been consuming it throughout history and it's one of the most popular beverages throughout the world. However, frequent purchases of it, at gourmet coffee shops, can be troublesome in such economic times.

Purchasing the tools to make it at home, such as buying an espresso machine, will help you be able to still enjoy it, yet stick to your New Year's resolution to save money. During these economic times we can use all the help we can to do both.


About the author
Aroma Cafe Culture is a Los Angeles, California-based company. They are a distributor of Lavazza: Italy's Favorite Coffee, which is the largest family-owned coffee roaster in the world. They offer a popular "coffee-shop-in-a-box" that allows people to make gourmet coffee at home, for a small fraction of the price they would pay at a coffee shop. Visit their Web site at Aroma Cafe Culture. from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com

Valentine's Day: a Day of Atonement?

Valentine's Day has been celebrated for centuries in western culture:

The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese [choose] his make [mate].

Source: Wikipedia

Almost every culture has a day like St. Valentine's Day set aside just for lovers and potential lovers alike. In China it's called The Night of Sevens. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers anybody? In Japan and South Korea it's called White Day. It's even celebrated secretly in Iran! Please don't tell the Imams that I told you!

Today however, Valentine's Day seems to have become a Day of Atonement and reconciliation for many men. What exactly is meant by this? Whatever kind of troubles guys have caused in their relationships, they can always be made better through simple gestures of love. It matters little whether it's greeting cards, roses, or champagne. The fact that guys have actually taken the time to show their wives or their girlfriends that they care, means everything to women across the world.

So, that's it, right? Men can solve their marriage or relationship problems over the course of one day, 24 hours? That's one day out of the 365 and 24 hours out of the 8760 available. When you do the math, it'd probably not enough. Looking at it this way makes me think that us guys need to do much, much more.

It's that easy? All they have to do is give their wives a dozen roses and the problems are solved?

Of course, if it were that simple there probably wouldn't be a need for Valentine's Day, marriage counseling, anti-depressants, separation, annulments, or divorce! The fact that a cold day in February means so much to women, shows how little us guys do during the year to show our love and appreciation. Think about it. If men took the time once a month to tell their wives, their girlfriends, how much they mean to them, how much they love her, and how beautiful she is, there would a lot less need for marriage counseling, separation and divorce.

The fact that birds are not chirping or mating in the middle of February seems of little importance. The cold temperatures probably bring people together even more. The reality is that women just want to know that the men in their lives care for them, love them, and think of them. Yet, it remains a daunting and elusive challenge for most men. Thus resulting in the significance and importance of one sub-zero day in the middle of February. The bottom line it seems is that everyone wants to love and be loved, if only for one day a year.

So I suggest you get out there and give the one your with the attention that they deserve. Send them a card when it's not expected. Send them a singing telegram. Send them flowers. Send them your love. Whatever you do, do it now.

Nobody else does that? Who cares? Your lover chose you because you were different. You were unique. Why not act like it?

What are you waiting for?

written by: Alan Bentley

The Critical Steps To Dating On A Budget

Dating relationships like everything else are not immune to tough economic times. Going out once a week to eat at some upscale restaurant now turns into once every couple of weeks or maybe longer. Buying a gift for your date may have also taken a hit. Sure you would love to get them something nice but one look at the price tag makes you think twice about it.

There is little choice during an economic downturn but to grow thriftier in your finances. You want to do as many nice things for your date as possible but romance without finance is a tough proposition. Not that you want to buy your dating partner’s affection yet the fact of the matter is money at this present time makes the world go round.

Is it a dilemma? If you plan to stop dating on a permanent basis and miser your money like Ebenezer Scrooge the answer is no. Barring that it does require some personal living adjustments.

1.Reprogram Your Habits
You and your date got quite used to those times when you both got paid on the same day and really painted the town. For those brief moments, it seemed like money was no object.

Maybe you still have it like that but a little change in spending habits can only strengthen your finances down the road. It’s difficult because we live in a world that bombards us with 24/7 advertising. As soon as you fight off one temptation, you’re hit with another. Program yourself to curb the impulse buying and fight thru the marketing blitzes.

2. Investigate
There are some people who are the budget kings and queens. It’s almost like they have built in detectors that can sniff out any coupons, sales and everything else when it comes to saving money.

You can do the same thing by understanding it is not a gift that these people have been blessed with but good old fashion hard work. Going out to eat? Play detective and see what establishment is offering an early bird special or quality meal of the day.

What about going to a concert? Check the radio stations to see if you can win some tickets or dig a little further and see if there is a way to get them at a discount. If not this is where reprogramming comes in. Front row center may be ideal but will definitely carry a higher price tag than being seated in the middle or back of the auditorium.

3. Hard Choices
It was a gimmee between you and your dating partner just a short time ago. Concert, dinner, dancing followed by a nightcap and that was just on Tuesdays. Now you just heard from your supervisor that the rumors are true. No you are not going to get laid off but you are not getting a raise either. That makes the third consecutive instance that this has occurred.

The company made a hard choice (unfortunately for you) to cut back. You may have to do the same when it comes to your dating relationship. You love those throw caution to the wind Tuesdays but occasionally it’s going to be in your best interest to stay at home and watch a movie on television or cook a meal together and play a board game.

Have some friends over once in a while and spend the evening in conversation with the TV set off. There are a lot of creative date ideas. The point is you are going to have to tell yourself and your date no from time to time.

None of these things are easy and it can come as a jolt especially if you and your dating partner have never been inclined to worry about finances all that much previously. But these are not ordinary times.

You want your date to understand but more than that you want them to work with you. If the two of you feel strong about each other than being money smart and budget conscious is only going to payoff as you continue to build your relationship.

By: Daryl Campbell

Inexpensive Valentine's Day Ideas

• With everyone tightening their belts this year, there is no reason that Valentine’s Day needs to suffer. Quite to the contrary, building an evening of romance on a limited budget is a great exercise to show that love romance and intimacy is not tied to your wallet or pocketbook. It’s simply about the two of you spending time together, sharing and having fun.
  
  With everyone’s lives being extremely stressful this year, a great theme for Valentine’s Day is “Teamwork!” Use Valentine’s Day as a reminder of the basics: Whatever situation the economy has put you in, you are a team and can get through it together.
  
  Here are a few tips to begin thinking about for this Valentine’s Day.
  
  
• Lower your expectations.Like many holidays, we seem to build expectations of what would constitute the perfect Valentine’s Day. Anything short of that perfect vision then leaves you feeling unsatisfied. There are many things out of your control, understand that real life will more than likely interfere at some point.
  
• Plan with your partner. We all like surprises and to see our partner make the effort to plan something they think we would enjoy. With life being extremely stressful this year, make it a team building exercise and plan it together.
  
• Think communication. Last month, we found a store than sells bulk candy, including some of the cheap penny candies we haven’t seen since we were kids. We filled the bag, and plan on eating it on Valentine’s Day, talking about the childhood memories the candy brings back. Similarly, look through childhood pictures, yearbooks or mementos and the memories associated with it. You’ll be surprised at how fulfilling it can be, and how much you can still learn about your partner.
  
• Eating Out. Going out to dinner is a Valentine’s Day tradition for many. If it’s a tradition you would like to keep, begin searching your local newspaper now for Valentine’s Day specials. Also search online for coupons and specials. It doesn’t sound sexy or romantic, but also doesn’t leave you with regret the next day for breaking your budget. Planning it ahead gives you the opportunity to scout the best deals plan your budget and not be stressed about it on Valentine’s Day.
  
• Eating In If you are planning on staying in, plan a meal you can cook together. A variety of small finger foods is great, since you can cook, nibble and talk all at the same time.
  
• No TV, no movies TV and movies allow you to do one thing, watch. Think interaction instead. Ask friends if you can borrow a few board games that you don’t currently own for the evening, so that you have a variety of different to choose from.
  
• Mentally prepare With the stresses of daily life, it becomes hard to suddenly unwind and relax. Everyone needs downtime from the business end of life to recharge their batteries. Begin reminding yourself now that you are allowed to take time off from the worries of daily life and enjoy each other’s company.
  
• Pick an evening or two before Valentine’s Day to spend some time together. It’s only natural that sitting down and spending time together wil lead to discussions of work, finance and the kids. Planning on time beforehand allows you to purge yourself of those issues, and make Valentine’s Day about the two of you.

by Rebecca Deos