Day 6 - Connecting/Capacity (Tiffany)

Consciously Say Good-Bye to Selfishness

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. - Matthew 6:30

I think that most of what the Lord is digging up out of my soul through this Soul Fast is that part of me that is so selfish. My ex-husband used to say that I was so selfish and he said this more than I cared to hear. No one had ever called me selfish in my life and I didn't want to accept what he was saying. But the reason why I could not accept what he was saying is because I never looked at the Word in a way where I saw that part of myself, and when I began to look into it that way, God started tearing some things down.

Initially, I didn't want to change, but I believe that the Lord works on us in a way that first He reveals our sin to us, whereas before we never saw it and was okay living that way, but when He first reveals it, we don't automatically change/repent. We may first struggle with giving it up and confessing it to God. But overtime, when we truly desire to go deeper with God, we have the desire and we say we give ourselves away, usually meaning that thing that we have been struggling with giving away, or why God hasn't been able to use us fully because of that one area.

Ultimately, the Lord is changing our character to look like the image of His Son, on a day by day basis as we submit ourselves to Christ.

Humble yourselves before God, voluntarily submitting yourself to weakness, limitations, and to feasting on His Word, expect His grace to save your soul by healing, empowering, directing, and seeing.

You see the issue I have with getting rid of my selfishness, is that it's not clear-cut like the outward sins that I gave to God and have been trusting Him for over the years (drunkenness, fornication, lying, stealing)...you see with selfishness, it's hard for me to determine when I'm being selfish because I'm so used to myself...anyway, I now understand a major reason is that I'm selfish because I'm trying to protect myself from harm and danger. I noticed that for many years, it's hard for me to hug others, because I feel that I cannot trust who I am hugging, because in my mind, I think of it in a way as me getting a hug from them and that they don't mean the hug that they're giving. I try to turn my thinking around to be a Giver of hugs instead of a Getter of hugs, but it's very difficult. I would say there was a point in my life after coming to Christ where I gave real true genuine hugs out of concern for others, but it was short-lived...I think when I started fellowshipping at a former church, I felt that the people there were friendly but not genuine, and I began to put up walls, as I put those walls up, I also was dealing with how to break the walls in my own marriage, which was hard to do, I didn't know how to let go of things...so this whole ordeal has transformed into having a difficult time in reaching others because I cannot get thoughts about myself and what I need or want out the way...I have a hard time not concentrating on what I'm getting instead of focusing on Giving...and this is really what Matthew 6:33 is about! You put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, not what you are struggling with when it comes to others.

I think it's a process, but it's really deep. I'm glad I'm going through the soul fast and this is one of the things that I am purposing to eliminate in my life and I will start that by not focusing on myself so much, eliminating negative thinking and my new habits will be to memorize scripture, to change my mindset, practice complimenting others and praising God when I am able to actually give to others.

I think a good way to start that is to greet people at church. I think when I was a greeter at my first church, I broke that barrier and really was ministering through greeting, but in between all that has happened in my life, that part is no longer inside of me and I need to get back to that and start loving others from there. I believe that will change my prayer life as well on how I intercede for others, I won't necessarily feel the need to have to talk to them and tell them that I prayed for them, but I just need to do it, genuinely.

Day 6 questions from PG

1. What have you learned about yourself so far?

2. What are 4 things you will purpose to eliminate? 

3. What 4 new habits will you focus on cultivating? 

Week 2 ~ The Purpose of a Soul Fast

WEEK TWO:
The Purpose Of A Soul Fast (Cindy Trimm)

The Self-Leadership Challenge
Welcome to Week Two of The 40 Day Soul Fast!
I hope you’ve been following along in the book and journal—and taking advantage of
the phone app! We are only just briefly touching on each week’s overarching theme
here—while the book takes you deeper into each day’s topic and the journal coaches
you through each of the forty characteristics of an authentic person.
Today we are going to talk about the purpose of soul fasting, the symptoms of an
unhealthy soul and how everything you experience begins on a soulular level.
When you feel weighed down—like you’re dragging around some kind of heavy
baggage not knowing what’s inside of it—you’re in need of a soul fast!
If you feel like you’re drowning in a quagmire of mental clutter, stress, hurt, loneliness,
or fear—fuzzy headed, indecisive, not able to think straight—or simply feel emotionally
bankrupt—or as if something has a spiritual lien on your soul—you need to stop and
clean your inner house! “Make a clean sweep of your lives,” as it says in Luke 3:16-17
(MSG).

Breaking free, getting clear, and finding that peace and confidence that makes life joyful
is the purpose of The 40 Day Soul Fast.
You are not alone when you feel those waves of despair crashing against your mind, or
that for every one step forward you end up taking two steps back—circling, yet stagnate,
bumping up against walls, blind. Every human being is susceptible to these nightmarish
symptoms simply by neglecting the life of their soul!
The first step in healing and liberating your soul is making the decision to do so.
“Destiny Moves At The Speed Of Decision.”
If you are here reading this, I congratulate you on taking the time to invest in the life of
your soul. You are already on your way to creating a stronger, fitter, better you. Believe
me when I say that when your soul is fit and strong, everything else about you will become better and stronger!
It amazes me how little we are willing to invest in the most important asset we
have—the one asset that governs everything else we experience in this life!
The minutia that ties up our souls is one of the most misunderstood things keeping us
from running with purpose and certainty. Experiences, events, habits, relationships,
desires, and motives, even spirits, continually ensnare our souls holding us back from
moving confidently forward in the direction of our dreams.
In his award-winning book, Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard wrote, “The hidden
dimension of each human life is not visible to others, nor is it fully graspable even by our
selves. We usually know very little about the things that move in our own soul, the
deepest level of our life, or what is driving it.”
We must ask ourselves, “Why do I do the things that I do?”—“Why do I keep attracting
the people I really do not want in my life, and repelling the people I do?”—“How can I
break free from negative cycles?”
We must be willing to be honest with ourselves and have the courage to be
circumspect—look around, take heed, and ask the difficult question of what within our
own life is causing our circumstances or determining the experiences we have with
other people.
“Negative patterns prevent us from fulfilling our
dreams and cause us to abort our purpose until we
eventually die with the seeds of massive potential
still locked up within us.”
Now more than ever, at this time in history, we must “lay aside every weight, and the sin
which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us” (Hebrews 12:1).
The weights that tie us down not only keep us vulnerable to sin, but also cause us to
inappropriately respond to life’s challenges and adopt entire sets of behaviors that keep
us stagnated and going around in circles. These negative patterns prevent us from
fulfilling our dreams and cause us to abort our purpose until we eventually die with the
seeds of massive potential still locked up within us.
Not only that, but when we are unable to break free from the junk cluttering our soul life,
we keep those around us bound up as well. We become part of the problem rather than
the solution. We are among the blind leading the blind. Jesus asked His disciples, “Can
the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39.) We become
the hurting that hurt, and the disappointed that disappoint.
“Many never realize there is a direct correlation
between where they are now
and every decision they have made.”
In my years of interacting and observing people, it has become glaringly apparent that
most folks are generally oblivious to how their decisions and thought patterns affect
those with whom they interact on a daily basis, and vice versa—let alone how everyday
words and decisions affect their own destiny. This is heart wrenching to me.
I have spent my career as a civil servant, educator, and minister observing the
debilitating burdens people carry who have been hurt or negatively affected by the
words or actions of others, as well as their own.
The fact is, all of those negative actions and reactions are simply the outcry of hurting
souls—a cry for healing and restoration—a desperate plea to be freed from the weights
and bondages that have tied so many of us to continual defeat, failure, and despair. It is
a self-perpetuating process the enemy has spun into perfection incarcerating the souls
of humanity in prisons of offense, resentment, and unforgiveness.
I have come to the conclusion that most of the junk cluttering our souls has to do with
the experiences we have had, or are having, with other people. The result of the
choices we make within the context of our relationships.
“Your life is simply a representation
of the sum total of your choices—
choices that either enslave or save your soul.”
It all began when humankind first chose to walk away from a healthy relationship with
God and to relate instead to the god of this world paying fatal attention to his deceptive
propositions. Since then, we have observed generation after generation of deteriorating
healthy relational ties, and as a result, the strengthening influence of unhealthy soul ties.
We have become an increasingly self-centered people, pursuing the lust of the eyes,
the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life—experiencing deceptive measures of success without ever fully maximizing our potential or fulfilling our purpose—and hardly ever do
we do either with any real power or inner peace.
Many exit this earth prematurely while others are plagued with sickness and disease, or
feel exiled to an inferior standard of living with its perpetual cycles of defeat and failure,
or fall victim to self-sabotaging and self-destructive behaviors. They draw destructive
people and circumstances to themselves simply by what they choose to believe.
Many never realize there is a direct correlation between where they are now and every
decision they have made in the past.
“You are always only one decision away
from living the life of your dreams!”
Destiny moves at the speed of decision. In other words, the life you are living—the state
of your relationships, the joy and peace you are experiencing, or the sorrow and pain all
find their root in the decisions you’ve made up until now. Your life is simply a
representation of the sum total of your choices—choices that either enslave or save
your soul.
Think about that for a moment. Ultimately, you are only one decision away from
changing everything. One decision can change the trajectory of your life. You are
always only one decision away from living the life of your dreams!
From here on out, make certain everything you say or do is aligned with the Word of
God. James wrote, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”
(James 1:22). Why? Because it is by choosing to do and not just hear the Word that you
are “able to save your souls” (James 1:22).
Yes, it is up to you to take charge of your soul—and ultimately your destiny!
“The goal of the Soul Fast is to guide you through the
process of discovering who you really are,
assist you in examining all of your objectives and
relationships, and establish you on the path to
success and prosperity.”
For the next forty days, I will show you how to detox your soul and renew your mind so
you can break free from the decisions that are keeping you from going around in circles.
I will take you on a journey through the realm of your soul and the territory of your
thoughts, and walk you through the mechanics of harnessing the power of your words
and the extraordinary force of your actions.
You may have been handed a bad deal from the day you were born, but I’m here to tell
you that doesn’t have be your final epitaph! The goal of this 40 Day Soul Fast is to guide
you through the process of discovering who you really are, assist you in examining all of
your objectives and relationships, and establish you on the path to success and
prosperity.
My highest calling and greatest reward in life is launching you into a new level of
victorious and joyous living by establishing you in the knowledge of the truth of God’s
Kingdom—knowledge that will set you free regardless of the unfortunate events,
decisions, or relationships you’ve been bound by in the past.
Jesus promised his disciples, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”
(John8:32). The truth will set the real you—the divinely created you that has been held
captive—free from the limitations of your unsaved, enslaved soul!
Let’s get started unlocking the real you!
“What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?
What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Mark 8:34 MSG).

~Taken from Cindy Trimm http://www.soulfast.com/?page=40day&lesson=lesson2

40 Day Fast week 2 with Dr. Cindy Trimm

Week Two - Soul Fast Email Letter

Welcome to Week Two of The 40 Day Soul Fast!

This week we are focusing on the purpose of soul fasting, the symptoms of an unhealthy soul, and how everything you experience begins on a soulular level.

It is truly astounding how little we understand about the life of the soul. I commend you for making the decision to do some soul-keeping--when your soul is in order, you will be surprised how this will impact the rest of your life! 
 
Your circumstances, experiences, relationships, even your environment are a reflection of the condition of your soul.

Seasons of fasting from the clutter and minutia that crowd your mind and cloud your soul help you to more fully enjoy God's presence and discern His gentle promptings. Most of us are willing to heed His voice but are simply unable to hear it!  

The key to greater peace and abundance is letting go of the regrets, shame, doubts, fears, insecurities, and emotional entanglements that keep you from the truth of who you really are--keep you deaf to your dreams and blind to possibilities--keep you from delighting in the Lord and entering His rest, and from trusting Him to faithfully order your steps. Hope begins to fade as the wellspring within you becomes muddied.

Take this week to get back on course. What are the things weighing you down, pulling you off center, or depleting your energy? Identify those things and begin addressing them mindfully and deliberately. Set some clear soul goals. How would you like your inner life to look at the end of this 40-day period?

It is up to you to take charge of your soul--and ultimately your destiny!
Mark 8:34 MSG: What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Isaiah 55:2 NKJV: Let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Day 5 Loosing (patience) Dommi

The thing that typically causes me to lose patience is when I feel like people are not listening to me. I can change my perspective to tap into the power of patience by realizing that God is doing His perfect work in me and while it may not be done in my timing, when he is done with me, the work he has done will be perfect and complete...

Day 5 - Loosing/Patience (Tiffany)

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are some hard truths that you are confronted with when you are truly trying to live in a place where your soul is right. I admit some things, I know I need a lot of work, I just don't understand why all this work gotta be done at one time...I feel like I'm under deep construction...it's not even funny. I feel exactly like the metaphor/analogy of the Chinese bamboo as used in today's text:

I came across a compelling story that demonstrates the value and power of patience. This story is about a very unique plant, the Chinese bamboo. When bamboo is planted, watered, and nurtured throughout the growing season, it does not outwardly develop at all- not a but or sprout appears. It takes five consecutive years of cultivation before even the slightest sign of growth is visible. And then in the fifth year, something incredible happens: Within a six-week period it grows up to 60 feet! For five years, the bamboo seed silently develops underground-expanding its root system in order to make it strong enough to sustain the "sudden growth" that ultimately takes place in the fifth year. Had the tree failed to build a strong underground foundation, it would be impossible for it to "all of a sudden" reach its full potential when it comes time to push its way through the soil into the outside world.

I was at a Homegoing celebration today and I heard all these accolades of the woman who went home to glory. It was beautiful, but what was hard to understand for me, in all that she gave, in all of her virtue, her last years here were hard, she had to stay in a home, she had Alzheimer's and only one of her adult children took care of her while she was in this state. It was heartbreaking to know that someone could invest so much into so many people, and only one of her children was there day-to-day...she made a promise to her mother to the point that she had put her husband on the backburner because of the commitment she made to her mom. That's genuine love. But I had a hard time with this because this is not the first godly woman that I have seen gone through something like this, and I just ask myself why??! Especially when you have given so much for the Kingdom, why does God allow this to happen to His servants? I don't understand this kind of longsuffering, and then there's people out on the street lost trying to find relief to their souls through drugs and so they medicate so that they don't have to deal with who they are or with God...how can these ppl who don't care about their souls be this way, but those who pour out all of who they are have to endure like this? I need answers.

I wrote my answers to the questions earlier today in my own journal, but this is what's on my heart at this moment...

Day 5 questions from PG

1. What typically causes you to lose your patience?

2.how can you change you perspective to tap into the power of patience?

3. Visualize yourself exercising patient restraint the next time you want to react otherwise.

Day 4 Preparing (commitment) Dommi

Commitment has definitely been a challenge for me in everything I do... Even in doing this study I have allowed myself to be thrown off track!

I would love to see myself having my life together, whatever that looks like... I feel like I'm aiming for something I've never had before, and because I've never had it, I'm not sure what it will look like for me. It's kind of like the opening quote for day 5 (yes I peeked ahead, lol) me doing this study is like taking the first step even though I can't see the whole staircase...

I am going to commit to finishing this study no matter what in order to save the real me! 

One thing I will purge is the erroneous thinking.... I will commit to changing those negative thoughts into speaking God's Word & His truth over my life...

One thing I will add to cultivate my true self is determination to follow thru... 

Day 4 - Preparing/Commitment (Tiffany)

The heart regulates the hands. 

This is one of the most profound things I've read. It was at the end of the chapter for today, it was in the following scripture:

Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands. (2 Corinthians 8:10).

I mean that makes so much sense, I cannot begin to do in my hands what's not in my heart...and it's difficult to stop doing the things that's in my heart that aren't right. So when you truly think about commitment, how can you commit to something if your heart is faint about it. I keep thinking about the vision that I've had and everything falling apart, but faith is not seen, right? So as I'm feeling that I can go in all of these different directions right now, if I go back to what I've believed by faith in Him and what He can do, I shouldn't deviate too far from that, should I? It's hard to even contemplate the thoughts because my human mind is trying to reason this whole thing out and I see NO WAY...but God will make a way.

Sometimes, God is just waiting for us to be committed to what we say we want...but if we don't really want that, we cannot commit to it. I've seen people who have continued to press forward in achieving their dreams in music for years. There has been no real financial success, but it's what they love, it's what's in their heart, and they believe that their gift will make room for them, despite the down period of time that it takes to get there. What makes it hard to live like this for your dreams and your commitment to it, is that you get so many outsiders and naysayers...and you never know how long this will continue on. I'm not really sure, I just know that I'm going to follow Jesus no matter what.

• What are you going to commit to doing in order to save the real you?
• Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee!

• Identify one thing you should purge from your life that is causing you to lose the real you.
• FEAR. It's the thing that holds me back. I have a fear from when I was four years old, and it's one of the biggest things that I feel is being purged out right now. I don't like that it's there, but I believe that it will only go away through me being courageous and not letting it take my mind.

• List one thing you should practice every day that will help cultivate your truest self.
• PRAISE. If I praise the Lord, I won't have time to be fearful or to have negative thoughts about others. One thing I keep noticing about some of my interactions are my thoughts towards others (strangers at that), I'm being very opinionated for no reason at all, but I had to go through this the first time I went on this fast, so I guess I'm still dealing with the issue. I believe that Praising God will help me to come out of these thought patterns.

Day 4 questions from PG

1. In light of "thinking bigger" what would your life look like if you were to actually "win the true life of your soul?" Imagine it now.

2. What are you going to commit to doing to save the real you?

3. Identify one thing you should purge from your life that is causing you to lose the real you.

4. Now identify one thing you could add that will help cultivate your truest self.

Day 3 Aligning (Truth) Dommi

Truth...

I'm really having a battle in my mind... While I AM trying to align myself to the word of God, going thru these stressful moments in my life has made it hard for me to focus my mind on the truth of who God says I am, or even that he's fighting these battles for me... My mind is in such a cloudy place... I am however learning how to not only look at the faults of others, but to look in the mirror, be honest with myself, and see my part. Also to read the truth (Gods Word), meditate on the truth, speak truth, exemplify truth, uphold the truth, stand on the truth, and live the truth!!

Training the Eye of the Soul - Does the Soul Contribute to Hearing the Voice of God?

Kim Clement:

Training the Eye of the Soul - Does the Soul Contribute to Hearing the Voice of God?

What Is The Soul?
Recently, while teaching at The Den, my Internet program, I touched on the area of the soul and the response from our watchers, the Warriors, was truly overwhelming. As a result of this, and of course the prompting of the Spirit of God, I began compiling a series of teachings on the soul from a prophetic perspective.
Some of the questions I will address are: Does the soul contribute to one hearing the voice of God, or does it hinder it? Is there such a thing as the "eye" of the soul? If the Spirit leads us, then where does the soul fit into the directive?
During these teachings, I will endeavor to supply knowledge to you, which ultimately, if you apply it in your life, will help you not only in being led by the Spirit, but to reach others who are in desperate need for help.
Let's start...in Mark 8:36-37: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
The loss of the soul is the highest, greatest loss; a loss that can never be repaired or made up. The soul is often called the HEART of man. Good or evil have their rise within the soul or heart of man.
The first conception of good or evil is in the soul. The soul understands, wills, reasons, judges; these are the faculties of the soul. So, "heart" and "soul" are often taken for one and the same. "For out of the heart (soul) proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts..." (Matthew 15:19).
The soul of a man is his understanding, reason and conscience, etc. The soul needs breath – God's breath; otherwise it weakens and relies on other "breath" to keep it going. Pleasures are more relied upon to keep one "breathing"; alcohol, drugs, etc. become a substitute, and the list goes on.
David truly understood how to keep his soul divinely breathing. David called his soul his "darling." He said, "Deliver Lord, my soul from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog." Psalm 35:17 says, "Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions." Most men say of their souls, "My slave," "My yoke," and, "My drudge..."
Do you love your soul? If you don't love your soul, you will lose it. That's the start. We are told, "Love your neighbor as [you love] yourself." If you despise your soul, which is the real you, you will never obey that commandment.
Spirit and Soul Have Different Understandings
Job spoke about the "spirit of my understanding" (Job 20:3).
Also read Ephesians 1:17-18: "...[I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints..."
Soul Understanding
Your soul has to understand your spirit, and likewise your spirit has to understand your soul to bring a balance in your journey in this life. The soul understands certain things and the spirit understands certain things. Spirit has no restrictions in its understanding of the spiritual life, but in regard to reason, emotions, etc., there are restrictions. The soul has restrictions in its understanding beyond reason, emotion, etc.

It's quite fascinating, but once there is a mutual understanding between the two powerful entities, a marriage takes place and many beautiful blessings are born; great supernatural acts are accomplished and, most importantly, other souls are reached, touched, and restored.
Why do you think David was so strict with his soul? He would constantly put it in check, speak to it, encourage it, command it, and nurture it. He knew the importance of the soul being restored and healed.
In fact, in the beautiful and famous Psalm 23, he wrote these words, "He restores my soul. He [then] leads me in right paths." I am suggesting today that you simply cannot be led by the Spirit if your soul is damaged or hurt in any way. Yes, your soul can be hurt because it is the very heart of your being. Your soul knows love, but it has also experienced hatred. David would never have prayed for his soul to be restored if it was not wounded or hurt.
Everyone wants God to lead him or her in the right paths in order to accomplish great things while on the earth. Once you have an understanding of how to prevent damage to your soul, you will go from victory to victory, from one state of existence to a higher state of existence, and your presence will fill a room with unusual aromas of sweetness, power, peace, hope, love, and life.
Do you want that? DO YOU? Of course you do, and here are some keys for you to apply and start being a blessing instead of always wanting a blessing.
Internal Dialogue
Your soul is aware of internal dialogue. It can sense when someone despises you, is critical toward you, is cursing you, questioning you, and so on. Jesus was constantly aware of internal dialogue, and on many occasions dealt with it before it proceeded out of their mouths.
Matthew 9:1-7 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" – then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
The problem with us is that when we "sense" something, we try and reason, judge, and oftentimes because of the lack of discernment, allow it to simmer within until it causes our soul to get bitter, and then it's downhill from that point. This is where you need help from your spirit.
If you study Paul's writing in 1 Corinthians 12, he speaks about nine gifts of the Spirit. One of these gifts is the "discerning of spirits." When you're in the position, and you're not sure about what you're sensing, it's time to lean on your spirit to discern for you, without emotion, reason, judgment, etc.
The discerning of spirits, as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:10, is the ability (when needed) to perceive and recognize what manner of spirit (human spirit in this instance – as it could be angelic or demonic as well) is affecting you. Once the spirit discerns this, it offers that information to the soul, thereby equipping the soul with correct judgment. Cool, eh?
One of the greatest ways of avoiding soul damage is to obey the commands of Jesus. He tells us to forgive, turn the other cheek, give an extra coat when asked for, pray for your enemies, knowing that these are preventatives that guard the soul. It all has to do with giving to others.
I have found that when the Spirit prompts me to give an offering, and I obey Him, something happens to me that does NOT happen when I receive. He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). When you give an offering, you are being a blessing. Start this journey today by becoming a blessing.

Watch The First Week's Session

To see the first week's session, you must go through a series of email, passwords and links, but you'll be able to watch it on vimeo for free: http://www.soulfastcurriculum.com/

Day 3 - Aligning/Truth (Tiffany)

To Thine Own Self Be TRUE!

I want to be true with God and myself and with that, I understand that I am having a conflict in our relationship right now. It doesn't mean that I will stop telling others about Him, but I've been feeling a bit frustrated to the point where I just want to move wherever I see anything open up because I'm going through too much to figure out what God is saying. I know there is a danger in that, because I can end up in the wrong place and everything can be hectic, but I just don't know right now because like I said in the post from Day 2, I'm uncertain about His voice...


Well, as I say this, I come across this scripture in the book:

"Anyone who intends to come with Me has to let Me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow Me and I'll show you how self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, My way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?" - Mark 8:34

How do you keep from losing the real you in a world of distractions?

I guess you have to choose to think differently, but I'm still trying to understand how exactly this is done without neglecting your responsibilities.

To love like God we need the Spirit of Truth, to be truly Godly, we must have Him to help and empower us. We have a lower nature that is cowardly and doesn't want to take risks, one that wants to play it safe at all costs, but when God says that you have to let Him lead and you're not in the drivers' seat, He may lead you into fire! And when He leads you into fire, He doesn't want you to run from suffering but rather embrace it, that is difficult to do when you're trying to hold on to self. Others around you don't understand and won't understand especially if you have had to face it and say you don't understand but the Word says to Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not unto your own understanding...in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths, He will make the way straight!

The foundational key to living authentically is truth.

• Be true to yourself
• Living in the full light of the truth
• Being governed by the truth

What does it mean to be governed by the Spirit of Truth?

• The Spirit of Truth rules over by right of authority over me...my life
• The Spirit of Truth exercises a directing or restraining influence over me
• The Spirit of Truth guides me, holds me in check and controls me
• The Spirit of Truth serves as law for my life
• The Spirit of Truth is my constitution
• The Spirit of Truth predominately (stronger/leading element force) influences my life

John 16:13 AMP - But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

Psalm 51: 6 What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then ; conceive a new, true life.

What would this new, true life look like if it were conceived in you? 
I was listening to this song when I read this question and I thought, wow how appropriate? This is one of those ways that I have been hearing from God over the past two years, so I'm really in a place where I just wonder sometimes...is He speaking to me through this way and if He is, then what happened to what He said before, because I know that God is not a man that He would lie, and I know that He will perform His Word and I know that He doesn't going around saying things just because...so anyway, this is what my new, true life will look like as it is conceived in me.
 
"From the Inside Out" by Hillsong United
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

Day 3 questions from Participant's Guide

1. Sit quietly with the Spirit of Truth and allow Him to guide you into all truth about who God has created you to be. (See John 16:13)

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal "deep and hidden" things about yourself that should either embrace or change? (See Daniel 2:22 NIV)

3. Ask him to help you filter through what is not of the truth, to cut anything away from your heart or mind that is not true, and to help you cultivate those things that lead "to finding yourself, your true self." (Luke 9:23)

4. What would this new, true life look like if it were conceived in you? 

5. How can you realign your life so that it reflects the authentic you God had in mind?

Day 2 questions from Participant's Guide

1. Meditate on the following and journal what you believe the Bible is saying about you as a person: God created human beings in His own image -- reflecting His own nature. He blessed them saying: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!" (See Genesis 1:26-28) 

2. Sometimes we are our own worse enemy. Are you sabotaging your own success by the thoughts you think? Are you allowing your thoughts to interfere with how God wants you to view yourself? Are you giving someone else permission to lay things on you that aren't yours to carry and don't further you toward your destiny?

3. Are your past failures holding dominion over your future? Are relationships distracting you, Or worse, suppressing your God-like nature for greatness, significance, and love?

4. In what areas are you living a "godless, indulgent life" and can you -- starting right now -- begin living a more "God-filled, God-honoring life?"

5. What undermining habits do you want God to help you to give up? List them and it them to prayer. From this day onward, expect God to empower you to live a Godly life pleasing to him.

6. Think of your sufferings as a weaning of that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of. Wing tyrranized by what you want. ( 1 peter 4:1-2)

Day 2 - Cleansing/Godliness (Tiffany)

A Path to FREEdom

1 Timothy 6:6-8
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Wow! Reading the above passage about godliness makes me feel like I'm so far off. I'm undergoing a process of stripping and it started in late May, right after I sat under a Bible Study which I later studied intently the next day. I came across "Greater Glory" and it was like an induction to my next season where I began to learn about the words that I speak, that it goes deeper than my thoughts but the words that I speak have power. However, there has been a constant testing of my mind where my thought-life is being purged from the old way of thinking.

Some days, I don't want to fight. I don't want to read the Word, I don't want to even look for a quiet place to find the Lord because I absolutely dislike what's been going on in my life, but the scripture above is convicting those very thoughts! I am to be content with living a godly life, there is great gain to that. My immediate concerns may be about what I have, but this scripture says that we should be content when we have food and clothing...it doesn't even list shelter!

I suppose, yes I can refocus my thoughtlife and be content with having food, clothing and shelter. I am blessed!

In Vine's dictionary, it states that the noun of godliness is eusebeia (eu=well; sebomai=to be devout)
It denotes that piety which is characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him. When I think of pleasing God, I think of Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"

I have no doubt that God is God and this I believe. I also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I think my issue is with faith right now, because I'm having a problem with whether or not I am hearing Him correctly. I believe that God spoke to me about several different areas and it seems that they have all been flipped upside down and there is no promise left of them coming to pass, and so now I'm challenged in my thought-life because I have to wonder have I really been walking by faith or some concocted thought process in my own head...thinking I was being led by the Word, but maybe it wasn't Him and it was the enemy? Because I'm having this issue, I'm having a hard time coming to the Word and prayer and having my alone time with God, because I fear that I don't hear Him, that all that has flowed for me for the past two years or so, has been nothing but me...the word says that His sheep know His voice and another they will not follow...

Well where does that leave me? I don't try to serve the enemy. When I'm convicted in certain areas to stop doing certain things or dealing with certain people, I am usually obedient to that...but for some reason, the season that I am in now, I just feel sort of lost although I haven't even strayed. I feel lost because I'm so uncertain about what God is doing and what He is saying to me.

Day 2 Cleansing (Godliness) Dommi

Cleansing, cleansing, cleansing.... Yes, I need cleansing of the mind... Cleansing of my thought processes to be exact! 

Initially when I read about Godliness I took it in as character behavior, but as I read again the text was slowly showing me what I need to work on is my character THINKING!! My thinking is not always lined up with Gods word! I allow what others think of me to affect what "I" think of me, I let a lot of negative inside chatter direct the path of my day instead of God! I have a lot of stressful situations going on right now or rather, I accept a lot of stressful situations that I don't have to, and let them stress me out. I need to learn how to not accept every plate of stress, drama, and negativity that I am offered. I'm very good at giving this advice to others, but do poorly in taking that advice myself!

One major area I know I need to focus on concerning Godliness is to walk in LOVE even when someone offends me. I have a habit of just wanting to cut people off when they offend me and just not be bothered with them, rather than work thru the offense in love...

I am going to start focusing more on what God says about me, than what others think about me, and eliminate the negativity that I harbor in my heart & mind about myself. I'm going to study & meditate on scriptures that build me up in Godliness, and not let the enemy tear me down...

Day 1 - Transforming/Awareness (Tiffany)

When I took the Authenticity Quotient back in August, I scored 136 out of 200.
Intrapersonal Authenticity: 31
Interpersonal Authenticity: 35
Extrapersonal Authenticity: 28
Transpersonal Authenticity: 42

This is my second time doing the "Soul Fast". As I was reading today, I thought more in depth about some things for instance the power of authenticity and dealing with external pressures. On page 45 in the book, the author states, "Dealing with these external pressures--the demands of other people close to you or society in general--can leave you feeling conflicted, lost, disconnected, empty, or worse, scarred."

And "scarred" is where I understand myself to be right now. I'm not claiming a deficiency over myself, but when I looked at my answers to the questions under the Awareness section that I wrote today and compared them with the answers I wrote when I first did the fast, I can see that I've lost some vivaciousness. Where did it go? It wasn't that long ago. I got hit real bad in life's circumstances and I really have to look at how I've been standing on the Word of God. There were many blows to my life, but I know that God is building my character in all of this, and I knew once I got the biggest hit that this was coming...yes, I knew this intellectually, but I was unprepared for it. Each time an interaction would happen, I would cower, I would fall back to a state of where I was at age four, I have had to fight some serious demons, and right now...all I want to do is rest.

That is the point of the soul fast! It is to REST in Christ...our Soul should not be fighting when we have a God who will do everything we need. He said to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto us. I have come to believe that when we truly rest in Him taking care of whatever our troubles are, then all we need to be concerned with is the assignment that He has for our lives. Sometimes we just don't know and we feel like too much is going on, but many times, He wants to use us within these situations, it's either that or He is trying to help our character to grow so that we can be conformed into the image of Christ.

So what I find interesting is that my action plan and area of growth from the Authenticity Quotient is in the area of what I've been struggling with the most in the last 30 days or so! Wow, this book is transformational...and I'm going to keep pressing in and I'm going to look at this area and how I can begin to live in my full capacity by engaging with my community and those around me. It's hard because I'm used to drawing into myself, but if I want to GROW past this, I need to face this challenge head up...I have to take courage, but it's difficult because I'm used to how I've always been, and I've learned to accept that part of me, but when God is ready to grow you up, you have to put those childish ways of thinking behind! For HIS WILL, for HIS Purpose!!!