Fasting and Praying

Fasting and praying has been something I have been teaching my girls about from the day they both decided to follow Jesus.  We always let God lead us in when, how long, what to fast, and how much to fast.  It's something He leads us to do when we are deep in sin and need help.  It's something He leads us to do for others, their sin or suffering.  We do it for friends that we see need rescue.   It's a time to focus only on Jesus.  We go into the trenches and fight for our lives, literally.  We deny ourselves and fight in the heavenly realm for those that cannot fight.  Esther called for the multitude to fast before she went to the king.  Jesus said some spirits must be casted out with prayer and fasting.   Nehemiah fasted about what he saw before him and the wall.  People fasted in the Bible before making decisions, for victory, to repent of sins committed--ultimately to seek the Lord's will and turn back to their First Love.

If you know Daniela, she loves food.  LOVES.  Fasting food usually isn't her go to.  She usually will fast soccer, phone, or movies.  Last week she started a fast of food.  When I got home from work and she wasn't eating dinner, I quickly turned around asking what sin was going on.  One of my spiritual gifts is faith.  I believe in moving mountains, and if she's in trouble, I'm going into a fast with her immediately.    God is more powerful than anything against us in this world.  We have many promises in Him and I claim them fully.

Instead of sin she said, Eva.

Eva is a common name in this house.  She has been the classroom gang leader.  She has a group of girls and they have to do as she says.  Once you are in, you are locked down to do what is instructed.  There are many of these groups lurking around Daniela.  Maybe you can't talk to certain girls (Daniela).  You have to be mean to certain ones (Daniela).  You have to keep a boyfriend.  Some groups you have to be having sex.  When one of your group is in a fight, everyone must jump in.

Daniela isn't in any of these mean girl groups, so they tend to target her.  Since she has been growing in the Lord, she has been turning her cheek more and not fighting.  She allows people to say things to her without popping off at the mouth (I know she still does, but not every time).

When D felt she should fast for this girl.  Her immediate thought was no way.  Not this girl.  But she knew she heard God.  This girl hates Daniela and we knew her back story was trauma. From the beginning, I was baffled how this girl could hate Daniela.  They both had the same trauma story of Dad killing mom. But the devil loved for them to have hate and not come together in helping one another.

After a day, I thought D should probably come out of the fast.  She's still young (14) and I had perimeters in my mind about her doing it.  So when day 2 started, I reminded her that she shouldn't mess around with fasting and only let God lead.  When she felt led to eat, she would.  It included nuts, little chips and little carrots.  By the second day, she had revelation that this was for Eva's life, but also for Daniela's heart to her.  She had come to have little to no compassion for her and didn't want to be a part of her rescue.  As she surrendered that, she felt led to eat on day 3 like normal.

Monday  came and D told Eva she was praying for her and she responded I don't need your prayers.  She calmly said ok and walked away.  Later that day, Eva was crying on the floor and D asked what was going on.  She told D there were a lot of problems at home. She lives with her aunt.  She asked if D remembered about her mom and she thought D forgot about it.  No one can forget that.  She went into details about her mom and life.

Can I pray for you?  Eva said sure.  She prayed outloud about how she thinks Eva blames herself for her mom's murder.  How she doesn't have to be mean because she has suffering inside.

She just let God speak and prayed.  Eva thanked her for praying, she apologized for always being so mean to Daniela.

She's been slowly telling D everything about her traumatic life, this past week.  She told her director Daniela is like her sister, she feels pulled to talk to her about her issues.

When Daniela came home and told me about this breakthrough,  I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!  Daniela fasted and prayed for 2 days for this girl and BOOM!  Deliverance.  Wow.


CHANGE TO ANOTHER STORY AT SCHOOL
Another mean girl group targeted Daniela this week.  D got punched in the back the other day, but ignored them.  Later in the day, the group came to her class "looking for her" like a pack of wolves.  The teacher sent them away, but the next day they tracked down her schedule and waited for her in the stairwell when they knew she was going to get her bag.  With no one around,  she got punched in the nose by Elle, while a group held her down.  She struggled to get a punch in and landed one in the jaw and pulled out way too much hair.

EVA comes up the stairs and BITES one of the girls in the neck! Trying to help Daniela!  Ripping girls off her.

That ended with the office and in school suspension with work detail of painting Friday.

Elle told Daniela she was shocked Eva helped D because everyone knew Eva hated Daniela.

When they got to soccer, Coach asked if they can practice together.  Elle asked if she could talk to D.  She ended up apologizing to Daniela.  Telling her she took out her bad life on her and she went into the dirty secrets of her home life.   She said it wasn't an excuse for targeting Daniela, but it was her reason.

They know Daniela's Christian now and they know she doesn't fight anymore.  So, she is an easy target to harass and bully, and know she is going to to take it.  Daniela was known before as being a beast.  AND SHE IS.  That beast came flying out in the stairwell.

Daniela kept crying to me and was so angry she was going to get a punishment for fighting.  She has not had a suspension in a full year trying to get into the other school Jess goes to.  I told her let it go.  I don't care about her consequence, just pray what God wants to do and let the consequence go for defending your body.  They decided to suspend both and my Spirit said let it be.  So i left it alone and didn't go into how they premeditated this jump.  Her principal called and said they would paint and talk.  Luke told me he loved this "outside the box" punishment and the more I thought about it, I could totally agree!

They talked and told stories of their deep secret lives and then D prayed over her.  She felt led to pray for a changed heart and how God has sent Daniela to help Elle walk though her trauma.  Elle should cast her burdens on God because His yoke is easy.  She carried on lifting her up to the Lord.

(I cry as I type this!  This is my kid??  The one that ran away from home and hated me.  The one that was so dark at one time, she scared me in my house.  The one that hated the Bible and could careless about God during her crazy phase.  The one that made me cry and cry at night about because I felt like she ruined my joyful, happy life.  This kid brings me so much joy now.  I think of her during the day at work and my eyes fill with tears about who she is in God).

Elle is on her way to our house now to walk with D to soccer.  They are friends now.

I sat on my couch with D before she left for work detail yesterday and prayed the mightiest prayers for Daniela to be used by God, and sent her off to school.  I sat on the couch talking with God and then I saw the path come full circle.  We have prayed so much to get into the "other school."  I have been so over this abuse to D mentally and physically by these girls, but D told me this year, Mom, God has me at my school for a purpose.  I have to keep going there.

Here's the purpose.  Daniela has been going after these giants.  She is definitely the one for GOD TO USE.  She has it within, to withstand, in the power of Christ. These deeply broken girls abusing other girls because they have been abused and God is sending a rescue with Daniela.  AHH!  We welcome this suffering in D because it means these girls are learning about Christ and His path for them that is not pain and trauma, but VICTORY AND HEALING.

Are you praying and fasting for deliverance in your life?  In your kid's life?  In your neighbor's life?