In January 2022, the Lord led me and a few close men into a level of intimacy and holding His hand that few of us had ever experienced. We didn't tell anybody what we were up to because we knew it was sacred. We knew that the Lord had specifically given us a sweet invitation for more of Him. We committed to 21 days of fasting, drinking only water, and these were 21 days that marked a clear shift in my life and spiritual journey. I often reflect on it regularly. Since then, I have done this fast twice and generally spend about half of my year not eating food. Honestly, life hasn't been the same for me since. But amongst other things, my love for Jesus, ability to hear His voice, and discernment of people, places, situations, and even opportunities have increased to a level I can hardly explain.
Several deep-rooted sin issues were broken, and God gave me a radical love for people during those 21 days. It was during this period that the Lord highlighted to me secrets within the Scriptures that could only be understood and obtained in a place of deep sacrifice and longing for the Lord. The Lord shared with me things that I have written down in my journal—prophecies about the future—and even helped me understand His vision for reconciliation, diversity, unity, and even His heart for music and the arts. The songs I created during this 21-day fast are still some of the most powerful in my entire catalog.
And this was the point in my life where the Lord and I began our secret and special relationship between the hours of 3 and 6 AM. These intimate meetings have continued faithfully throughout these past three years. This marked the beginning of a period when the Lord would faithfully wake me up, and I would sit and spend hours in His presence, sometimes for five or six hours at a time. No one in my life knew that I hadn't eaten for three weeks, and I only shared my experience with others after the fact.
Since then, the Lord has used me to help other people embrace the spiritual discipline of fasting and to become closer to Him deeply. One of my main warnings for anyone interested in doing a fast is that fasting is not a legalistic practice; it's something that must be clearly discerned. Otherwise, it can be medically dangerous. Again, the men who embarked on this fast with me were led by the Lord into it—meaning that He had given us a promise to sustain us and keep us during this fast.
For those who undertake fasts to appear spiritual or to make a point, God is not obligated to protect them, for He is the God who searches the hearts and is truly committed to meeting with those who sincerely desire Him and Him alone. My life was changed three years ago during this fast. I'm grateful for what the Lord has done in my life and His love and kindness to me, even despite my consistent failings and mistakes.