The ~*~Mystical*~* power of prayer and fasting---

Whether you are a Jew or not, I bet you have heard at least once in your life about someone who's life was transformed by the power of prayer and fasting.
Other cultures practice it as well... But my drive to post this is directly related to my upbringing in a Jewish home.
For some reason, there is a very direct and immediate response to prayer when done with a true fasting. Fasting in a way that not only keeps food from your lips- but also by keeping yourself from filling your heart and mind with your own desires and wants.


When I was little, I felt very frustrated on each Yom Kippur.
"Why can't I have any food?"
"Why can't I watch T.V.?"
"Why can't I go out and play with my friends?"
"Why are the lights off in the house?"
It was SO boring, SO quiet, SO *depressing* for me.

As I got older- older than 8, I found ways to prepare in advance and sneak food in my room- in my book bag from school the day before.

Although the people in the house were Jewish, I had only been to Shul once in my life, and that was with a friend of mine from school. I was not raised knowing or fully understanding the REAL purpose of the holiday... Other than it was very important to follow all of the rules that the adults were following....????? To be forgiven, to forgive and to be thankful and appreciative of life.
That left me feeling hollow, hungry, and just annoyed at the holiday!

I hated it more than any other holiday there ever was.
*Who can hate a holiday?*

So- wanting to understand the "*truth*" behind the holiday and why everyone took it so seriously, I did my own experimenting.

Well, when I was about the age of 12-15 I decided to really take it all seriously myself.
I decided to BELIEVE.

And without going into all of the changes and struggles I went through, I just want to say, that after my initial testing and follow ups with my experience with prayer and fasting- along with forgiveness, and my own asking for forgiveness for wrongs I had done...

Life has never been the same.
It is far better!
MORE entertaining, full, exciting, amazing, FUN, joyful, free, miraculous and true.

It's not easy for me to share all of the changes that have happened within my self and in my life...
But it was not very easy at first to let go of my own thinking and controlling of my own life and everything around me.

You can see things more clearly when you empty yourself from your past and let go of things you hold on to.
Now I live by faith.
When I say faith, I mean life without too much thought or worry about my future.
Believing in the fact that my life means something and that I AM for a reason.

When I pray and fast now, it is not something I loathe. It is something I truly look forward to doing. And I do it on purpose not just one day of the year.

It makes things happen.
If I want a change to a situation or circumstance that I feel needs to be changed or enhanced in some way- I fast and pray.
My prayers, like vapors and wisps of thought, transform into tangible matter and become whole and *real* in the here and now in our world that we exist. I get things I need- Things I really want-People around me change- or their lives change.
If I was dealing with something that felt too ominous or oppressive to me for a long period of time, the situation would change.
Or if someone was really bothering me- harassing me or being abusive in my life, they would change, their life would dramatically change or they'd suddenly lose interest in me.
--- It is really amazing.

To best express this... Imagine a seed that turns into a large tree that bears much more fruit with many more seeds. It starts out with a DNA structure that is hard to imagine. I mean- if you never saw a tree grow from a seed, would you believe that it could?

And it keeps going- the cycle... An increase of fruit.
Faith is like that- Faith adds a spiritual DNA to your prayers or vice versa!

Well, my prayers- I now see them like seeds.
I plant my thoughts, graft my thoughts, sow my thoughts, and my heart's desires become reality.
It is REAL and AMAZING and if you have never tried it you should!

This is not about a religion- or any kind of rules.
It is about freeing yourself from pain, and despair, guilt and heartache and replacing it all with hope, faith, love, knowing and wisdom.

It works.

Now those who are Jewish, will know that me typing on the computer is not truly fasting...
It is true.

But my heart feels right, and I wanted to share.

I believe in continual forgiveness.
As well as a continual repentance.
I believe in continual introspection.
I believe in continual prayer.
I believe in believing.

Have a fun day!
:o)

Amber