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Welcome back to Broadcasting Seeds, the show where we take
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a deep dive into the strange, the unexplained, and the
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downright unsettling. I'm your host, Bennett Tanton, here to plan
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a few thought provoking seeds in your mind and see
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what grows. Whether it's cryptids lurking in the shadows, government
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cover ups that make your skin crawl, or biblical truths
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hiding in plain sight. This podcast is all about peeling
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back the layers of reality and staring into the unknown. Today,
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we're diving headfirst into a topic that is as ancient
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as it is personal spiritual warfare. But not just any
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kind of warfare, the kind that wages war on your mind, body,
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and soul while you're fasting for forty days.
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Yeah you heard me. As of this.
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Recording, I am fifteen days, seventeen hours, and twenty two
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minutes into my fast and let me tell you it's
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been a journey. Physically, I feel like a machine. Spiritually,
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I feel like I'm sharpening my sword for a battle
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I can't even fully see yet. Mentally, well, let's just
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say the smell of fast food could almost lure me
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into enemy territory. Almost This isn't just about giving up
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cheeseburgers and pizza, or watching the clock tick down until
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I can eat again. This is about preparation. It's about
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training myself for a battle that's coming, a battle I
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feel deeply but can't yet define. I've always believed that
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I'm a warrior, and as the saying goes, I'd rather
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be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in
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a war. It's becoming clearer that I'm a warrior of God.
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This fast is my way of stepping into the garden,
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sword in hand, ready for whatever lies ahead. And let's
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not forget this isn't my first brush with the supernatural.
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Earlier this year, I had a very real, very personal
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encounter with what I can only describe as a lilith
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like entity. That experience wasn't just unsettling, It was a
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wake up call. It taught me that the battlefield isn't
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just out there. It's right here in our homes, our hearts,
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and our minds. So grab your gear, folks. Today we're
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unpacking the spiritual warfare that comes with fasting, diving into
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the unseen battles, and exploring how faith can prepare us
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for the unknown. Let's go fasting.
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It sounds so simple, doesn't it.
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Just stop eating, let your body rest, and boom, you're
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a spiritual ninja. Except it's not that simple, not even close.
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The physical aspect of fasting is like boot camp for
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your body. It's grueling, relentless, and, let's be honest, not glamorous.
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You don't exactly walk around glowing like a saint while
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your stomach growls louder than a diesel engine. But here's
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the kicker. This physical discomfort is part of the plan.
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Scripture refers to our bodies as temples houses for the
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Holy Spirit, and like any house, a temple can accumulate junk.
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Think of fasting as spiritual spring cleaning. When we abstain
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from food, the body starts breaking down and flushing out toxins. Scientifically,
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this is called the tophagy, where your cells start repairing
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themselves and getting rid of old damage junk. Spiritually speaking,
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it's like God's own detox program.
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For me.
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These past fifteen days have been transformative. My energy levels
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are up and down, and my mind feels clear than
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it has in years. But don't mistake that for an
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easy ride. The physical battle's real. And it's humbling. Every
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time I feel a hunger pang, it reminds me just
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how fragile and dependent I really am that feeling. That's
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the point. Fasting strips away the illusions of control we
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cling to. It shows us how dependent we are on food, comfort,
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and honestly, a good slice of pizza. It reminds us
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that every single breath, every beat of our hearts is
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a gift from God. It's humbling, and it's a little
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bit humiliating too, But the physical benefits aren't just a
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bonus their preparation. A strong body can better serve a
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strong spirit. When I say I feel like a machine,
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I mean it. My body is adapting to rely on
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stored energy rather than constant food intake. It's a small
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glimpse of the resilience we're capable of when we align
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our habits with our purpose. And let's not ignore the
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symbolism here. If your body is a temple, fasting is
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like rebuilding it from the ground up, making it a
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fortress ready to withstand the storms. As a warrior, I
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can't afford to have a weak temple. My body needs
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to be as ready as my spirit for whatever lies ahead.
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Here's where it gets interesting. The Bible tells us that
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fasting brings the flesh under submission. It's a reminder that
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our appetites, physical, mental, or otherwise, don't control us. But
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let me tell you, fast food is no joke. I've
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caught myself daydreaming about drive through fries like they're the
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Promised Land. That craving. That's part of the spiritual battle,
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and we'll get.
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Into that next.
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If the physical battle of fasting is about strength, the
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mental battle is about strategy. Let me tell you, folks,
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the mind is a battlefield, and during a fast it's
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a noisy one. The temptations don't just knock on the door,
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they kick it in and make themselves at home. For me,
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the cravings have been loud, persistent, and oddly specific. Fast food,
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of all things, has been my biggest mental nemesis. Burgers, fries, pizza,
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fried chicken. Like a rogue playlist on repeat, It's all
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I can think about sometimes. Why is it that the
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things you know aren't good for you are the things
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you crave the most.
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It's not just.
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About food, it's about comfort, it's about distraction. When you're fasting,
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those cravings become amplified. Like the volume knob on, temptation
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gets cranked up to eleven. But here's the thing. This
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isn't just about food. This is mental warfare. Temptation is
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the enemy's way of exploiting your weakness, and fasting brings
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every weakness to the surface. It's like shining a flashlight
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into the dark corners of your mind. The things you've
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been able to ignore, the habits, the vices, the little compromises,
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they all come crawling out, and let me tell you,
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facing them isn't pretty, but it is necessary. Cravings are
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a perfect example. The enemy uses them to keep you distracted,
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to make you focus on what you lack rather than
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what you're gaining. Every time I feel the pull of
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those greasy fries, I remind myself why I'm doing doing
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this fast in the first place. This isn't about deprivation.
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It's about preparation. It's about training my mind to focus
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on the eternal, not the temporary. Let's get real for
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a second. How often do we fill our minds with
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junk to avoid dealing with the deeper issues. Fasting forces
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you to face those issues head on. It's uncomfortable, it's exhausting,
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and sometimes it feels like you're losing the battle. But
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here's the truth. Every time you say no to a craving,
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you're saying yes to something greater. I think about Jesus
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during his forty days in the wilderness. The devil didn't
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come at him with an army or a weapon. No,
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the enemy came at him with words, with temptations, with
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mental games. If you are the son of God, turn
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these stones to bread, Matthew four for three. It wasn't
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about bread. It was about doubt. It was about trying
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to I pulled Jesus' focus away from his mission. That's
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what mental warfare looks like. It's subtle, it's personal, and
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it's relentless. During this fast, I've realized how much mental
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clutter I've allowed to build up over the years. Fasting
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is like clearing that clutter, sweeping away the distractions so
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I can focus on the voice of God. And speaking
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of clarity, let me tell you about a moment that
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rocked me to my core. Earlier this year, I had
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a direct encounter with what I can only describe as
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a lilith like entity. That experience wasn't just terrifying, it
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was revealing It showed me how the enemy uses mental
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tactics to create fear and doubt. It taught me that
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spiritual battles often begin in the mind, where the enemy
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plants seeds of confusion, temptation, and despair. When I woke
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up that night at three forty nine am, drenched the
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sense of dread, I knew the battle wasn't over. Reciting
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prayers of protection wasn't just about words. It was about
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reclaiming my mind, my thoughts, my focus. That's what fasting does.
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It equips you to recognize the enemy's tactics and fight
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back with clarity and purpose. The mental battlefield isn't easy,
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but it's where some of the most critical victories are
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one and just like with any war, preparation is key.
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Fasting sharpens your mental defenses, making you more aware of
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the traps and more focused on the truth. Next up,
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we'll dive into the heart of this battle, the spiritual
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preparation that fasting brings. The physical and until battles are intense,
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no doubt, but they're just the training ground the real
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war that happens on the spiritual level. Fasting isn't just
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a test of endurance. It's preparation for a battle you
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may not even realize you're about to face. For me,
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this fast has felt like sharpening a sword for a
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fight that's just over the horizon, a fight I know
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is coming, even if I can't quite see it yet.
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Let's get one thing straight. Spiritual warfare isn't a metaphor.
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It's real. It's happening all around us, whether we acknowledge
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it or not. Ephesians six twelve says it best for
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we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
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against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
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against spiritual wickedness in high places. This isn't just Sunday
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school talk. It's a call to arms. Fasting is one
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of the most ancient and powerful way to prepare for
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this kind of battle. It's not just about giving something up,
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It's about gaining something greater spiritual clarity, strength, and focus.
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When you fast, you're not just detoxing your body. You're
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detoxing your spirit. You're clearing out the distractions, the noise,
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and the static that keeps you from hearing God's voice.
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During this fast, I found myself drawn to prayer like
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never before. It's not a chore or a checkbox on
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a spiritual to do list. It's a lifeline when the
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cravings hit, when the mental fog creeps in, I pray.
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I'm not talking about flowery, polished prayers. I'm talking raw, real, God,
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I need you right now prayers. And let me tell
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you He has shown up. This fast has reminded me
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that spiritual preparation isn't just about defense. It's about offense.
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It's about putting on the full armor of God, not
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just to protect yourself, but to advance the kingdom. Every
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moment of weakness is an opportunity to grow stronger in faith.
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Every temptation is a chance to declare not today Satan.
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And let's not forget the stakes here. Spiritual warfare isn't
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just about you. It's about your family, your community, and
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the world around you. The enemy isn't just after individuals.
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He's after households, nations, entire generations. That's why fasting is
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so powerful. It's not just personal, it's innercessory. It's standing
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in the gap for those who can't or won't fight
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for themselves. Now, I'd be lying if I said this
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fast hasn't revealed some of my own blind spots that
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encounter earlier this year. It was a wake up call.
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It showed me how unprepared I was for the kind
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of spiritual attacks that.
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Can come out of nowhere.
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That night, I realized the battlefield wasn't just external, it
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was internal. The enemy knows our weaknesses, our fears, our doubts,
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and he exploits them. But here's the good news. God
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equips his warriors through fasting. I've learned to lean into
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that truth. It's not about being perfect or having all
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the answers. It's about being willing, willing to fight, willing
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to endure, willing to trust that God's strength has made
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perfect in our weakness. Fasting has also taught me that
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preparation isn't just about anticipating the enemy's moves. It's about
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aligning yourself with God's will. When you fast, you're not
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just saying no to food. You're saying yes to God.
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You're making room for Him to work in your life
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in ways you can't even imagine. This Spiritual preparation is
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what transforms fasting from a physical challenge into a divine encounter.
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It's what turns a simple act of discipline into a
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powerful act of worship, and it's what equips us to
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stand firm in a world that desperately needs warriors who
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are ready to fight for truth, justice, and faith. Next,
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we'll explore how the warrior mindset ties into this battle
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and why being a warrior in a garden is so
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critical in these times. You've probably heard the phrase before
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it's better to be a warrior in a garden than
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a gardener in a war. It's one of those sayings
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that sticks with you because it holds a profound truth
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about life and preparation. A warrior in a garden may
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seem out of place, but they're ready. A gardener in
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a war, they're in trouble. This adage has been my
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mantra throughout this fast and it's never felt more relevant.
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Fasting is about stepping into that garden and choosing to
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prepare anyway, even when the battle isn't visible. The world
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we live in today doesn't value preparation. We're told to
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live in the moment, chase comfort, and avoid discomfort at
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all costs. But warriors know better. Warriors know that the
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fight often comes when you least expect it, and the
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time to train is long before the first shot is fired.
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The concept of being a warrior in a garden isn't
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about paranoia or waiting for the worst to happen. It's
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about readiness, spiritual, mental, and physical readiness. When you fast,
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you're stepping into that warrior role. You're choosing to sharpen
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your mind and spirit even though the garden around you
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seems peaceful. Here's the twist. The garden isn't always what
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it seems. Earlier this year, when I had my encounter