Jan. 12, 2025

Warrior in a Garden: How Fasting Sharpens Faith and Fortitude

Warrior in a Garden: How Fasting Sharpens Faith and Fortitude
Warrior in a Garden: How Fasting Sharpens Faith and Fortitude
The Broadcasting Seeds Podcast
Warrior in a Garden: How Fasting Sharpens Faith and Fortitude

As of this recording, I am 15 days, 17 hours, and 22 minutes into a 40-day fast—a journey that has transformed me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physically, I feel stronger and more alert than I ever imagined possible. Mentally, the battle...

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As of this recording, I am 15 days, 17 hours, and 22 minutes into a 40-day fast—a journey that has transformed me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physically, I feel stronger and more alert than I ever imagined possible. Mentally, the battle rages on; the cravings for fast food and indulgent vices whisper temptations I must confront daily. But this fast is about more than discipline or health—it is a crucible of spiritual warfare. I was compelled to begin this journey not as an experiment, but as preparation, a way to harden myself spiritually for something coming. Though I don’t fully know what lies ahead, I am certain of my purpose: I am a warrior for God. My faith is my armor, and my fast is my weapon, sharpening my resolve against unseen battles. Inspired by the adage, "I would rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war," this episode will explore the profound connection between fasting, faith, and the spiritual fortitude we must cultivate in a world where the battlefield often lies beyond the visible. The best is yet to come!!! Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2EUqA7cL5B4mFolSZwOsTY?si=9f693826971f49eb Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-broadcasting-seeds-podcast/id1754460480 Rumble https://rumble.com/user/BroadcastingSeeds YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BroadcastingSeeds

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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

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with that lilith like entity, my so called garden became

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a battlefield in an instant. I wasn't expecting it, but

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I wasn't completely unarmed either. That experience taught me that

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the unseen war is closer than we think. The enemy

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doesn't wait for an invitation, and the attacks don't always

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come in ways we expect. Being a warrior means recognizing

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that the garden itself can be deceptive. It might look

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like peace, but lurking beneath the surface are challenges, temptations,

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and battles waiting to erupt. The grass is surely not

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always greener. Fasting brings that awareness to the forefront. It

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strips away the illusion of peace and reveals the need

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for vigilance and preparation. Let's talk about what it means

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to be a warrior in the biblical sense. This isn't

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about physical weapons or brute force. It's about spiritual armor.

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Ephesian six lays it out the belt of truth, the

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breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of

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the spirit. Each piece of armor is essential, and fasting

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is one way we ensure it's polished and ready for use.

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A warrior's strength isn't just in their training, it's in

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their purpose. And my purpose has become clearer than ever

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during this fast. I'm not fasting just for myself. I'm

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fasting for my family, for my community, and for the

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spiritual battles I know are coming. This isn't just self discipline.

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It's an act of service and obedience to God. There's

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also a humility in being a warrior in a garden.

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You're not out there looking for a fight. You're preparing

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because you know one will find you eventually, and when

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it does, you'll be ready. Not because you're fearless, but

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because you've taken the time to cultivate strength, wisdom, and faith.

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This fast has been my garden a place to plant

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seeds of readiness and to grow the tools I'll need

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for whatever is ahead. The enemy wants us to believe

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the garden is safe, that there's no need to prepare.

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But as I've learned, especially after my encounter with that

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dark entity, the garden can shift into a battlefield in

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the blink of an eye. The question is will you

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be ready when it does. That's what fasting teaches us,

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not just to endure, but to prepare, to be vigilant,

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and to trust that God is equipping us for the fight.

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In the next section, we'll discuss the lessons I've learned

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so far during this fast and how these lessons can

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help us all find victory in the invisible war. Fifteen

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days into this fast, I've learned more about spiritual warfare, myself,

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and God's strength than I ever thought possible. The battle

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isn't over, and the finish line feels a long way off,

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but the lessons I've gathered so far have been invaluable.

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This fast has been a mirror showing me my weaknesses,

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my distractions, and my dependence on things other than God.

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And that's the first big lesson. Acknowledge the battlefield. Victory

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in the invisible war starts with recognizing that you're in one.

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Too often we walk through life unaware of the spiritual

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battles raging around us, within our homes, our workplaces, and

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even our own hearts. Fasting strips away the illusions. When

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you deny the flesh, you begin to see how deeply

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entrenched the enemy's tax are in your daily life. Cravings, distractions, temptations.

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They're all designed to pull you away from your purpose.

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Recognizing these patterns is the first step to breaking free

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from them. Another lesson is that God doesn't call the perfect,

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he calls the willing. I'm not fasting because I've got

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it all figured out. In fact, it's the opposite. This

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fast has shown me just how flawed and dependent I

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really am. But in that weakness God has been strong.

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Every hunger, pang, every craving, every moment of doubt has

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been an opportunity to lean on Him. And let me

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tell you, He's never let me down. Then there's the

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lesson of clarity through struggle. Fasting forces you to confront

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things you'd rather ignore. For me, that encounter earlier this

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year came rushing back during this fast. It wasn't just

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a terrifying experience. It was a reminder that the enemy

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is real, that spiritual warfare is personal, and that preparation

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is critical. Reflecting on that event during this fast has

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helped me process it in a new way. I see

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now that God allowed that moment to wake me up,

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to remind me that the garden I thought I was

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living in was actually a battlefield. But here's the thing

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about fasting. It doesn't just reveal the enemy's plans. It

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also reveals God's provision. During this fast, I've had moments

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of spiritual clarity that I can only describe as divine

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prayers I've whispered for years suddenly make sense, scriptures I've

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read a hundred times, feel alive. And through it all

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there's been this quiet, steady assurance that God is preparing

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me for something greater. One of the most powerful lessons

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has been that the battle isn't mine alone. Fasting isn't

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just about personal growth. It's about standing in the gap

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for others, whether it's my family, my friends, or the

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people I've never met who might listen to this podcast.

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I know that this fast is about more than just me.

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Spiritual warfare is a collective fight, and fasting is one

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way we step into that fight on behalf of others.

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And let's talk about humility for a second. If there's

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one thing fasting will teach you, it's that you're not

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in control. Hunger has a way of humbling you, of

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stripping away the pride that says I've got this spoiler

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alert you don't. But that's the beauty of it. In

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those moments of weakness, God's strength shines brightest. Victory in

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the invisible War isn't about being the strongest or the smartest.

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It's about being surrendered to the one who is. Finally,

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there's the lesson of perseverance. Fasting isn't easy. Spiritual warfare

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isn't easy, But anything worth doing rarely is. This fast

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has reminded me that the path of least resistance rarely

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leads to growth. The moments when I've wanted to quit,

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when the cravings felt unbearable, when the doubts crept in,

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those have been the moments when I've grown the most.

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Perseverance isn't about never struggling, it's about never giving up.

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Victory in the invisible War doesn't come from our strength,

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but from our willingness to trust God in the fight.

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It comes from putting on the full armor of God,

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from acknowledging the battlefield, and from standing firm in faith

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even when the odds feel stacked against us. This fast

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has been a small but powerful glimpse of that truth.

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In the next section the outro, I'll wrap up everything

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we've talked about today, and I'll challenge you to think

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about your own battles and how you can prepare for them.

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And that's it for today's episode of Broadcasting Seeds. We've

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explored the physical, mental, and spiritual battles of fasting, dug

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into the importance of preparation, and unpacked what it means

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to be a warrior in a garden. This fast has

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been a personal journey, one that's reminded me of the

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unseen battles we're all facing and the strength that comes

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from trusting God in the midst of it all. As

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I reflect on everything we've covered, I want to leave

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you with this. The fight may be invisible, but it's

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very real. Whether you're fasting, praying, or just trying to

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navigate the chaos of everyday life, know this, you are

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not alone. The battles we face are not meant to

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be fought in isolation. They're meant to draw us closer

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to God, to sharpen our faith, and to prepare us

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for the purpose He's called us to. So I challenge

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you take some time this week to think about your

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own spiritual garden. Are you prepared for the battles that

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might come your way? Are you equipping yourself with the

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tools you need to stand firm when the ground starts

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to shake. Maybe fasting isn't where you start, but prayer, reflection,

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or even just stepping away from distractions could be your

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first step. Please like, share, and review the podcast. It

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really helps us here at Broadcasting Seeds. God bless you

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all and catch you on the next episode.

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Yeah, I got bad? Does that make my mad skared?

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Hold me hostage and they don't fight fair? Who don't

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pray for me? And wipe all my tasks? Who don't

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say me if you not right here? Mood is dark this?

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And make my cyclic take me yourway because I don't

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like it.

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Ghost of my past.

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Day, feeling the night are wake me up and trapped

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in my Nightmas? You trapped in my Nightmas? Trowning, trowning

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our mouth, the deeping apparitions of all my demons, all

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my thoughts ill come, making treason all alone.

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I'm going hear me screaming.

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Manifestations on my fists, regrets that stretched out for light years,

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you can almost touch the light. Homie's right there, body

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free but trapping My Nightmas, I.

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Don't let meet you.

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A life of fading now, all my life is fail now,

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all my life is face no matter you don't miss Johny.

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My life is fading. My life just paying nastash happen

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like that here.

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When we need check in My Nightmas night, the one

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of Tod