The Usefulness and Limitations of Fasting for Healing.

SHALOM!

My name is Olatunde, I am a Nigerian Full-Gospel Christian, not currently affiliated with any Organized Church. I am presently employed as a University Health Centre Medical Laboratory Assistant.

I do not go to church, because the organized churches generally do not practice the entirety of what they profess to believe in. Such as Fasting.

I had a serious Health Problem when I first became a Born Again Christian. I suffered from Chronic Malaria, against which the then available treatments had less and less effect. I expected to die before I reached my 21st birthday- that was why I got saved. However, I then learned that Born Again Christians had a Divine Right to be Healed; that we could pray in Faith, and expect God to answer our prayers affirmatively.

It never occurred to me, that this might not apply to me: I was convinced that I was saved. I prayed, and it worked for me. I would contract Malaria at regular intervals, we being in an endemic area, but all I had to do was pray, and command in Faith, and I would be well again, without any pharmaceutical aid.

This continued to work for me, until I got enmeshed in Church Politics, and found that Christianity was not what I was told it was. I could not reconcile Bible Teaching with Christian Practice I experienced, and quit Organized Christianity, rather than found my own church, in opposition to all of the corrupt others.

I immediately fell ill after my decision, and I knew that trying to use Faith would be futile. However, I had learned that there was another way to be Healed, without using Medicine- which I had no more personal confidence in.

The last church I joined had been ostracized by other Trinitarian and Unitarian Full Gospel Pentecostal Churches I knew: FRANKLIN HALL'S FULL SALVATION CHURCH. He taught Fasting, and was instrumental in jump-starting other Full Gospel Ministries- but they disfellowshipped him, on the excuse of his supposedly extreme beliefs, and never even let their followers know that he existed, or that they had learned anything from him. (I later learned that Americans habitually sue one another, over someone else making more money out of their ideas than they did- and even Christians might not be immune; there was the case of the E. W. KENYON family suing KENNETH E. HAGIN for "plagiarism.")

I found that all I had to do was Fast three consecutive days, and I would be Healed of Malaria, with no other treatment- even immunized for at least a month. When I finally decided to try Fasting for ten days, taking nothing but water, I found myself immune from Malaria for months on end.

This served me in good stead for some 28 years. Then, at 54, I did my first 28 day Fast, then, the next year managed to Fast for 32 days, without harm.

Then, several months later, I came down with a condition Fasting couldn't help me with.

It was just a normal day at work, when I suddenly experienced the weakening sensation I had at the end of my two long Fasts. It made no sense, as I had just eaten a full meal around midnight, and did not expect to need to eat again for several hours. On the verge of collapse, I complained to my deputy boss, our Clinical Pathology Specialist, and he recommended that I go see a Doctor, immediately. I complied without argument- even though I had stuck out high fevers and headaches at work before, waiting for my Fasts to kick in.

The Doctor was surprised to see me as a patient.

He took a Blood Pressure reading, and it was, if memory serves, 162/106.

He told me that I would have to be treated.

I was like: "Awww...! Do I have to?"

Then he gave me forms to fill out- I was not properly registered under the new Health Scheme. I had to make photocopies- that meant I had to leave the building, and go to a Photostat Vendor in the Student Hall of Residence next door- maybe a third of a mile, round-trip. I did not know how serious my condition was.

Looking for the Doctor, to submit the forms, I found him looking for me- and he said that I had to check into the ward, immediately! I was in no condition to be walking about!

I reluctantly complied.

My Twenty-Five Year Treatment-Free Streak was over!