The Journey

By James D. Miller

Something marvelous happens to us when we spend time alone with God, fully dependant on the care of the Father. There must have been something extraordinary awaiting Jesus, however the world of a forty day fast is something hidden to most people. This glimpse of what might have taken place, is written on the foundation of personally experiencing 17 forty day fasts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512763744

James D. Miller

James Miller has enjoyed many accomplishments in his life. He has served as Youth Pastor, Pastor, Police Officer, Police Chaplain, and coach of several different sports and teams. But his greatest joy has been the joy of being married to Judith, and together raising 4 boys and being grandparents to 16 wonderful grand kids.

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Copyright © 2016 James Miller.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6375-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6376-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6374-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016918890

Print information available on the last page.

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/07/2016

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 Day 1

Led By The Spirit

2 Day 2

Settling In

3 Day 3

Living By Faith

4 Days 4-6

Silent Observers

5 Day 7

Adjusting To Change

6 Protected By Angels

7 Day 10

Re-Learning The Ways Of God

8 Day 14

Becoming More Like God

9 Day 16

Satan’s Plot

10 Day 17

God’s Craftsmanship

11 Day 18

The Prayer Of Believers

12 Day 20

True Vision

13 Day 21

God Prepares Others

14 Day 24

Power In Fasting

15 Day 28

Priority Of Prayer

16 Day 30

A Glimpse Forward

17 Day 32

Letting Go And Letting God

18 Day 33

Part Of The Family

19 Day 34

Out Of Sight, Never Forgotten

20 Day 35

The Mind Of God

21 Day 36

Looking Forward

22 Day 37

Miracles

23 Day 38

Power

24 Day 39

New Beginnings

25 Day 40

Rest

26 Day 40, +1

Validation

27 Temptation One

Putting Self First

28 The Second Temptation

Leaning On Self

29 The Third Temptation

Taking Shortcuts

30 Moving Day

31 Epilogue

This book is predicated on the Joy, Wonder, and Spiritual Victories I have discovered in going on sustained fasts. The lessons and insights I have learned about Prayer and Fasting stem mainly from personal experiences after having gone on at least one forty day fast for fifteen consecutive years. Before I started that journey, I had one small booklet on Fasting, and about 20 books on Prayer. That part of my Library now runs over 300 volumes, plus countless articles and tapes on the subject. While prayer has long been a passion in my life, fasting has now become an integral and critical part of my walk with the Savior. Something special happens when you spend time alone with God.

This book is dedicated first and foremost to my God and Savior. He has put the right people into my life to make this book possible. Chief among them is my life’s partner, my wife who has steadily prompted and encouraged me to both write and publish this book. Another key figure is one that I have never met, but who’s writing lit the fire in my life to Pray and Fast for revival: Thank you Bill Bright: your prayer and writing was used of God to change my life, ministry, and walk with God for ever.

PREFACE

Have you ever wondered how Jesus felt, lived, or handled the routine things of life? Have you ever pondered about the everyday things he had to endure? Have you ever thought about if Jesus ever felt hungry while he lived here on earth? Did his stomach ever growl, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything for a while? Did he ever awaken wondering how the needs of the day might be met? In other words, did he ever experience life like you and me? Have you ever wondered what it must have been like for him, who once had lived in Heaven, to then live on earth and experience the things of life just like all of us have to face?

If you’re like me and most people seem to be; then it would seem safe to say that most of us, if not all of us, have at one time or another have experienced times in our lives when we needed either strength, wisdom, or direction in order to go on. That makes me wonder not only if Jesus likewise experienced those times, but also how he might have handled those various situations of life. We’ve known what it was like wondering about what was happening all around us, but have you ever thought that Jesus would have had to experience like situations; if he really was human? In order to be tempted like us, he had to have the same frailties and limitations just like the rest of us. He would have had to face the questions of life and would have had to make choices just like us; if he truly was to be human like us. Yes, we believe that Jesus was Divine, but we also believe him to have been fully human. With that in mind, I would like to share with you an insight into a small part of the life Jesus: the forty days that he spent in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry.

Having personally completed 17, forty-day fast over the last 15 years, plus numerous smaller fasts, I have become more and more intrigued with what Jesus might have experienced during his time in the wilderness, as compared to what I encountered on my journeys. As a result, I believe God has given me an insight into what Jesus might have experienced during his journey into the wilderness.

Using my experiences plus the testimonies of others, I have tried to pass along to you, those insights and lessons. May this book began to trigger a deeper hunger to experience your own personal time alone with God. May you gain a unique understanding of what Jesus might have gone through on his journey in the wilderness, as he prepared himself to fulfill God’s calling on life. May you look at and understand the life of Christ in a fresh new way after reading this book. I think God has given me a picture of what might have happened after Jesus was led into the wilderness and then during his stay, alone with God, protected by Angels and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Conversely, I have listened to and read the thoughts of those who have tried to give insight on the subject who have never themselves walked with Jesus on an extended fast of any duration. They seem to know little or nothing about giving up a basic need in order to draw closer to God. While they may love God fully, it is something else to so and completely rely on God for your sustenance that you surrender food, shelter, and structure in order to gain insight and strength that only comes from God.

Going on diets, that is trying to gain a handle on my eating and my weight, has always been hard for me. However, learning to surrender food in order to draw closer to God has been a source of great joy and victory. Learning to feast on God’s word, instead of feasting on the food of this world, has allowed me to gain insight and to understand concepts that were foreign and unknown to me previously. I have not arrived, but I have grown in my walk with God. It is my sincerest prayer, that by using my experiences that I have encountered during times alone with God in long term sustained fasting, that you might grasp and gain insight and understanding that heretofore you were not aware of. It is my fondest hope and desire, that I might enhance your understanding of what Jesus might have encountered and experienced during His 40 day sojourn in the wilderness.

Something unique and special happened to Jesus in the wilderness. Luke tells us in his Gospel that being full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led into the wilderness, but when Jesus left the wilderness, he was filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit. Being led by the Spirit is crucial to our walk with Christ. Being full of the Spirit is vital to our commitment to the Father. However, being Filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit, is essential if we are to be victorious in our service to the Kingdom. If God felt it necessary for His Son to gain something found during his time alone with the Father in the wilderness, wouldn’t it peak our interest to see if that same thing could happen to us if and when we would chose to be alone with God on our own 40 day journey with God in Prayer and Fasting.

As we look at what the Father did for His Son in the wilderness, may it cause each of us to desire a similar journey. Put on your sandals, and join me as we journey with Jesus in the wilderness.

INTRODUCTION

On the day Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, everything seemed ripe for Jesus to launch his earthly ministry. The Baptist had just declared that one greater than he was coming and that this promised one would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus had stepped into the water, John had proclaimed that he needed to be baptized by Jesus, not Jesus being baptized by him. As Jesus came up from the water, what appeared as a dove descended and a voice from Heaven declared that he was God’s dearly loved son, and that he brought the Heavenly Father great joy.

There truly could not have been a more perfect time for Jesus to burst on the scene and declare the arrival of the Kingdom of God. However, instead of seizing the moment and declaring his intended ministry and purpose of life, at the direct prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit, he secreted himself in the wilderness and went on a journey of total dependence and intimacy with the Father. With seemingly no fanfare or preparation, Jesus followed the prompting of the Spirit much like Abram had when he left his home and went to a place God would show him. With no apparent explanation to those who would follow him, Jesus left everything behind and began a journey alone with God. With no provisions, no shelter, and depending solely on the protection given by unseen Angels of Heaven, he embarked on a pilgrimage to be alone with God. Surrounded by wild beasts and subject to the whims of nature, he was totally and completely reliant on the care and keeping of the Heavenly Father.

Reminiscent of God leading Moses onto Mount Sinai in order to guide and instruct him in what God desired from him and the people of Israel, God now leads Jesus into the wilderness. Just as the omniscient Sovereign God of the Universe is never caught off guard, neither does He ever do anything without a purpose or a plan. It is with perfect intentionality that He causes the Spirit to direct Jesus to the perfect place at the perfect time, in order to fulfill another part of His perfect plan.

While the divine side of Jesus would have no problems with following the leading of the Holy Spirit, the human side would have to walk by faith and be willing to yield his wants and desires to the discretion of God. The man Jesus had to make an intentional decision to relinquish his personal control of the moment, for the unknown guidance and destination of the Spirit.

The dilemma that faces all mere mortals, now confronted Jesus face to face. Was he willing to surrender his own appetites and needs, to the will and leading of the God Head. Yielding one’s personal desire for understanding and control to God, would not have been an easy choice for the human side of Jesus. Like most, if not all humans, there would have dwelt inside the mortal side of Jesus the inner battle to guide and control one’s own destiny.

The very first step toward the wilderness, meant that Jesus had decided to trust God and yield his will and desire to the Fathers plan. An easy decision for the divine side of Jesus, but not so for the human side. The first victory on this journey had been won.

CHAPTER 1

Day 1

Led by the Spirit

As Jesus walked further into the wilderness, his mind had more questions than answers. He knew he was doing the right thing, but that didn’t mean he understood everything that was happening. He knew that the Father was dealing with him and he knew within his spirit that he was being guided, but that didn’t stop the questions that seemingly everyone had been asking him. How could he explain to others what he himself didn’t fully understand? How could he explain that he had to come into the wilderness without any provisions, when all those around him either wanted to celebrate with him, or tell him he should be responsible and go back home and back to work? How do you describe in favorable terms, that which most people conceive of as not only unfavorable, but almost reprehensible?

As a good Jewish man, fasting was no stranger to him as he had practiced it often. But this, to put it simply, this was totally different. To willing offer up one of the basic needs of life, food, not just for a meal or a day, but for forty days; that was something else. It went far beyond what a rational man would ever come up with for himself. He could hear the scoffers: What kind of lunatic are you? Have you lost your senses? If it had not been for the fact that he knew that he was being led by the Spirit, he would have never voluntarily come here.

Led by the Spirit, how different that sounded here on Earth then it had in Heaven. Just as he knew that he was one with the Father, he also knew that he was one with the Spirit. Though they were 3 separate personalities, they were one in nature and being. In Heaven they had always been united, together and whole. But here, going through this testing in this wilderness, he had never felt more alone. Yet even as he thought it, he knew that it wasn’t true: He wasn’t really alone. For one thing, the very Spirit that had led him here was still with him, guiding him and revealing things to him. Though it wasn’t like it had been in Heaven, as a man he felt the love and fellowship that comes from walking with God, and His Spirit.

Then there were God’s messengers, the Angels of Heaven. Though he couldn’t see them, he knew that the Father had sent his angels to watch over him. Back home in Heaven, he had known each one by name. But here it was all different. He couldn’t tell if there was just one or an entire legion of Angels around him, but he knew the Father never left his children alone. He thought of those he had been closest to, and wondered if they were the ones here. But he knew that it really didn’t matter. Every single one of them had been created by God and had stood the test of loyalty when Lucifer had led his revolt in Heaven. Every single one of them was more than capable to do the tasks assigned to them. Wow, just that thought alone gave him comfort and a sense of security. He must remember to tell others that they too would never walk alone, not as long as they walked with the Father.

He thought of Lucifer again. Lucifer had been an angel of high standing. Once he had been called a friend. Now he was fallen and cast out of Heaven. Jesus hadn’t seen him in the wilderness yet, but he was sure that Lucifer wouldn’t pass up a chance to bring hurt, shame, or despair to either himself or the host of heaven. How sad and heartbreaking it had been to watch a full third of Heaven turn its back on the Glory of the Father, as they aligned their selves with Lucifer. Lucifer, now called Satan or the Devil, hadn’t stopped gloating yet. He loved to brag that he could lure anyone away from God. While all of Heaven knew that wasn’t true, Satan would never admit it, and because of that he kept trying. Jesus knew that some people were trying to teach that the devil wasn’t real, but He knew that they were only fooling themselves. All of Heaven could attest to that, but Heaven also knew that Satan’s power is limited.

As Jesus looked around, he saw that it was getting late, and decided that he ought to find a place where he could bed down for the night. As he thought of the soon coming night a slight smile revealed itself on his face. The God part of him remembered when they had first created night and day. The earth had been without order and distinction, and darkness covered the deep waters until they had created light. Pleased with the light they brought order into the world by separating light and darkness. The separation became the method through which they could distinguish time. The smile on Jesus’ face grew as he realized that He, who had been there at the beginning of time, was now dwelling in a time and place where he now measured time with the passing of night. It then dawned on him, that he, who was never bound by light or dark was now looking for a place of shelter because of the night.

All of a sudden the man Jesus didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry. He remembered how the Psalmist had called the earth God’s footstool, and here he was, the Son of God looking for a place to lay his head. He had no regrets leaving Heaven in order to become a man. They had known even before the creation of the world that a price would have to be paid someday in order for their creation to be redeemed. God’s love for man existed even before man was created. The plan had been established long ago, that only a pure and holy sacrifice would suffice. Even before the beginning of time, Jesus knew he was to be that perfect offering. But for the price to be real, it would have to be made by a man. Not by one pretending to be man, but the Holy Lamb of God had to in fact become man. In order for man to be redeemed God’s Son had to become a willing sacrifice, holy and pure. There had been no other recourse; Jesus had to surrender all the glory of Heaven in order to take on the mantel of flesh.

Jesus knew one thing for certain, in order for him to be man’s redeemer; he had to be fully man, as well as fully God. The pain, hardship, and faith needed to be here, at this place and at this time, was real. He, who was the bread of life, was learning firsthand about growling stomachs, and the urge to find food. He who had helped in the creation of all things now knew what it took for a man to willing surrender even the basic things in life, in order to be obedient to the will of the Father. Like any other man, he had been faced with a choice and a decision to make. He could choose to follow the leading off the Father, or he could choose to resist and do his own thing. For the Divine part of Jesus, the choice had been made long ago, but for the man Jesus, it was a current and ongoing decision.

As the shadows grew longer Jesus realized that he would need to get a fire going. It was amazing how warm it could be in the day time, but when the sun went down it could turn more than chilly; it could become cold. The very thought of the cool air sent a shiver through his body. As he looked for dry kindling with which to build a fire, his thoughts wandered on many levels. Amidst all the other things flowing through his mind, he thought again of heaven. No fire needed there. No extra blankets needed at night. Night! There was that thought again; night. He wasn’t sure what triggered his thinking, but he realized that night was a phenomenon that occurred only here on earth. In heaven they didn’t mark the passing of time. One day there was like a thousand years here, and a thousand years as but a day. Here time could be so pressing. He had been here in the wilderness only one day, yet it already seemed like a long time. Then he thought of all the days yet to come on this sojourn in the wilderness, and to the man Jesus, it seemed like forever.

With the fire going, Jesus began to settle in for the night. As he sat there resting, he began talking with Father. Oh how good it was to converse with the Father. As he shared the things that had been happening in his life, he felt once again that calm peaceful feeling that always came when he was with the Father. Nothing, here on earth or in the realm of Heaven could come close to matching the splendor of being in the presence of God. In his mind’s eye he could see the Fathers face once again. His inner being was gently calmed as his mind thought of home. As he sang songs of praise and worship to the God of all creation, he felt the pangs of homesickness. He knew this was where he was to be, and he knew what he needed to accomplish, but his heart still yearned for home. There was only one joy that could come close to matching the joy of heaven, and that was the joy and satisfaction of doing the will of the Father and spending time with Him daily; and hearing his father say; Well done my Son!

Oh, if only somehow while he was here on earth he could help all of God’s children know the joy of spending time alone with the Father. He had watched and experienced firsthand the trick of Satan, getting people so busy doing things in life that they failed to take time to talk and walk with their Lord. God had given man the Sabbath in order for him to be restored and rested, but man had learned to use it for everything else but rest and communion with God. Even those who worshiped God would get so busy that even when they prayed, they would rush through it in order to finish another task. Why didn’t they realize that they were starving themselves spiritually when they neglected time with the Father? Why couldn’t they understand that they were missing out on the most beautiful sense of peace and joy that could only be found in the presence of God?

As he finished praying he looked around and suddenly realized how dark it had become. As he looked over to the fire, he felt a sense of safety and serenity in the light. There was something unsettling about being in the dark and not knowing what was around you. Sounds seemed to magnify, and your imagination could run rampant. The simplest sound in the night could become a terrifying rampaging beast in the midst of a runaway imagination. He had watched as Satan and his cohorts had driven fear into the heart of man through man’s own thoughts gone wild and unchecked. If only man could focus more on the father, and let the things of heaven occupy their thoughts, they would find a peace that passes all understanding. How had man been tricked to think that he could fill his life with everything but God, and still grow in God?

Gazing once again into the light of the fire, Jesus could visualize the purpose his being in this place. Just as the light calmed Jesus even now, he understood how lost man must feel in the darkness of sin. Not knowing what was around him could drive a person to despair and cause an angst that could defeat him. If only man would realize that God had sent His son into the wilderness of this world as a light pointing the way home. If only man would accept the fact the Jesus was indeed the Light of this World. Wow, what a beautiful picture of His life and purpose had the Father just given him. If he learned nothing else during this journey in the wilderness, the lesson of the light in the midst of the darkness was worth it all.

Trusting the Lord for his protection and safety, Jesus closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Unseen by human eyes, the Angels of God hovered low over the Son of God, who had become a mortal man, in order to become man’s redeemer. Though unknown to man, God’s Angels watch over all of God’s children. Not once, was Jesus ever alone or unwatched. As the world quieted in slumber, the watchful eyes of heaven kept constant vigil.

CHAPTER 2

Day 2

Settling In

As the first rays of light began to fade the totality of the darkness, Jesus awoke to greet