[lead dropcap="yes"]We asked some of our VOUS family to document their journeys throughout our 21 days of fasting. Today, Francesca shares her experience.[/lead]Imagine being lost in a desert. In the middle of a hot summer day you feel the sun’s rays sizzling on your skin. The scorching sand burns the soles of your feet as you search for refreshing water. Yet there is no oasis in sight. No, I am not describing a nightmare. Instead, I am telling you what I thought fasting would feel like. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home like most of my friends. When I accepted Christ in my late teens, I heard them all speak of their fasting experiences while I was trying to process all the new information I gathered through the Word. The idea of fasting was hard for me to grasp. “How can we survive without food?”“My mind can’t even process without food in my system.”“How did Moses do it for 40 days and 40 nights?”“What did I get myself into?”I admit; those were my thoughts for many years. As time went on, I kept feeling the need to fast. I was curious how fasting would affect my life. Would it magically change my life somehow? I still didn’t fully understand it yet. One time, while working and going to school full-time, I was in fear that I would fail a course. My initial thought was that I could fast and that would somehow make me pass the class. Boy, was I wrong!Fasting finally started to make sense to me when I read Matthew 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” I realized that I was temporarily giving up something only to have more time with God. And it was amazing! From there I changed my perspective and instead of asking God for an A, I prayed and fasted to get serious in my relationship with Him. Thank God I came to my senses!This season, my fast is a bit different. It is for new beginnings. My prayers are about letting go of unnecessary things that distract from my time with God. I decided to do the Daniel Fast (Daniel 10:3) through the #PrayFirst period. The first three days have not been easy adjusting my body to a new eating regimen (just vegetables!) but my prayer time has been phenomenal. Now, when I think of fasting, I am not thinking of a desert. I think about Matthew 6:16-18 “when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." I am being refreshed by the Father every day!How is your fast journey going? Share your thoughts in the comments below.