Nona Freeman & Kneemail
Transcribed from Nona Freeman- FOUR AND HALF HOUR FAST – circa 1990’s. By request.
‘When my friend was sharing this with me and as she was telling me, I had a Holy Ghost witness, and chills all over me. It was so simple that she felt foolish even telling it. I am so glad she shared this with me. May it bless you as it does me.’
My friends testimony:
Even as a child I have always been blessed with perfect health but within days I was critical. I was admitted to the hospital and put through a battery of tests. I was blessed to have a doctor that was a giant in faith and a prayer warrior. I asked him to be honest with me; that based on my symptoms and his experience what did he think was wrong with me? He said, ‘Truthfully, I am afraid you have some form of aggressive stomach or intestinal cancer, but we are going to be praying.’ I was diagnosed with severe gastroenteritis and asthma and was in the hospital randomly for nearly a year. I literally existed on IV’s.
I was battling depression from sickness and being hospitalized so much. This particular stay I had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks; when my doctor asked, ‘Would you like to try to spend the night at home just tonight but only with the understanding you get back to the hospital immediately if needed.’ I gladly left the hospital. In hindsight I know now God had something else in store that benefits me even today. When my husband came to visit me he was shocked to find out I was waiting on him to take me home for the night.
Our church was in a revival and my husband was the church secretary and expected the revival to close that night. He asked if I felt like stopping by the church long enough for him to get the offerings and write the evangelist a check. I told him that would be fine. We stopped and the service was still in progress. He went in the auditorium and I just stopped and sat in the church office and observed the service by a one way window. No one knew I was there except my husband.
As the service concluded; the pastor stepped to the microphone and instead of closing the revival he made the following announcement. He said, ‘we have not seen a breakthrough in this revival that I want to see so I am calling a three day; church wide fast. I want everyone in this auditorium, young and old to participate.’ I thought, thank goodness, that excludes me because I am not in the sanctuary. Then immediately he stopped and said, ‘No, I take that back, if you are under the sound of my voice, I want you to fast too.’ I thought; why didn’t I stay in the hospital.
We came home from church with me dreading seven o’clock coming in the morning. I wrestled with what I should do if I should fast or not. It was just a cycle. If I breathed I had to take meds; if I took medication then there was no way I could take my meds with out any foods. I decided to heed the scripture, ‘It is better to obey than to sacrifice.’ In my condition obeying my pastor was not just a sacrifice; it determined if I could draw a decent breath.
I went to bed that night and got up the next morning in dread. I had been away from home so long that just my morning routine was such a joy to fall back into. Before seven o’clock I prayed, ‘I bless this fast in Jesus name and I will do my best for Jesus name,’ and I started my fast.
I decided I would not use respiratory meds for the three days so I stood less chance of needing to eat but within minutes I was struggling to breathe. My stomach hurt and ached also from the gastrointestinal problems but in Jesus name I was determined to honor my pastor and church by fasting. I tried to do without any medications but pain and shortness of breath was so intense it was a losing battle. No matter how bad I felt, I would praise the name of Jesus. I even got my Bible and just held it to me praying.
After a while all I could do was break my fast. I had lost track of time but when I looked at the clock thinking I had lasted to afternoon; I had fasted only four and a half hours. I just broke down weeping in defeat.
Later the pastor came by and I told him that I tried to fast but four and a half hours is as far as I could go. He said, ‘I had no idea you was even at church and there is no way I expect you to fast as critical as you are.’ He prayed for me and left. I did have to go back to the hospital one more time.
A few days later I noticed I could breathe easier and my stomach was not burning as severely. I looked at my meds and ask myself, “Did I take my medication or not because I am feeling so much better.’ I unconsciously would put a bite of food in my mouth and it did not hurt me. Over the days I just gradually got better, and as time went on I realized I was improving; until I could breathe and my stomach was no longer hurting so I stopped all medications and begin to eat what I wanted to see what would happen. Within a week I felt fine.
I was in this trial for a year and would return to the doctor for check ups. Finally on my last visit he asked how I was feeling and what medications I was taking so I just told him, ‘I don’t mean not to follow your treatment but I’m not taking any meds now and I am fine and can breathe and I can eat anything I want.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Well praise the Lord; you are healed!’ When he looked back at the date on my chart; it was exactly one year from the day he told me he feared I may have cancer; that he released me. When I left I was overwhelmed thinking about the miracle that I have; of what all I have been through; of what had happened in my body when all hope was gone and I felt I was not going to make it. I just broke down weeping my heart out in that parking lot.
Anyone who has passed through a trial can tell you there is a certain time when a prayer, testimony or something was instrumental in bringing them through to victory. As I rejoicing I prayed, Lord, I know we are not to question you but I wonder; what was the turning point in my sickness?
In the quietness an audible voice spoke to me, ‘It was your four and half hour fast!’ I could not believe what I was hearing and had totally forgotten about that time in my life; but I could look back and see; that is when I started healing.
My husband was a diabetic and would drink a diet coke in the afternoons with his snack. His secretary would fix it for him every day; a diet coke and a pack of crackers. Some times he would tell her, ‘just give me water today instead of my Diet Coke. He did not say anything to any body about what he was doing; but being a diabetic he could not fast but he would fast his Diet Coke and drink water blessing it in Jesus name. We saw so many prayers answered by him fasting that diet coke.
There are people who came to the Lord during that revival of my four and half hour fast that still lives for Jesus today and I still don’t take any medications and can eat anything I want. I did not fast for man to know but in obedience to Jesus and he blessed it.
All the glory to Jesus.
Patricia A Yarber Writing 