Recently I Had An Incredible Social Media Fast

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” -Jeremiah 33:3

I had a wonderful social media fast recently, even though it ended with the death of my uncle. God is still on the throne.

I began the week on a fast. I had planned staying off social media for 10 days. I had a series of questions in four categories I needed answers, too.

God always surprises me! He knew I was bent on receiving those answers, “God I’m not going to stop asking until you answer me.” God, doesn’t have to answer us, but when we approach Him in an attitude of humility and total surrender to wanting to do what His will is, He answers. I know this because of this passage above. “Ask, and I WILL answer you!” It’s a promise. God will answer us always. When we seek Him with ALL our heart, He will be found by us.

Monday early in the morning. 3:33 AM to be exact, I woke up, after being asleep for only 2 hours. I was wide awake, I knew God was trying to say something to me. Immediately, God brought to my mind Malachi 3 to read. I said, “God, I already know about tithe and offering and I do that already.” God was so clear, “I told you to go read Malachi 3!”

I got my Bible, turned to it, and read it. As I read it, God began to answer my questions. I studied and cross referenced what was in it. By 7 AM, God graciously had answered every single question I had in all four categories. God showed me things I didn’t even ask for.

I had told the people I work with, and my family, I’m on this fast so unless it’s an emergency don’t bother me please. As we all know, Satan is there too creating problems, and I had a crisis after crisis every moment in 5 days, including the death of my uncle, the first in my dad’s family.

I don’t want to concentrate on the negative because truthfully, it’s all about the positive for me. In just five days, God brought me hope, joy, peace, and an excitement. I can’t explain. All because I took the time to close myself with my Creator, my God, my Savior, and my Lord. God is so real and so close when we truly seek Him.

We have our priorities backwards. This why we are stuck in the mud, depressed, oppressed, and constantly struggling. The struggle is real for sure, and things happen in our lives that are depressing. Trials happen! They are part of this life here on earth, but we don’t have to live there! That’s a choice we make. God calls us higher, we choose the valley because we don’t want to do things God’s way.

The real truth is God speaks! Are you hearing? Are you so skeptical, and take the road of believing He doesn’t missing out on the “Remarkable secrets of God” because you want to think from a carnal mind, instead of taking the mind of Christ?” Big huge mistake! I have walked many times on a road of difficulty, devastating, and painful. I understand more then you think I do. Nothing can shock me. I hear you. I know what you're going through, but you can’t stay there. You have to find the courage in God to move forward. Go to Him, and seek Him until you find Him. He is there waiting for you.

I choose to give up social media. It was a nightmare because much of my boards, for both organizations, are out of the country. And this how we conduct business. I was stressed when I began. But you know what? God honored me by answering everything before my fast even began. My children and my Executive Director thought, “Well now you don’t have to do the fast, God answered you!” But, I still gave it up as I wanted to honor God for answered prayer.

God, being God, gave me a double blessing. In each of those categories God confirmed every single question in just five days. Half the time I had planned on fasting. Then He began to give me vision for future projects and a perfect road map on how to get to His blessings, amazing and great God in awe of His majesty and greatness.

I’ll share one story. Ellianna, my perfect child decided to get all 12 years old on me. I guess I had forgotten the previous child giving me the same dose. That was my welcome into the first day of my fast. I took her brand new computer that was custom built to her needs for school and recreational games, along with all the special accessories that went with it, and gave it away. Parents of pre-teens, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about here. I prayed all the way to the place I gave it and back God would give me the wisdom on handling this issue. Imagine when I got back to a child that came running and hugging me and apologizing for her disrespectful behavior.

I got back in the car with her and her brother, and took them for an ice cream. On a very long ride. I asked Ellianna some questions regarding the incident that took place. A great discussion followed. Ellianna really is an amazing girl. I then asked her what she would want other teens to know, and what would she say to parents about communicating? The girl is brilliant; she really is.

Can you guess what happened next? Ellianna and I are co-authoring a book on teens and parents keeping the communication door opened. God took a negative situation and brought forth an incredible opportunity to showcase His love and bless others because of it. Not many 12 year olds with a series of book deals are there? Of course, big brother Justin wouldn’t be left behind. This opened up a book deal for him and me to write too. Eighteen year olds don’t exactly have book deals without the book even being written. God blessed both my children for my obedience to Him and parenting like a godly parent.

I know God honored the social media fast. I shared one story so that you would understand God takes our surrendered lives and blesses them smack in the middle of our hardships. I hadn’t planned to give away her computer and I wasn’t prepared first day of the fast to be so upset by her behavior. But, God knew my serious heart. He knew I meant business, and He answered me immediately and left huge blessings right in the middle of my battle.

Are you willing to go up the mountain no matter the hardship? Are you willing to stop all the noise around you to just hear one voice? You can’t climb Mount Everest without being prepared. Yesterday, I was at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Two guys were next to me when I got there. Two friends, the guy stood up and offered me his seat, all the seats were taking the wait time was like two hours, tons of people just standing there, and every bench taken. I thanked him, and said I’m going to be next, I have an appointment. But was impressed by his gentleman’s gesture. We started taking, they were young guys from Nepal. We talked about Mount Everest. They were in very good shape, I asked them if they climbed? Their response was, “No way, you have to have a lot of training before you can make a climb like that. You have to have a lot of discipline, and determination. You can’t just get on the top without proper preparation.”

Friends, it’s the same for us spiritually! You can’t get to the top of where God wants you to be without self discipline. You have to spend the time with the greatest trainer of all times. You want answers to your problems? Go to God. You want to know what your future holds? Go to God. You must get serious with Him to receive His answers to you.

Our God is real! Very real! He wants to take you to the top of the mountain and show you remarkable things yet to come. Are you willing to give up the meaningless things you do to live this exhilarating life filled with awesomeness in every twist and turn? If the answer is yes, you have to give up time, things, and even people. It’s ok, do it. God promises the righteous will never be put to shame or be disappointed. At the end of the day does it really matter what people have to say? My God means a lot more to me than people. God can do things no person can do. So then are you a God pleaser or man pleaser?

For me, I’m a God pleaser all the way. I don’t care who likes me and who doesn’t. I’m sold out to God all the way. Choose wisely, Friends.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro