Fasting for a Change with Tammy Hotsenpiller

0:00 Hello everyone, this is Steven Strang and welcome to the Strang Report podcast. And today is my honor to be able to interview Tammy Hottson Pillar from California who has just written this new book called Fasting for a Change, a 21-day journey. This is the third book that she's published with us and I am so excited to welcome you. We're also publishing your husband soon, but your book just came out just in time for New Year's when a lot of people are maybe motivated to really seek the Lord and to fast and your books are so helpful.

0:48 So other than welcoming you and telling you, thank you for fitting this in. We had a little trouble fitting it in when it both worked for us. But I think this is very important. I fast most years. I've been on several extended fasts and I intend to participate and to learn from this book myself. So maybe my first question should be, how does this book differ from the previous books that you've done on fasting? Well, Steve, thanks so much for having me on your show. It's always an honor to be with you. And of course, you know how much I love Charisma and you all have just been wonderful to work with. I love your heart. This is my third fasting book with you all.

1:30 You know, Steve, I've been on the journey of fasting for about eight or nine years now. I did not grow up fasting like most of us in evangelical churches. Fasting is not something most of us have learned to practice. We didn't understand the spiritual discipline. So I began fasting when I really understood the scripture in Matthew, when Jesus was talking to the disciples and said, how be it this kind only goes out by prayer and fasting. And I'm a huge prayer warrior. I love to pray, but I realize I was not fasting. That is a key component into what Jesus was teaching. So I just started fasting on a regular basis and started taking our local church here in Anaheim through fasting.

2:10 And then as you know, from our previous books, God just really led me to write fasting with God, which was my first book with you. And then fasting for miracles, which was last year. But let me tell you why I'm so excited about this year. This book is called Fasting for a Change. And as we know, you and I have discussed often, we need a change in America. I was praying and I just felt the Holy Spirit say to me, I want you to write this book and I want it to be about a change in the hearts of homes and churches for our country. So that was the premise of this book. And then we'll talk a little bit more about what's in the book and how you can benefit from it. Well, it's very timely because 2024, of course, is an election year.

2:53 And not just an election year, a particularly pivotal one because of all the things that are going on. And I know that you speak at these great rallies put on by Clay Clark with Patriots from all over who are trying to change. And how I know that you were there recently. How did they respond to your message on fasting? Well, you know, it's interesting because I think people are waking up to the discipline of fasting. I think many of us realize that it is a biblical principle. And as you know, Steve, you've read through the word of God throughout the whole Bible, we're taught to fast. And so I think what it is, it's people are adjusting and going, oh, my goodness, how have I never been involved in a fast?

3:36 Many of us are fasting in our churches now, so it's very well received. But I think this book in particular, because people realize we need to fast for a change. As you know, fasting is something that we bring before God, not only as a discipline, but as an offering. Steve, we're bringing this to God. And we're saying, God, I want to get serious with the things of the kingdom. I'm going to submit myself, body, soul and spirit to you. And I'm going to ask you to do something through my fast. Well, you're a pastor's wife, you're a spiritual leader in your own right, and you're a coach. And what do you think? What do you see from that vantage point that people are missing other than, you know, we don't like being hungry and it's not taught.

4:21 And fasting is not easy. In fact, in some ways, a one day fast is more difficult than a three day faster. Or I fasted one time in my life for 40 days. That's a different story for a different time. I was fasting for something specific and the Lord met the need. And so I believe in this and we published at Chris Mahouse, we published Jensen Franklin and a number of other books on fasting because I think it's so important. And there is an interest in the body of Christ about fasting, but it's more than just being hungry. So why do you think that people are missing and what do you hope people get out of the book?

5:07 Well, a couple of things, Steve, I want to address what we have to understand is I believe in the spiritual discipline that we're learning to suppress our flesh. This is a food fast Steve. This is not, you know, many people today feel like they can fast from Netflix or TV or shopping or certain things. That's not a biblical fast. A biblical fast in my conviction is food. The literal word fast in the Greek means shut your mouth. In the Hebrew, it means no food. So when we're being taught to fast, we literally are bringing our flesh, our humanity before the Lord, we're suppressing our desires, our fleshly desires, and we're pressing into something deeper.

5:50 I love to coach people and say, if you can say no to food, you can say no to other things. So we really are learning to say, God, I am not going to be tempted with that chocolate chip cookie or with that glass of wine or whatever it is that you want. There's something about our natural flesh that when we do not gratify it, when we literally suppress it and release it to God, I believe that we see breakthrough. So I truly believe a fast has to do with food. Well I agree with you entirely. And there are some people who even fast water. That's pretty intense. And I know there's a lot of disagreement on that.

6:30 But fasting from food. And when you're talking about fasting in Netflix, that sounds like with people in Lent. You know, originally Lent was a fast. Absolutely. And Catholics would fast on Friday. Well that deteriorated into not eating meat, only fish. But it's just interesting throughout history this has happened because fasting goes all the way back to the Old Testament and certainly Jesus. And so how do you, what do you say about a fast? I agree with you a thousand percent that if people can say no to food, they can say no to other things. There's just something, I believe that, I'll just speak for myself, I had to almost prove to myself that I could do it.

7:18 And prove to myself that I was stronger than my appetites. And for me at least, it actually made me feel good. It was, you know, kind of like winning a sports event or something. I mean, yes, you know, it was tough, but I did it. So I know that that's just looking at it humanly, but from a spiritual point of view, how do people change because of a fast? Well, you know, I called it fasting for a change, as I mentioned, because I really wanted to pray and fast to come before God and ask for a change. So what I did is, you know, I'm a life coach. I took 21 different topics, areas in our life, and I coach you every single day in a different area.

7:59 So we talk about things like generosity. We talk about things like creating God's image, patience, worth, dignity, identity, all of these different things. For 21 days, I'm going to be your life coach. As a matter of fact, as you know, I actually have come up with videos every single morning. So if you're going to fast with us, I'm going to be your fasting coach. And for 21 days, go to my website. I'll be there every morning to greet you with a fasting video for the day. All you have to do is make it through 24 hours, we'll do it again the next morning. But I believe that we need to see change in our personal lives. I need to be walking with God. I need to be accountable to God.

8:41 There are things in my life that I need to be doing better. So this fasting book is much more of a coaching book, to be honest with you. I want to be your coach, and I want you to understand who God created you to be. I want you to go deeper in all that God has for you. I think that's important. And when people learn, and it's, you know, usually you can't hear just once and you can't just go to a website. But when you read it, when you ponder it, when you go to the website, get the teaching, work on it day after day, it's almost like forming a habit or it helps because the worst thing you can do is is here at one time and say, oh, I'm going to fast.

9:24 And that's usually ends in disaster. I know some people go on juice fast. I have a problem going on juice fast because of the sugar in juice. It makes you feel better because at least when I fast, I have no energy because food gives us energy. I mean, it's fuel for our bodies to work. And so my energy level goes up for, you know, 30 minutes maybe and feel pretty good. And then, then I crash and I feel worse. So I do better on a, on just a water fast. Other people do a Daniel fast, which is a modified fast.

10:04 It's, to me, it's more than fasting Netflix. What do you think? Well, here, I just want to say this. And if you get the book or if you look at my website, I'm going to walk you through all the different types of fast in the Bible. And you're referring to a juice fast. We've kind of modified that from a Daniel fast to a juice fast. We've kind of tried to make it easy and comfortable, to be honest with you. For the church, we want the church, we want Christians to fast. So we've come up with these little routines, do this, do that. So I, you know, I like to say ask Holy Spirit what he wants you to fast for and what she, what he wants you to fast from. So start there and really begin to research these fast, whether it be an Esther fast for three days or a Daniel fast for 10 days or 21 days, or as you mentioned, Moses, Elijah and Jesus all fasted for 40 days.

10:55 Now I mentioned in my book, I do not recommend a 40 day fast or just a water fast unless Holy Spirit has led you and your doctor has signed off on it. And I believe that God would speak to you that way. I know great men and women of the faith that have done 40 day fast for breakthrough, but I'll tell you what, they're ready for it. They're prepared for it and God's called them into it. I do want to say that if this is the first time that you're joining us and you're considering fasting, start simple. So for me, I do a 21 day fast. I do a sunup to sundown. So it's called a partial fast. Steve, my husband and I do this. We do not eat during the day and then we have an evening meal. During the day, every time my stomach growls, I begin to pray.

11:39 I begin to intercede. It's almost like an alarm clock that goes off as a trigger that reminds me why I'm fasting and I say, Holy Spirit, I'm interceding now for my country, for my family, for my church. Literally that's what it is. That's my flesh contending. That's me remembering why am I fasting? I'm not just trying to go all day and see if I can make it till the sun sets and I can have something to eat. I am thinking throughout the day. I am praying throughout the day. I'm persevering and pressing in during the day. This is a spiritual exercise. It's a spiritual discipline. I coach our church for 21 days every single day, stay focused, stay determined. We're asking God for some breakthrough.

12:19 And that's what I want to coach people. This isn't just something ritualistic. It's not just something that I'm going to try it. This is not intermittent fasting. I want to explain that. A lot of people are intermittent fasting today for weight loss. Although I think that's a great way to lose weight and get healthy. That's a physical fast and not a biblical fast. Those are two different things. And make sure if you are going on a fast with God for a specific spiritual reason that your mind is right, your heart is right, and you're hearing from God throughout that fast. Good advice. Now, why don't you tell us some of the stories about change that you tell in the book, particularly things that have happened with your ministry, your husband, the great church that you have there in Anaheim Hills called Influence Church.

13:12 Give us some real life examples because as a coach, if I've ever met anybody who has real life examples, it's you. Oh, well, thank you, Steve. You know what? I like to put God to the test. He even tells us we can do that. And that means I bring the word to God and I say, God, I'm believing you for this. So something simple as we all know three years ago during the pandemic when COVID first broke out, many churches, especially here in California, were closed. We did not close. We stayed open. We were the church. We were ministering to our community. We were feeding and we were clothing the homeless. But we did not close down. During that period of time, we had groups like Antifa Come. We had groups that picketed.

13:53 We had actually, I hate to say, even churches that were sending us letters saying we should close and be obedient to governing authorities. And we had to learn how to resist what the enemy would try to do to us, to squelch us. And we said, we're going to fast for a change. We're going to believe for a change in California. We're going to believe up for a change with our governor. We're going to believe for a change with the church. And we began to really pray and fast. We have a prayer wall here at our church with over 100,000 prayer requests in it. So our congregation would come and we would lay our hands on that prayer wall, similar to the wailing wall in Israel. And we began to ask God for change.

14:33 We saw marriages healed. We saw prodigal children come back. We saw women who could not get pregnant conceived. We believe in change. You know, he tells us, behold, I'm doing a work in your day that you would not believe if told. And I believe we have to hold on to those scriptures. The Bible tells us if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed, the new has come. That's all scriptures about change. We know that when we are created into his image, we're created into new birth, that born again experience is changed. So I just want to say to people, we need a change, not just our country, but Steve, we need a change in our own heart.

15:15 We need a change in our families and we need to put God to the test. He is a miracle working God that wants to open up the windows of heaven and blesses children. That is very important. And the change always starts with ourselves. And you know, we're dealing with our spiritual life because our spirits are what live forever. That's the most important part of ourselves. But we also live in a culture. We live in a nation. We live in a nation that's run by politicians. And we've had it pretty good here in America for a couple of centuries with our constitution, our founding fathers, the Christian values that not everyone's a Christian, of course, but Christian values were preeminent.

16:03 And that is changing before our eyes. And it seems to be getting worse and worse. I mean, we're not really here to discuss politics, but when we discuss change in 2024 with the election, that is politics. The reason that Donald Trump got in in 2016 is because people were desperate to try to get things to turn in a different direction. And a lot of things did change. There were no involvements in new wars. Our borders were much more secure, certainly than they are now. The economy was good. A lot of things happened.

16:43 But then all the things happened in 2020. When a lot of people were praying, some were even fasting, all kinds of prophets were saying the election was stolen and all that kind of stuff. And then it's just gotten worse and worse and worse. And now how do we... I know it's not just if more of us fast and pray than the other side, we're going to win. God doesn't measure like that. So help me and help my viewers and listeners understand how us fasting in January of 2020 2024 is going to help change things in the fall when the elections come, not only for president, but all the way down the ballot.

17:24 Well, you know, great question, Steve. I think first of all, I have to say the change has to start with you. We all want to change the world, but we don't want to change ourselves. And we have to start with us. You know, I was very convicted. I'm a prayer walker. I love to pray. And in my prayer room, I was on my face before God. And this is just a personal story. And Holy Spirit's been speaking very intimate with me very intimately and very loudly. And he kept reminding me of Second Chronicles 714. And this is to me, listen, I want your viewers to hear this, your listeners to hear this. If you're a believer, this is for you. The word of God says, if my people who are called by my name will what will humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven.

18:11 And my friend, it's incumbent upon you and I, we can, we can try to fast. We can do spiritual disciplines and rituals. We can go to church. We can tithe. We can be good. But if we haven't repented, if we're not honest, you know, there are many times we ask, why did God turn his back on his chosen children, Israel? God, why did you do that in the Old Testament? And there are times when he allowed the enemy to come in to make his children jealous, where he was trying to rise up in, in Israel to, to lift that up, that passion. And I think God's trying to wake up and rise up and within us, the love for him first. Yes, our country. This country was founded by Godly men and women on Godly principles, biblical principles, which is trying to be rewritten in history books today, I might add.

18:59 But we know about America. But before you fast for America, are you fast for a son or daughter or church? Let me ask you, are you fasting for you? And in my book for 21 days, I'm going to keep pushing this book. I think it's one of the best fasting books I've written. I'm going to encourage you to get it from Charisma, get it on Amazon, get this book and fast with me. It's not some spiritual Fufu dust. I'm going to just sprinkle this out there and all of a sudden God's going to give you the answer to your prayer. You're going to get on your face before God. You're going to repent. You're going to weep. You're not going to want to eat because you're going to be mourning for where we are as a people. And I just that's stirring in me so much right now, Steve, I believe he's he really is raising up believers that are learning to war, to really war in our spirit.

19:46 So when I fast and I pray, I mean, it's not this is it's another year. It's January. It's time to fast. I don't do this lightly, Steve. When I fast, I realize it's my it's my weapon of warfare and I'm contending for something deeper and more spiritual in my life and the life of those around me. I went in the time that we have left to kind of walk through the book and I'm glad you are encouraging people to buy it. Of course, that's one of the reasons we're doing the podcast is to draw attention to it. It just barely came out. It's available in all the stores that sell Christian books. It's available on Amazon.com, of course, and also our own website called my Christmas shop.com.

20:30 So it's easy to get. But why don't you just kind of walk us through just very briefly the 21 steps, how you coach and give us a little foretaste of what they'll get from reading the book. And I just want to say to you, if you're looking for a change in your life and maybe you're saying I don't want to fast, I still think this book will be beneficial for you even if you don't join us in the fast because it's a coaching book. So I've taken 21 areas in your personal life, characteristics and behaviors that you struggle with or areas that you maybe you've got some ability, but you want to have greater ability. And every single day I coach you. I give you a scripture passage. I give you discussion questions, journal entries and then coaching steps every single day.

21:15 So this is literally a journal. It's a devotional. It's a book and you're going to write. I'm going to encourage you right now every single day with pen and paper. Get serious with this book. Allow the Holy Spirit to take the scriptures, to take the stories that he's highlighted to me in this book and begin to ask yourself some of these questions. Where am I on integrity? Where am I on generosity? Where am I on these confirmations in my own spirit? How am I doing with my personal walk? So every single day you literally will go deeper in these areas of your life and you get a free life coach for 21 days. So I'll be with you every single morning and then journal these thoughts, journal where you're going.

21:56 And I guarantee you in three weeks, you know, they say you can see change in three weeks. If you stay with me for 21 days and you literally seek God in prayer and fasting and discipline, I believe that you're going to see God in a way you've never seen him before. He's going to open your eyes. He's going to speak to you. Holy Spirit is going to give you insight, wisdom and revelation and you're going to start 24 much stronger than you would have had you not participated with us. I know that your church does this fast every year. 21 days. Leading up to your anniversary. Congratulations on 12 years. And you've seen God move. You've already told us some stories, but what are you hoping for God to change this time?

22:42 Let's start with yourself, your church and also what you're hoping this book will accomplish for those who read it. Well, Steve, that's a really good word. I received a call it a prophetic word from someone that I highly trust and admire and she made a comment. She said, Pastor Tammy, I just really feel that God's getting ready to take you much deeper in your own personal life, but that's going to mean that you're going to have to pull away. You're going to be spending more time, quiet time in your prayer room and your prayer walked. And Steve, you've known me for a few years. I am a a sanguine outgoing. I love to write. I love to coach our women. I have a lot of irons in the fire. I have multiple companies and businesses.

23:24 So for me to sit still and not do anything would be a change in my life. And I really believe that God's telling me my spiritual assignment, at least for this first quarter of 24 is to allow Holy Spirit to really give me some words, some insight. I'm going to be bathing our church in prayer. I'm going to be just really getting a clear vision. God just gave me this word. You're going to soar in 24. And I believe I'm going to do it quietly in my spirit with God. And that, you know, if you're like me and you're an outgoing person, Holy Spirit says, I want you to sit still for a while. That's difficult. But when you're doing it under the power of the Holy Spirit, then you have focus. So I believe God's going to bring some change in many people over this next year.

24:08 As we mentioned, we need to see a change in our election. But at our church here at Influenced Church, my prayer is that our congregation will truly understand the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of God that they will learn to worship, that they will submit to the authority of God, because Steve, that is what will bring revival in America, not a new president, not a new cabinet, not more churches, churches that are alive and revived. That's what's going to bring change in America. Amen to that. The president is not going to lead a revival. That's for sure. But we have to understand as believers that we have constitutional rights to put in office, those who agree with our values in lots and lots of ways, from the economy to international relationships, cultural things and so forth.

25:04 And if we have, we don't have people in office who support our values as our own fault because we're not out there active in the process. I just want to encourage people to get this book, Fasting for Change, Fasting for a Change, a 21-day journal. It'll do you good. There's all kinds of things that you need to be doing at the first of the year. As a culture, that's when we start thinking about change. The closest most people ever come to goal setting is New Year's resolutions, which, you know, it's almost a joke how quickly, but at least it's almost easier just because the whole culture is thinking this way. In fact, on the Strang Report soon, I'm going to be sharing some things about goal setting and setting big God-inspired goals.

25:52 And one of them is to go deeper spiritually and to overcome our flesh like we were talking about. I'll just give you my own experience. The first time I ever fasted was in college. It was during the Jesus movement. I was on fire for God. And I don't really remember what prompted it, but I fasted three days and I honestly felt so bad. I wondered if I was going to die. But I decided to fast three days and I did it. And since then, you know, it's become part of my lifestyle. And I would encourage people to go see your doctor. I did that before my 21-day fast. And the doctor gave me some advice that helped me a lot to come through it.

26:35 He also kind of gave me a clean bill of health. There's all kinds of values physically and fasting. You get rid of a lot of toxins. You break certain habits like the habit of always picking up a cookie or whatever bad habit you have in terms of eating. There are a lot of benefits. And really, it's like starting to jog or anything else. You need to fast one meal, you know, and anybody can fast a meal. I mean, sometimes we fast by accident because we're not around food when it's time to eat. And get books like this. There are other books that are available. Jensen Franklin's book comes to mind.

27:17 But do something because this is important. And the enemy does not want us to fast. He doesn't want us to go deeper. And if fasting helps us go deeper, he doesn't want us to do that. So I want to thank you first of all for writing this book. It's so important. You are such a great model. You are so winsome. You almost make fasting sound fun. And I hope that you can... You know what? I have to say, it's funny you say that, Steve. I was just on, thank you for all the endorsements you all have given me. I've been on many radio shows because of your media department. But I was just recently on a Catholic radio show and the priest actually was interviewing me.

27:58 And he said, you know, Tam, I'm going to be honest with you. I've been fasting my whole life as a Catholic, but you act like you enjoy it. And it was cute because I said to him, you know, here's the difference. I think if you fast out of a ritual, if you fast out of a burden, if you fast out of religion, then it's difficult. If you fast out of a conviction and if you fast out of power and hope, I believe in... I said, that's why I always look forward to it. I'm going to be honest. I'm like you, I get hungry and I get tired during the day, but I really believe that God's giving me my breakthrough through my fast. And that's the highlight of the whole podcast, but our time is up. So I'm going to have to ask people to subscribe to the Strang Report if you don't hit the bell so you're notified when we're on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm.

28:47 And thank you, Tammy Hotzenpiller, for this book. Thank you for your leadership in the church nationwide, even international. And thank you to my viewers and listeners for tuning in to the Strang Report until next time. I'll catch you. Welcome back. Do you ever feel discouraged? Do you need hope? The world is so upside down that even if you believe there's power in the Holy Spirit, sometimes you need to be reminded that greater is He that is within us than He is in the world.

29:31 My new book, Spirit-led Living in an Upside Down World, was written to give you hope to remind you of things you know to explain spiritual truths that you didn't understand or maybe have forgotten. I draw on my decades of covering the worldwide move of the Holy Spirit to give you examples and stories of great men and women of God from Jack Hayford to Catherine Coleman and many others explaining spiritual gifts and telling stories of victory in the face of trials and temptations. I wrote this book for you and I want you to read it. It's easy to read with lots of practical stories to help you.

30:13 It is not a theological treatise on the Holy Spirit. In a way, it's a self-help book looking at the spiritual side of life. So if you long for more of God and to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and the power to rebuke the spiritual attacks in your life and boldness to stand for God, when the cancel culture wants you to sit down and shut up, then my book, Spirit-led Living in an Upside Down World, is for you. You can find the book wherever Christian books are sold, including Amazon.com or My CharismaShop.com. Remember, the Holy Spirit is here to help us now and for all the days ahead, no matter how upside down the world gets.

31:01 Enjoy the book and God bless you.