Fasting is a spiritual discipline in the faith that enables us to live a life of devotion to God. Our Lord Jesus engaged in a forty-day fasting before he started His ministry. The early church disciples were always fasting and praying for effective ministry in every decision-making:
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me, Barnabas, and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” - Acts 13:2.
Practicing fasting helps us to live a life of devotion, godliness, and moral uprightness. It helps us to focus on what is important in life as we look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. We should fix our eyes on the things of the kingdom in our daily lives.
Fasting helps us fight the battles in life and win. We are very alert in the spirit during fasting. We are strengthened in our inner man and we pray more with greater assurance of answered prayer. It sharpens our intellect and we develop more clarity and understanding of situations.
Fasting helps us fight the battles in life and win because it builds endurance within us. The flesh is subdued and no more in control of our will and emotions or able to dictate our decisions. We are very alert in the spirit during the fast and do not yield to the allure of the flesh. We are strengthened in our inner man and pray more with understanding.
Fasting is a very important act in the life of a Christian. Every believer should participate either as an individual or with the corporate body. If we have prayed over a problem for a while and see no change, we should engage in fasting. Jesus said to His disciples, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting,” when they asked why they couldn’t cast out demons. Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:20-21
Prayer and fasting help us grow in faith and develop a closer relationship with God.
It is important to know that, we do not bribe God with fasting, nor can we turn His Hand around to answer our prayers according to our purpose; rather, it is for our benefit. Through fasting, we are humbled and become yielded to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Our hearts become passionately desirous, hungry, and yearning hard after Him. Like the Psalmist cried; “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2a.
This hunger increases as we continue in the fast. We want more of Him and in abandonment to all that He is. We are lost in wonder of His beauty and glory. There is a great desire to be like Him. The flesh is silenced and the spirit takes precedence over it. When the spirit reigns over the works of the flesh, we can pray more, longer, and better. There is clarity in our thoughts and minds, which align us with God's heart. we can pray prayer that brings results.
As we fast and pray, we are brought face-to-face with God. It brings us into ‘Intimacy with God’. In His presence, we become overwhelmed with feelings and encounters that change our hearts and souls, which constitute the mind, will, and emotions. These are affected and cannot rule and reign over us neither can they make decisions that will over-rule the spirit that lives within us. Amen!
The Psalmist says in Psalm 42:7: “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
Galatians 5:17 says, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
The flesh which is earthly and sensual wars against the spirit, which is supernatural and divine. The flesh always opposes the workings of the Holy Spirit in us by preventing our growth in the spirit and the new life of peace. The Holy Spirit also fights against anything resisting His purifying work in us. Fasting helps to subdue the flesh and allow the spirit to rule in our lives. James 4:7 says "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
We must remember that Fasting should be coupled with prayer to be effective.
ENGAGEMENT DURING FASTING AND PRAYER
The Bible says in Isaiah 58:6-8: "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To lose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your flesh?"
Engaging in acts of love towards others also helps to overcome the flesh during the fast. Serving others humbles us and places our spirit to love God more and others. Giving is very important because men are naturally selfish and do not want to give or help others easily. Now that we are a new creation, having the fruit of the spirit produced in us, we should be able to give freely. Knowing that all we have is from God as a redeemed soul, we give freely and without selfishness to the needy.
Galatians 5:16 says, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Yield to the spirit daily experience His sanctifying grace, and rest in your soul.
BENEFITS OF FASTING
When you fast, you begin to operate in the realm of the spirit where you belong. "And God raised us with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:6.
Romans 8:13 says “If you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Fasting will free us from the influence of the world, with its allure and distractions. Jesus in His Priestly prayer to God for us says, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." - John 17:15-16.
The world, the flesh, and the devil have been conquered, defeated, and disarmed. We have victory over them through Christ. His victory over the power of hell and death and the grave is ours as believers!
1 John 2:15-16 says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world."
The Message translation gives us more understanding here. It says, "Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father." 1 John 2:15-17, MSG.
The old nature that Christ has subdued still rears its ugly head till we are glorified. Practicing this discipline helps to resist the flesh by the sitting that dwells within us. Amen. Engaging in fasting coupled with prayer and walking in intimacy with God, all help to mortify the flesh and free us from these ungodly desires. We are transformed into Christ's image and likeness!
Jesus has disarmed and defeated the devil, and made a public show of him by triumphing over him in it. - Colossians 2:15. The devil is put to flight easily when we resist him by the power of the Holy Spirit no matter what pressure he puts on us. Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin. "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself using his marvelous glory and excellence." - 2 Peter 1:3-4, NLT
Agatha Odamah
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Scriptures on Fasting and Prayer
These Bible verses will show you the importance of fasting coupled with prayers. It always yielded results and great victories over the enemy for me.
Jesus in Matthew 6:16-18 says to the Early disciples and us, now followers, “Moreover, when you fast…. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:20-21.
"Now there was one, Anna, a Prophetess.…..who lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and was now a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. She came into the temple when our Lord Jesus was brought in for dedication as a baby. She prophesied that instant giving God thanks." - Luke 2:36-38
"As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. - Acts 13:2-4
David said, “I humbled my soul with fasting.” - Psalm 69:10.
"There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer." - Ezra 8:21-23
"So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven." - Nehemiah 4:1.
"Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” - Esther 4:16
"I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled." - Daniel 10:3
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