Have you ever wondered why prayer and fasting is so powerful? I always wondered how spiritual power and abstaining from food are connected.
It took me some time to understand why Jesus said certain things will not change except by prayer and fasting (Mathew 17:21). In my quest for understanding, God revealed to me one deep secret about the power of fasting which I will share with you. He said, “The power of fasting is that it changes you. Many times I want to bless my people but there is something about them that they need to change first and fasting is one of the spiritual discipline that can change them.” When I got this revelation my walk with God changed radically.
Like many Christians today, I had always thought that fasting changes God but I was wrong. In Malachi 3:6 God said, “I am the LORD, I change not.” Thus, fasting doesn’t make God to become more loving or more sympathetic to us. God remains who He is whether we fast or not. It’s us who need to change so that we may become ‘bless-able’.
On the other side, some people are mistaken to think that fasting weakens the devil. This isn’t true either. The devil isn’t changed by our fasting and prayers, no. Satan never changes too. It’s us who need to change so that the devil will not have access to afflict us and that’s the purpose of our fasting.
Here is how fasting changes us:
1. Fasting puts the body under subjection to the spirit. Remember the flesh is always in war against the spirit, so, as you fast you put it in submission to the spirit.
Like many Christians today, I had always thought that fasting changes God but I was wrong. In Malachi 3:6 God said, “I am the LORD, I change not.” Thus, fasting doesn’t make God to become more loving or more sympathetic to us. God remains who He is whether we fast or not. It’s us who need to change so that we may become ‘bless-able’.
On the other side, some people are mistaken to think that fasting weakens the devil. This isn’t true either. The devil isn’t changed by our fasting and prayers, no. Satan never changes too. It’s us who need to change so that the devil will not have access to afflict us and that’s the purpose of our fasting.
Here is how fasting changes us:
1. Fasting puts the body under subjection to the spirit. Remember the flesh is always in war against the spirit, so, as you fast you put it in submission to the spirit.
2. Fasting increases your sensitivity to the still small voice of the Spirit (Acts 13:2). God is always speaking to us but we can’t hear Him because our stomachs are too full.
3. Fasting is one of the ways we can humble ourselves. In Psalm 35:13 David said, “I humble myself through prayer and fasting.” God can only lift us up if we humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6).
4. Fasting is a way of showing our total surrender to God. Feeding our flesh is the same as feeding our strengths. When we fast we are saying, “God we rely on your strength not ours!” This moves God to intervene on our behalf.
5. Fasting shows our desperation. Whenever people are in a celebration mood, they eat. But when things aren’t good, they hardly eat. When we fast we show God our desperation. This move Him to intervene like He did for Hannah (1 Samuel 1: 12-18).
In conclusion, FASTING CHANGES US AND POSITIONS US TO RECEIVE FROM GOD WHAT HE HAS PREPARED FOR US.
 |
| Why Prayer and Fasting Is So Powerful! |
