DOES FASTING CAUSE PRAYER TO BE MORE POWERFUL OR MORE LIKELY TO BE ANSWERED?
QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER
NATURE OF GOD
Ezra 8:21-23…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.
Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
Matthew 4:1-4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
Always remember this important point when it comes to prayer: there is no power in prayer other than the power that comes from the one you are praying to. Prayer is only a conduit or channel. Prayer itself is not the source. There is no power in the prayer cloth, the blessed towel, or holy water. The power only comes from God. Likewise, there is no power in fasting except for the power that comes from growing closer to Christ through the act of fasting. Fasting is a channel or conduit which leads to a destination. Prayer and fasting in and of themselves are worthless. Even pagans pray and fast. Buddhists pray and fast. Hindus pray and fast. Even occultists pray and fast. The real genuine power and spiritual authority that we have as followers of Christ is always attached to who we pray to, and why we fast, not simply the act.
In Ezra 8, we read that the priest proclaimed a fast for the Israelite people for a specific reason. That reason was so that the Jews in Jerusalem would humble themselves before God and make their requests known. The text says that God heard and answered their prayers because the people were genuine and the motivation behind the fasting and prayer was in alignment with what God desired for his people. The fast had a Godly purpose attached to it. The ones fasting had a heart that was aligned with God’s will. That is why, and always why, prayers are answered. Even today, this is also how we should fast and pray, always with a God-serving (and not self-serving) motivation.
Jesus himself fasted. We read the story in Matthew 4 where Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the Devil. Keep in mind that Jesus had a purpose for his fasting. It was not done flippantly or with selfish motivation. We know this because the text tells us that all of this was done through the Spirit’s leading. Jesus followed and was led by the Spirit of God. After fasting, the text tells us that Jesus was physically hungry but spiritually full. He was physically weak but spiritually strong. So often for us, it is the opposite; we are physically strong and full, but our spirit is so weak. And because of this human weakness, we often fail the tests and temptations that are placed before us. The first Adam failed, but the 2nd Adam (Jesus) succeeded in using scripture to thwart the lies and deceptions of the Devil. In the same way, we cannot overcome evil with our own talents, skills, and abilities. The only way we will overcome is through Jesus, who has already overcome, and being clothed in Christ; in his power, authority, and strength. Jesus even boldly declares this idea to Satan himself when he quotes Moses and says that man shall not live by bread alone, or by physical things, but true life and power come from the mouth of God, the spiritual things, and the word, which became flesh.
Keep in mind that fasting does not cause answered prayers by itself. God answers prayers, fasting does not. Fasting reinforces the idea that God is the one who is the source and catalyst for supernatural intervention. Fasting, like all spiritual disciplines, serve to build a platform for God to work on and work through. Fasting is the method or result of being rightly aligned with God, and the act of fasting continues to strengthen our spirit and draw us closer to the perfect and pleasing will of God. This posture is very pleasing to God and this place of position in the will of God is what leads to our being a part of prayer being answered.
In Ezra 8, we read that the priest proclaimed a fast for the Israelite people for a specific reason. That reason was so that the Jews in Jerusalem would humble themselves before God and make their requests known. The text says that God heard and answered their prayers because the people were genuine and the motivation behind the fasting and prayer was in alignment with what God desired for his people. The fast had a Godly purpose attached to it. The ones fasting had a heart that was aligned with God’s will. That is why, and always why, prayers are answered. Even today, this is also how we should fast and pray, always with a God-serving (and not self-serving) motivation.
Jesus himself fasted. We read the story in Matthew 4 where Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the Devil. Keep in mind that Jesus had a purpose for his fasting. It was not done flippantly or with selfish motivation. We know this because the text tells us that all of this was done through the Spirit’s leading. Jesus followed and was led by the Spirit of God. After fasting, the text tells us that Jesus was physically hungry but spiritually full. He was physically weak but spiritually strong. So often for us, it is the opposite; we are physically strong and full, but our spirit is so weak. And because of this human weakness, we often fail the tests and temptations that are placed before us. The first Adam failed, but the 2nd Adam (Jesus) succeeded in using scripture to thwart the lies and deceptions of the Devil. In the same way, we cannot overcome evil with our own talents, skills, and abilities. The only way we will overcome is through Jesus, who has already overcome, and being clothed in Christ; in his power, authority, and strength. Jesus even boldly declares this idea to Satan himself when he quotes Moses and says that man shall not live by bread alone, or by physical things, but true life and power come from the mouth of God, the spiritual things, and the word, which became flesh.
Keep in mind that fasting does not cause answered prayers by itself. God answers prayers, fasting does not. Fasting reinforces the idea that God is the one who is the source and catalyst for supernatural intervention. Fasting, like all spiritual disciplines, serve to build a platform for God to work on and work through. Fasting is the method or result of being rightly aligned with God, and the act of fasting continues to strengthen our spirit and draw us closer to the perfect and pleasing will of God. This posture is very pleasing to God and this place of position in the will of God is what leads to our being a part of prayer being answered.