Why You Should Pray and Fast.
There is no minimum required faith. Jesus, when asked for more faith by his disciples, “Faith the size of a mustard seed is enough to move mountains and cast them into the sea.”
You do not need greater faith. But you do need less doubt. Doubt is the anti-catalyst to faith.
“…and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
When his disciples asked why they could not cast out a devil from one possessed, Jesus said,
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
These scriptures as well as others tell us when we give place to doubt, it unplugs the potential of our faith.
I propose that prayer and fasting help diminish and silence the influence of doubt.
Prayer and fasting do not make God more powerful or demons less nefarious. Prayer and fasting help bring clarity and focus to our faith.
Prayer and fasting. It requires both of these.
I will summarize what the Scripture states in Isaiah 58 of the Lord’s chosen fast.
It is understood, fasting is not eating. However, it also includes making right what we know is wrong. Restitution, reconciliation.
To not simply isolate yourself but to be aware and minister to others.
When you do these things, there will be a spiritual light shining on you. There will be a renewed sense of purpose and life. You will sense the presence of the Lord.
In summary, fasting helps us unplug from our preferences, love and protection of ourselves, and be aware of those around us.
Jesus walked down out of the wilderness after forty days of fasting and it was then his ministry began.
I suggest it is instructive to us; when we discipline our flesh, it will help us grasp our purpose and help us be more useful in the Kingdom of God.
When we deal with our own demons and cast out doubt, we are better prepared to help others deal with their demons and doubt.
Isaiah 58
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.