As believers in Christ Jesus, Fasting and Praying is one of the most powerful tools that God has given us for victorious living. But many believers do not engage in it as a result of ignorance, delusion and lack of self-discipline. Then on the other hand, many believers who fast and pray do not get as much result as they should, because of a major missing aspect of the kind of fasting the Lord requires from believers.
So in this post, I will be scripturally sharing with you the scriptural ways to fast and pray acceptably to God and also the tremendous blessings that comes along with it.
The Two Aspects of Christian Fasting
Listed and expounded below are the two aspects of Christian Fasting…
(1) Godly and Sacrificial Lifestyle: in Isaiah 58:1-5 God rebuked the Children of Israel when they asked why they fasted and afflicted themselves and yet God didn’t answer them. God said their fasting were only focused on abstinence from food and bodily afflictions.
He says they were seeking after him in self-afflictions, while still living in Wickedness and Unrighteousness. Then in verse 6 to 7 of that same chapter, the Lord says “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?
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?“
In verse 6 God says the fast he has chosen is that his children should loose the bands of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free and break every yoke…
In other words, they should forsake their wicked ways, help to relieve their fellow brothers and sisters from their burdens and let the oppressed people go free. That is they should intervene and rescue the oppressed among them. Then continuing in verse 7 the Lord says other requirements of his chosen fast are that we give our bread or food to the hungry, bring the poor that are cast out to our homes, cover or clothe the naked among us and not restrain ourselves from our flesh — our relatives.
And all these can be summarized as sacrificial living or a lifestyle of love and selflessness towards people. So the first aspect of fasting is actually a holy, sacrificial and selfless lifestyle. And this is one of the major missing aspect in the fasting of many believers and that’s why they fast and pray without much results to show.
(1) Abstinence From Food: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” Matthew 17:21
In the context of the above quoted text, someone brought his child to Jesus’ disciples to cast out an evil spirit from him but they couldn’t. Then when the Lord Jesus came, he was told about the case; and after rebuking his disciples for their unbelief, he went ahead to cast out the evil spirit from the child and the child was healed. After the incident, the disciples asked the Lord why they couldn’t cast out that particular demon from the child; and the Lord told them it was because of their unbelief…
But that nevertheless, such demons cannot go out except by fasting and prayers. And in this context, when the Lord talks about fasting, he is referring to abstinence from food. Which means there are some demons that won’t go out except by fasting and prayers.
Now bringing the two scriptural aspects of fasting together, we can now clearly understand that fasting is abstinence from food, which ultimately depends on our godly, sacrificial and selfless lifestyle as believers, along with prayers to produce results.
The Blessedness of Fasting and Praying
From the two main scriptures we have studied (Isaiah 58: 1-12 and Matthew 17:20-21) in this message, listed below are the blessings that we attract through fasting and prayers…
(1) Clear and continual revelations and guidance from the God
(2) Divine Health
(3) Speedy answers to prayers
(4) Divine Prosperity
(5) Supernatural Empowerment from God
So there you have it. The meaning of Christian Fasting and the blessings that goes along with it.
Then as I conclude, you must understand that the blessings of fasting and prayers only answer to believers in Christ Jesus. So if you are yet to give your life to Christ click here to do so now!
