FASTING AND PRAYERS
As we approach the eventful period of the Lent, I feel constrained to reiterate the importance of fasting and prayers. I had touched on it earlier in my contribution titled “understanding Christian Lent.” Most Church folks fast and pray during lent only. This is a Church tradition for the faithful. It’s in remembrance of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Hopefully those who observe this tradition yearly allow it to observe or impart them; can evaluate their results in the way they conduct their fast. If they have no clear cut purpose, then it’s just a routine; believe not in receiving definite answers or achieving set goals, it becomes more or less an annual ritual. Fasting is not just a religious exercise per say or emotional display of self pity. It’s neither a means to command God to do our will nor order Him to react immediately. It doesn’t end in going without food and bombarding God with dozens of request. Wesley L. Duewel wrote, ‘You can fast from your own ambitions, desires, and plans; from legitimate pleasures, rights and joys; from comforts and luxuries’.
Fasting and prayer is an act of crucifying the flesh while communicating with God. Christian fasting is a form of self-denial, affliction of oneself, abstinence from food and pleasure for a Spiritual purpose. It could be a time of wrestling as the prayers of Moses, Elijah, John- the Baptist and Paul etc or as agonizing as the prayers of Jesus Christ. It’s an act of intensified worship and deepernized relationship with God’s head. People could pray without fasting but no one fast without prayers. The crux of fasting is prayers, hence fasting and prayer. It is an attitude of prayer that brings us into God’s presence; it’s a Spiritual warfare and the battlefield is our mind. We just have to deny the body, subdue and crucify it to create room for the Spirit man to manifest. Alfred Tennyson said, “More things are wrought by prayers than this world dream of”. “Prayers is every bit as necessary to the vigor of man’s Spiritual nature as fresh air is to the health of his body” Leroy Brownlow wrote in his book titled, Making the most of life.
Just like prayer, two types of fasting exist: personal and corporate [proclaimed].The personal fasting is an intensified prayer where an individual decides to privately abstain from bodily intake and pleasures or crucifying the flesh that the Spirit man may gain control of the body and reach out to God, who is also a Spirit Being. Jesus had prescribed a model for this type of prayer. It should not be done in self praise or praise of men or in hypocrisy. It is an exercise undertaking for the sole purpose of pleasing God and seeking His favor. Corporate fasting is declared by a congregation or a group, be it ministry or fellowship [or household]. It must have a definite purpose. Its success is achieved on the kneels of individual members of the group. It’s neither for the pastors and wives only nor for elders and Prayer Band alone but for the entire congregation or group. Members must come in agreement, break from activities and be still before God; believe in the efficacy of prayers, that God will honor their request even before they begin to fast.
Rev. U. Dan. Okafor writing on ‘Your weapon for breakthrough’ opined, “People fast for different reasons. Some could fast ignorantly or in selfishness, while others fast for personal benefits or powers that give them edge over others. Some fast for aesthetic reasons, health purposes, and mere religious obligations and to practice their mystical arts, etc. God does not honor the prayers of the unrighteous or pour out his blessings on those who worship other gods. Christian fasting is sole for those who walk in obedience to God.” As a command, you must first be born again in water and Spirit, build up your faith in obedience to the Word and let your faith with your Spirit man reach out to God.
We could fast for healing, salvation of lost souls or for open doors, for protection and
victory over the enemies. It could be a time to consolidate our gains while we plan for the battles ahead.
Many Old Testament prophets fasted for various reasons: when in grief [1 Sam.31:13], in penitence [1Kings21:27], and in need of God’s supernatural intervention [2 Sam.12:16ff]. Moses fasted twice for forty days [Due.9:9, 19]; Joshua, when Ai invaded Israelites following Achan’s sin [Josh.7, 8]; David, when his son gotten in adulatory became ill [1 King21:27] and Jehoshahpat and Israel, when besieged by three nations mightier than them [2 Chron.20]. Many of them: Hannah, Elijah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and more had their breakthrough from fasting and prayers. In the New Testament, Jesus fasted severally and taught his disciples how to fast [Matt.6:16-18] Jesus began His teaching thus: ‘when you fast’ indicating He believed we shall fast, because He’s no longer with us physically. Jesus started His ministry with fasting in the wilderness [Matt.4:1-11]. He was able to withstand Satan’s temptations and power devices. These assure, we could gain power over Satan and flesh through fasting and prayers. We often hear about Jesus birth, messages, parables, miracles, death and resurrection but not much is spoken about His prayer life. Most of His prayers were not in the temple but amidst everyday activities and mission. He made time and place to communicate and receive power from His Father through fasting and prayers.
Jesus disciples fasted severally. Apostle Peter and Paul [Acts 9:9; 2 Cor.11:27]; Paul and Silas while in prison [Acts 16:25-27], as well as Cornelius that opened doors for the gentiles to receive the gospel [Acts10:30, 31]. Derek Prince said, “The early Churches were born with prayer and fasting” [Acts 13:1-3; 14:23]. They made exploits for God through fasting. Church founding Fathers were known for their fasting and prayers. For example: St. Francis of Assisi fasted and his messages converted thousand of youth in Italy; Martin Luther lived and became a Christian Reformer through the life of fasting; John Calvin invaded Geneva and to the point that every household had a praying person. John Knox fasted and prayed until Queen Mary was forced to say she feared his prayers more than the armies of Scotland. John Wesley fasted twice a week and Charles Finney fasted weekly for the revival in the 1800s. Fasting is still God’s way to deepen and strengthen prayers. It’s becomes a Christian obligation to fast. Nothing bothers Satan – the enemy, than to see a child of God kneel before God in prayers.
I always believe that there are three levels of prayers- asking, seeking and knocking. The approach and intensity increases from asking to knocking. The persuasion and persistence is stronger in seeking than asking, be it in seeking lost sheep, God’s favor or intervention. Knocking signifies warfare where we implore fasting. We knock when the door is shut, when dead has occurred, one is in prison, judgment is imminent or has been past; when physical situation says no, the report of adverse condition is not in our favor and when the world’s laws hold us guilty. We knock when time is running out and retreat is impossible. Jesus ask us to knock and it will be opened; even harder until it’s opened.
At whatever level, we ask for what God had already provisioned for us. This means before we even start asking we ought to know what God has in stuck for us. God’s provisions contain in His Word. There are revealed by His Spirit and taught to us. The more we hear, read, and do it the more faith we have. God reacts to our faith, not to our vain words, emotions or tears. Our faith is what assures us that God will do what He has
promised. That’s the reason we ask, seek and knock. 1 John 5:14-15 say, “This is the
confidence we have in Him that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us.” Jesus assured, “what things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive
them and you shall have them” [Mark11:24]. Fasting is an attitude of prayer that brings us into God’s presence to possess our possession.
PART II
Fasting is the greatest power that God had placed in human disposal. With fasting and faith, we can move mountains of difficulties and bring in new conditions that never existed to be. The greatest powers in the universe exist in the spiritual realm and not physical. However both good and evil co-exist in the spirit realm. The Bibles teaches that most earthly battles are won first in the spirit and their results are seen on the physical plane. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, advises, ‘we are not fighting with flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places, rulers of darkness in the world…’ [vs12]. He therefore admonished, we should pray in Spirit [vs18]. This is warfare without shedding of blood. Majel Meyer writing on ‘Sequel to perfect love’ said, “Satan has multitudes of fallen angels and evil spirits who work on human circumstances, health, finances, family relationships, schools, jobs, people in government; creating misunderstanding, discouragements, and defeating us so that we cannot succeed in serving God”[Rev.12:9; Matt.12:28-29;16:19; 28:18; Luke9:1].We can bind and cast out the minions of Satan and expect God to back us up to win the fight.
However the power to do this is available only to those who have the Holy Spirit. Those who do no possess this power may doubt it and may continue to apply physical power.
We need more than human synergies to fight and win Spiritual battles. We must lay hold of the whole armor of God and be able to choose the right weapon of warfare for breakthrough. These include: the name of Jesus, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and praise and worship. The choice of weapon is critical to success. The shepherd boy, David in the battle with Philistines defeated Goliath with catapult and five stones. Do not forget that King Saul’s armor did not fit young David. King Jehoshaphat and Israel beseeched by a front of three Nations stronger than them, cried and fasted; God instructed them to use the weapon of praise and worship [2 Chron.20]. Paul and Silas in prison changed their weapon of meditation to worship and praise and God intervened. Jesus Christ was fasting in the wilderness and Satan went tempting Him. He used the weapon of God’s word, ‘it’s written’ [Matt.4]. Peter and John heading to the temple to pray healed the lame man at the beautiful gate with the power, in the name of Jesus [Acts3:1ff].
The position you are standing in the battle matters. Are you standing in the valley of doubts, unbelief, and ignorance of the sword of the Spirit, hypocrisy and self deceit? Or on the high mountain of faith, confidence in the Lord, trust in His Spirit and believe in His ways and faithfulness? Jesus is the only Word that God, our Heavenly Father spoke to the lost world. He’s our Redeemer, Savior, Victory and Deliverer. Through the Cross, He defeated Satan and his co-hurts once and for all. A close examination of the life of Jesus reveals that He separated Himself often to pray and fast. He stayed in close fellowship with His Father. All great men of God fast and pray regularly. They prayed in Spirit, according to the will of God, in the name of Jesus to God, the Father. Christian documentaries reveal that they fasted and prayed longer than they ministered. They were described as always staying in the wilderness or mountain. They understood why the disciples could not heal the demonic boy despite the fact that Jesus had given them power to cast out demons anywhere [Matt.17:20; Luke10:19]. It was because of unbelief and
lack of fasting. When we fast, we crucify our flesh, sacrifice ourselves, so we can walk in spirit; enjoy fellowship with God’s head and gain power over Satan in all its dominion.
In Isaiah 58 verses 6-12, God reveals the purpose of God’s proclaimed fast which also agrees with Jesus’ goals for His ministry, thus: to loose the band of injustice, to untie the cords of heavy burden, to set the captives free, and break every enslaving yoke[vs. 6]. It includes sharing your food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter, clothe the naked and help your own [vs7]. Verses 8-12 enumerated rewards for right fasting. In 2Chronicles 20:1-6, the Bible recorded another occasion of proclaimed fast. Proclaimed fast is always occasioned by situations, where humans in one accord, are prompted to seek God’s directions or interventions. It is a time to wait on the Lord while we purge ourselves of our misdeeds, strives and weights that had drained our power in Him. Pastor Kenneth Copeland writing on ‘Prayer your foundation for success’ said, “Fasting helps you to tune into the spirit realm where healing and all of your inheritance already belong to you. Fasting will shut down the influences of the five physical senses so that you can walk in the spirit. Your healing, your victory, your strength, your faith, the power of God is all in the spirit. You fast so that you can walk in the spirit and enjoy your inheritance.”
In our world today, where the love of self and the re-incarnation of old-time idolatry in the affairs of men are increasing, we need to fast and pray for salvation of mankind and deliverance from wickedness and greed. Many people are trapped in emptiness. They could be busy and lives filled up, but they are unfulfilled. They may have achieved successes but no significance; something real is missing in them. Some are stocked in- between marriage relationships, business ventures or chains of unfulfilled dreams and expectations. They are vulnerable to devil’s temptations. The devil attacks our freedom; those areas of our lives that God had given us freewill to freely decide and use. Be reminded that Christ came so that we may be fulfilled. Even when we feel unworthy, guilty and shame, know that God has seen us worthy to receive His grace. “Grace is being accepted before we become acceptable.”
Brethren, this re-assurance compels us to walk boldly into the throne of grace and hold unto our Lord and Master unwaveringly. We need to wake up, trade our guilt and shame, our sickness and pains, our fears and defeats; accept who we are in Christ – sinners saved by grace. Only a very noble being can feel shame, guilt and pain. It’s a sign that we are healthy enough to feel uncomfortable with being less than we ought to be and less than we want to be. This is a healthy feeling. However it becomes an unhealthy feeling when we allow it to sap our creative powers and kill our joy; it fail to lead us into re-bounds. Our shame, guilt and pain are evidence of the things wrong in us. Our way out is repentance and trusting God. We need to spend more time with Jesus, to learn to know Him, to stir our hearts to love Him more, to deepen our intimacy with Him. Fasting will help us not only fulfill a moral obligation but to build a love relationship joyously. This deepened intimacy will surely reveal to us that God, our Creator and Savior still loves and cares about us; is patiently waiting and reaching out to us. Be assured that none of our prayers fall on deaf ears. God answers all prayers, at His own time and in His own ways. Great to know you are fasting not unto any man but God; trust Him, He’s faithful and shall reward openly [Isaiah 58:5; Matt.6:18]. Try to neglect the appetite for food and go for deep hunger for Spiritual upliftment; you will find the experience very enriching.
Evangelist Ogbonnaya G. could be reached by email:gkapin53@yahoo,com