Turbocharged prayers

Happy Father’s Day! Whatever your relationship is or was like with your earthly father, I pray that today, you will make a step to deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father, the best father there is, ever was, and ever will be. And one way that we can deepen our relationship with God the Father is through prayer, which is what this current series is all about.

We have been looking at how to pray in a way that rocks the world, changes our lives, and changes our situations. Today, we will look at fasting, a key weapon that can turbocharge our prayers. Fasting is ‘voluntarily going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God’. Prayer and fasting should go hand in hand and this is why:

1. Fasting is Obedience to God’s Word

After Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He said: “When you fast …” Matthew 6:16 (NIV) not ‘if you fast’. The assumption from the scripture is that fasting will be part of our normal spiritual disciplines that are embedded in scripture.

2. Fasting Humbles Us Before God

King David said: “… I humbled my soul with fasting … I proclaimed a fast so that we might humble ourselves before our God … .” Ezra 8:21 (NIV). Regular fasting keeps the Christian honest and humble before the Lord.

a. True humility gets God’s attention. “God resists the proud, but shows favour to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV).

b. Humility is the pathway to God’s blessing. 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time … .”

3. Fasting Helps Us to Overcome Temptation and Move in God’s Power

“Jesus … was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where, for 40 days, he was tempted by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days ... .” Luke 4:1-2 (NIV). Under severe temptation, Jesus did not attempt walking in His own strength. He humbled Himself in the Lord, and God sustained Him so that He overcame the Devil’s temptation. “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.” Luke 4:14 NIV. When we fast and pray, we can overcome temptation as the Spirit of God comes on us with power.

4. Fasting Purifies Us from Sin

In Joel 2:12, God says: “But even now,” says the Lord, “repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Fasting is a supernatural means of true, heartfelt, lasting repentance.

5. Fasting Gives Direction and Understanding

In 2 Chronicles 20:2-3, messengers came and announced to King Jehoshaphat: “A large army from Edom has come from the other side of the Dead Sea to attack you. They have already captured Hazazon Tamar.” Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to the Lord for guidance. Then he gave orders for a fast to be observed throughout the country.” The first thing Jehoshaphat did was to pray and fast. As they prayed and fasted, God moved and gave them a supernatural victory.

When confusion comes or we are faced with many directions, we need to fast. To find out what to do about school, marriage, work, ministry, or other important decisions, we need to fast. When we want revelation about issues that don’t seem to be able to be broken, fast and pray.

Fasting has many benefits in our lives, and it isn’t just for the ‘super saved’, but for everyone who believes in God. Now that we know why fasting is important, next week, we will learn how to fast with great power.