Fasting and prayer is strategic to our faith walk. Becoming a person of power and influence is dependent on learning how to enjoy fasting and prayer. These two components are the doorway to Supernatural release and the actions needed to see greater manifestations of the spirit. Not only do they help us to subdue our flesh, they also help us develop sensitivity concerning things of the Spirit. It gets us spiritually ready to do the things God has called us to do. Many people of the Bible fasted and prayed including Jesus, Moses, and Apostle Paul. This allowed them to flow in different dimensions of the Spirit to fulfill the Father’s will.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is abstaining from food for a certain amount of time. As believers, when we fast, it is not simply about denying ourselves food. It is about glorifying God by giving up something of the flesh. When we fast, we are supposed to pray more, read more of God’s Word and prepare ourselves for what we are believing God’s for. So, when we fast and pray we should fast with a purpose. That purpose could be to manifest what you have already in Christ or to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord. There is something about the combination of fasting and praying that positions us so that we can flow in the power of God and the anointing of His spirit.
How to fast?
When you fast, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. We fast from food but not from water. The Bible says that Jesus was hungry, it never said he was thirsty. So that leaves the possibility that he could have been drinking water. A large portion of our body is made from water so as we take water in it helps sustain us. In the place of food, you should pray and read the Word of God.
“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” –Matthew 4:4
According to this verse, we don’t have to fully depend on food alone, but the word of God. As you find yourself getting hungry if you begin to praise and worship the Lord you will feel that hunger begin to suppress. Fill yourself with the word of God.
Choose the time that you want to start your fast. You can fast from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or you may choose to fast the whole day. Whatever time frame you choose is fine, the most important thing is to make sure that you are praying and meditating on God’s word during this time frame. A fast without praying is just a hunger strike.
Benefits of Fasting and Praying
Isaiah 58:6 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.”
Certain burdens can be loosed or broken through fasting and praying. We might also have hard decisions to make or be in search of answers to difficult questions. In the natural, situations may seem out of control or frustrating, but as you fast and pray you will obtain clarity and become more sensitive to the will of God. Yokes that have been weighing you down are destroyed through the power of fasting and prayer. Suddenly there will be a release in the atmosphere and you will feel yourself growing stronger in the Lord.
The benefits of fasting and praying will become evident to you as you develop yourself in the Lord. You will feel more confident as you come to a greater level of spiritual boldness. As problems arise you will be standing strong in God’s confidence. Things that used to seem big to you will suddenly seem small. you will find yourself standing in the storm not swayed or weary, but deeply rooted in the strength of God.