Fasting Prayer

And He said to them, Because of your little faith; for truly I say to you, If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21

I used to fast and pray every Saturday night for many years since I got saved. In fact, it had become a part of my life, and in course of time, a ritual rather than a genuine prayer. So instead of a routine ritualistic fating prayer, I continued to pray but not in a religious way anymore. But that also had another side effect of not being regular and persistent. Still I maintain the genuineness of prayer whether by physical fasting or not, but off late, I was reminded of the need for real fasting too.

It was in the recent co-workers' training that the Lord burdened me afresh to maintain a persistent and set-time fasting prayer again, yet not getting into ritualistic practice of religion. The Lord grace me to restart again. It was indeed very refreshing and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This practice must be strictly adhered to, lest the enemy distract us from such persistent prayer.

Yesterday, a dear brother and a friend too, requested a fasting prayer for the recovery of his wife who is unconscious in ICU due to cancer. It has been a year since she was first diagnosed. And in one accord, a couple of brothers and also friends from college days, we decided to fast and pray for this very burden of our brother's wife healing. I personally was burdened to stand in oneness with my brothers and released a strong prayer before the Lord. As I prayed I had a confirmation within that our prayers have been heard. Later, at midnight, I called up a brother and prayed with him over the phone that the Lord must heal his wife. The Lord indeed blessed us with such a faith. In my prayer I told the brother, "we believe in God's word, we trust in Him and also believe in our prayers."

This prayer burden also led us to create a WhatsApp group, "One in Christ," bringing together some brothers for the purpose of fellowship and prayer. 

There are certain burdens that can be released only by genuine fasting and prayer. Though I never would subscribe to the literal meaning of fasting, emptying the stomach or abstaining from food, I sure support the genuineness of prayer rather than the "fasting" per se. Fasting prayer is not an act of religiously duty, mere emptying of stomach, but genuine fellowship with the Lord and praying the Lord's burden back to him. Such genuine fasting prayer must be a practice of a normal Christian life. The more the better, and at least, once a month, and better is, at least once a week. Such prayer times are meant for the Lord and Him alone, in sweet fellowship, praise, thanksgiving, worship, and petition.

The Lord Himself confirmed the need of fasting and prayer when it comes to dealing with the enemy in a strong way for the carrying out of His ministry on the earth. He emphatically stated, "nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

This kind of prayer is also related to the exercise of faith, fighting spiritual warfare, practicing a oneness with the Lord, binding on earth what have been bound in the heavens and loosing one earth what have been loosed in the heavens, for the fulfillment of His will on the earth. 

The question posed now to us is, "When the Lord Himself fasted and prayed, why not we His believers?" If the Lord fasted and prayed when He Himself is God, much more we must fast and pray according to His will!

Lord, grace me to live a life of normal Christian life; even of fasting and praying once a week, all the days of my life.