Fasting and Prayer - Key to Power

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Fasting and prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual combinations on earth. True fasting
brings humility and alignment with God. It breaks the power of flesh and demons. It kills
unbelief and brings answers to prayer when nothing else works.

It has been well said that prayer is not preparation for the battle - prayer IS the battle. And of all
the things we can do to enhance the power and focus of prayer, fasting is doubtless the most
potent.

This is where the power is at, because fasting puts us in harmony with an All Powerful God who
demands humility from those who wish to be close to Him. Fasting humbles the flesh. When it is
done for that purpose, it pleases the Spirit of God.

You can go a certain distance in God, and experience many things, without fasting much, but the
highest, richest and most powerful blessings always go to those who together with other
disciplines, fast much unto God. The most significant Biblical characters, with the possible
exception of Abraham, were all men of fasting and prayer. Jesus, the Son of God, was a man of
fasting and prayer (Matthew 4:2). So was the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:27). Moses fasted
80 days. Elijah fasted 40 days. The early church fasted before starting any major work. The
greatest spiritual leaders of the 20th century who are making an impact are all men of fasting of
prayer to my knowledge. Anyone who started a significant spiritual movement in Christianity
was, to the best of my knowledge - Luther, Wesley, Finney, Booth were all men of fasting. In
our day, Cho, Bonnke, Osborn, Annacondia are all men of much fasting. If done right, fasting
counts a lot with God.

Fasting is not magic, nor does it twist the arm of God. God wants to do many amazing things,
but He looks for those willing to urgently make the corrections needed to come into line
with him. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Successful fasting is also the
fastest way to learn patience. It takes patience and endurance to fast for more than a day. Many
of God's tests come quicker to us when we fast, and we have a better opportunity to pass them. If
we want to go far with God we would have to face these tests anyway, but much later, and in a
more time consuming and difficult way. We need to "bite the bullet" and embrace the correction
God wants to apply to our souls.

Fasting gives you God's focus for your life. It is a major key to hearing God's voice (the other is
true worship - the two are related). We need focus from God more than anything. The world we
live in is working overtime to distract us, to entice us, to win our hearts and minds, our focus,
and to determine our vision. Fasting cuts out the world so we can tune into God. If we are
obedient to God fasting will make us catalysts for revival and awakening.

Examples of Fasting and Prayer and the Purpose God Had in It

Daniel the prophet fasted for the fulfilment of God's promises, and received mighty revelations
from God. (Daniel 10:3).

Jesus fasted and spoke the Word of God to overcome Satan (See Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13).

Jesus fasted to begin his public ministry, and have the power of God and the anointing. (Luke
4:14).

Elijah needed to fast 40 days before he heard God's voice again. (1 Kings 19:8)

Moses fasted to receive the Ten Commandments and the Law of God, and to see God's glory and
goodness.

The elders, prophets and teachers in Antioch fasted and ministered to God, which resulted in the
launching of Paul and Barnabas' apostolic ministry to the Gentiles (Acts 13:2,3). Likewise we
should fast and pray before getting involved in full time ministry and mission work.

Jesus says to us in Matthew 6:16, "When you fast..." not "If you fast". A true disciple of the Lord
will fast at times.

God made it clear through the prophet Joel that the last days outpouring of the Spirit will
be in proportion to our fasting and crying out to God in humility, hunger and repentance.
(Joel 1:5; Joel 2:12).

Even wicked King Ahab's fast moved God so that he did not bring full judgment down on him in
his own lifetime (1 Kings 21:27).

The Pain of Fasting

Fasting is not easy. There are degrees of fasting, of course. The pain of fasting is twofold. The
physical pain is due to the detoxification of our bodies. All the accumulate poison and garbage
starts to come into our blood and we feel dreadful. This can be alleviated by fasting on juice.
With juice fasting you have some control on the speed of your body's detoxification.

The soulish pain is due to the conflict in the spiritual realm between your flesh and the Spirit of
God. This goes behind the natural desire to eat. There is soulish pain because:

1. Most times our bodies are demanding food 3 times a day and complain that food is needed
when they are denied. A little training in fasting soon clears up this misconception.

2. You cannot use food as an emotional crutch to give pleasure, drowsiness, satisfaction and
escape. Instead you must depend on God for comfort.
3. You are brought face to face with other painful issues in your life. God reveals the need for
you to forgive others, to repent of your wicked ways, to stop running from Him and start trusting
Him. There is thus also a spiritual and soulish detoxification which happens when we fast.

4. You will be attacked by demonic forces seeking to induce you to give up the fast. Jesus
experienced this in the wilderness with Satan (Matthew 4:1-10). Great spiritual victories are won
or lost on our willingness to endure spiritual hardship and temptation out of love and faithfulness
to the Lord.

5. You will experience weakness at times, and we like to feel strong and in control. Fasting
teaches us dependence upon God.

Prayer and Fasting Testimonies

A number of people ask what you may or may not have during fasting. This depends of what
God called you to do. It is normal to drink water during fasting. Never go without water more
than three days. An easier fast which is more suitable for those who have other responsibilities
which require energy is to drink only juice and water. Another way to fast is just to eat one meal
per day for a number of days. All these fasts can have value. God will lead you.

You can get more information on the technical aspects of fasting at www.fasting.ws. Suffice for
now to say that you SHOULD drink water and plenty of it when you fast. If you are working and
unable to fast fully on water, you can drink juice or even have one meal a day, and these partial
fasts do also have some value in subduing the flesh and bringing you closer to God.

I want to make more information available on this subject as time goes on. Please join me in
seeking God and we can pray for each other that God will strengthen us in our resolve to let Him
teach us to wait upon Him with fasting, prayer and the Word.

Michael