Prayer and Fasting

Have you ever fasted? It is one of the spiritual disciplines of the Christian
life, and when accompanied with prayer, it can be a powerful experience.

Prayer and Fasting

"So He said to them, 'This kind can come out
by nothing but prayer and fasting.'"

(Mark 9:29)

Have you ever fasted? It is one of the spiritual disciplines of the Christian's life, and when accompanied with prayer, it can be a powerful experience in the life of the follower of Jesus. There is much in the Bible about fasting as well as numerous books and resources on the topic. Here are a couple of resources in case you want to know more: Ronnie Floyd's The Power of Prayer and Fasting: God's Gateway to Spiritual Breakthroughs, and the chapter on fasting in Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

After the Transfiguration of Jesus, recorded in Mark's Gospel, the disciples were perplexed that they could not cast out a demon tormenting a boy. Jesus came to them and did what they could not do: He performed the exorcism. Then Jesus told them that this situation was such that it could only happen by prayer and fasting.

There really is something powerful and special that happens when we accompany our prayers with periodic times or seasons of fasting.

In one of my favorite paintings, the Italian painter Raphael's Transfiguration, you can see in the lower half of the painting on the right side, the young boy who was demon possessed is now praising God. I took this picture (right) of the original painting last year while visiting the Vatican in Rome.

Here is a high resolution image of the painting so you can see more detail:

I believe in and practice fasting and am grateful to God for the spiritual breakthroughs and blessings He has given me. I encourage you to incorporate this spiritual discipline into your life. If you have never fasted, please start slowly by missing a single meal. For more lengthy fasts, consult with your physician and get medical advice. You may fast from food, or drink, or social media, or anything else the Lord impresses upon you. When I fast from food and get hungry (and you definitely get hungry!), I allow that hunger pang to prompt me to pray for the following requests: those who are hungry all the time, those who hunger spiritually, missionaries, the persecuted church, Great Hills Baptist Church, and DFEA. These are some of my specific prayer focus during times of fasting.

Those who fast will testify that there really is a special power and help that God provides as you earnestly seek Him. Will God answer your prayer the way you want Him to because you fast? Perhaps He will, or perhaps He will not. But one thing I know: you will draw closer to the Lord during these times of fasting, and that itself is worth all the effort.

Do you want to give fasting a try? I pray that if God gives you the green light, you will go for it.

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Podcast of the Week

Pastor Tim Hawks, Pt. 1

Pastor Danny welcomes to the show Pastor Tim Hawks, Lead Pastor of Hill Country Bible Church in Austin, TX. In this first part of their discuss-ion, Pastor Tim shares about his background, how he came to Christ, how he came to Pastor HCBC, and some of his experiences there.