The power of fasting and praying

Fasting, in the bible, is also known as afflicting your soul. It is not pleasant. It is humbling yourself before God and acknowledging that only He is able to help you. In the old covenant whenever a solemn assembly was proclaimed, it was accompanied by fasting. When people afflicted their souls , they put on sackcloth (hard and itchy on the skin) and ashes in addition to not eating or drinking. Judges 20: 26 (KJV) Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 1 Kings 21:27 (KJV) And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

What did the Lord Jesus say about fasting? He said we should not do it for the wrong reasons. It's not for show. It is for God. Matt 6: 16-18 (KJV) Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

In the new covenant we, followers of Jesus Christ need to fast and pray. Acts 13: 2-3 (KJV) As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 14:23 (KJV) And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

There are things that will not happen unless you fast and pray. Matt 17: 14-21 (KJV) And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Humility goes before promotion. In these dangerous times we need to fast and pray so that we may be accounted worthy to escape from the hour of temptation. Your soul is at stake. Luke 21:26 (KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.