Today’s 333 Devotional: “Prayer and Fasting”

Fasting, when used with prayer, increases our effectiveness allowing us to know God’s will and calling for our lives.

While fasting and prayer are central for many things, including getting free from bondages (Isaiah 58:6), and receiving deliverance in times of crisis (2 Chronicles 20). It is also used to gain spiritual insight and receive God’s wisdom for the direction we are to take in life.

This is seen in God’s call upon both the Apostle Paul and Barnabas as God’s missionaries to the Gentile world.  The Christians at Antioch fasted and prayed before sending them out.

“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3)

This was also what Ezra found to be true, as he proclaimed a fast to seek God as to the right way to go. (Ezra 8:21,23)

Fasting means to abstain from food and/or drink for a specific time frame in order to seek the Lord by denying the physical in order to focus on the spiritual.

Adding fasting to prayer cleans out the junk and allows our spiritual man to get connected to God where we can hear the still small voice of the Lord more clearly.

This was the testimony for the prophet Elijah. For 40 days he went without food. When he arrived at Mount Horeb he went into a cave where he was able to hear God’s still small voice over the all the commotion that was going on around him. And the Lord gave Elijah directions to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, and to choose Elisha as the prophet who would secede him, (1 Kings 19)

Prayer and fasting are a powerful tool, and when we fast and pray, God will strengthen us giving grace, mercy, and faith for the journey that lies ahead.