Fast & Pray

Ex.34:²⁸ “Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.” (NIV)

In today’s scripture reference we see what is called the Moses kind of fast. Moses did not eat food or drink water for forty days and forty nights. For this kind of fast, I would say except the Lord shows, up to you and tells you to do it, do not do it. Even when you think the Lord has told you to do it, please see your Pastor so that you can be sure it is the Lord and see a doctor. Moses had supernatural enablement to do what he did. Is it possible? Yes. The year God’s Favourite House started; I can count the number of days I ate food. It was not planned, I just started fasting. And as I was doing my own fast, the church started forty days fast. When the church was done with its own, I continued my own. So, if anybody says fasting kills you, it is a lie because some of us will not be here. Fasting does not kill you, but you need to do it with understanding so you can get the full benefit from it.

There is a difference between a cooperate fast and a personal fast. After fasting corporately for a period, you can decide with the Lord to extend yours with a Daniel kind of fast. That would be a personal fast. In a cooperate fast, you have to stay maintain your ranks. In a cooperate fast, you cannot decide what you want to do; you do what is agreed upon as a community. You cannot be doing a cooperate fast and doing your own thing. You cannot do that; you are to align with the parameters laid out for the cooperate fast. Make up your mind and God will empower you in Jesus Name. We need to realize that fasting has to do with prayer. In fact, the potency of prayer goes to a higher level when we fast. If you do not mix your fasting with prayer, at best you are dieting or on a weight loss program. But the spiritual value is bigger when you fast and pray.

My spiritual father used to say, fasting without prayer is a hunger strike. It is prayer that gives potency to fasting, it is prayer that gives power, that releases the power of fasting. You need to spend time praying. Prayer is totally indispensable; we have to pray. John Wesley said, “It seems that without God man cannot, and without man God will not.” Our fasting must be coupled with prayer and things will change in our favour in the Name of Jesus. Fasting is totally necessary. Jesus said to us in Matt.6:¹⁶ “And when you fast…”, note that Jesus did not say if you fast. Jesus said when you fast meaning, fasting is in your future. My grandmother would say, fast so that you will not have to fast because whichever way you will fast if you are a believer. The truth is, certain things will only shift when we fast and pray, that is just how it is. A young boy that was demon-possessed was brought to Jesus’ disciples. They engaged the situation with prayer, but nothing happened. When Jesus showed up, the boy’s father reported the situation to Him. Afterward, Peter said, there is still something you are not telling us, Jesus [paraphrased] Matt.17:²¹ “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (NASB, emphasis added).

Prayer: Father, I fast and I will pray, and mountains will move, in Jesus Name. Amen!