#82 “Understanding the Role of Fasting”

(Another Level of Spiritual Power) Pt.6

“After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked,

 “Why couldn’t we cast the demon out? He answered,

“There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon

except by prayer and fasting"

[Mark 9:28-29]

King James Version (KJV)

“When Jesus noticed that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he spoke sharply to the evil spirit, with the words, “I command you, deaf and dumb spirit, come out of this boy and never enter him again!” The spirit gave a loud scream and dreadfully convulsing it left him. The boy lay there like a corpse, so that most of the bystanders said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus take hold of his hands and lifted him up, and he stood on his own feet.  After this event the disciples were perplexed as to why they could not cast the evil spirit out of the boy. They were with Jesus, they listened to His teachings and they even watched Him perform many other miracles’ they too had cast out demons before. So what happened this time, why could they not cast this one out as well?  So they asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we cast the demon out? He answered, “There is not gay to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer and fasting.”

This brings us to the sixth reason for fasting; it takes us to another level of spiritual power in God. You’re no doubt saying now I thought Jesus gave us power?  “Look I have given you power to tread serpents and scorpions underfoot, and to trample on all the power of the Enemy; and in no case shall anything do you harm. (Luke 10:19)  And you are correct however, some evil spirits are stubborn and require us to be prayed and fasted up. Do you think that you could walk into a room with someone who is possessed with a demon and cast it right out? It would depend on where your faith was; however, sometimes it required fasting and praying together to hear God’s instruction on how to deal with different types of spirits. Remember the sons of Sceva in the book of Acts 19: 11-20? They thought that casting out demons was easy because the saw the disciples doing it; however, the evil spirit know they did not have the power or authority to put them out. So the evil spirits put them out instead. 

 

There was a reason that Jesus spent so much time with the Father each morning and sometimes He would even still away during the day to pray as well. This is why He wasn’t with the disciples in the boat when the storm arose; He had stayed behind to pray before leaving and was going to meet up with them later on the other side. When we spend quality time before God in fasting and prayer it strengthens our spirit man and we gain additional power for the tasks ahead of us. Remember what Jesus did once He was baptized? He went into the wilderness for 40-days to fast and pray prior to starting His earthly ministry; however, He didn’t stop there He continued to fast and pray, this is why He told the Pharisees that the disciple did not need to fast because He was fasting enough for them. Then He said, “but the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away for them, then they will need to fast.” Why? Because it would allow them to gain, additional supernatural powers for God to aid them in their ministry.

Let’s take a look at Luke 4: 1-2 – “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days” then scripture says, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4: 13-14) what’s interesting about this last verse is that before Jesus left to go into the wilderness the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Then a voice from Heaven said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus already had the Holy Spirit but after His fasting for 40-days He had a greater manifestation of the Spirit with more power.  John the Baptist said that Jesus, “Was the one whom God had sent speaking the words of God, for God had given Him the Spirit without limit.” Or with measure, would you like to have the Holy Spirit without measure?  The only way for that to happen is for you to spend time before God in fasting and prayer. When you do this the flesh man will grow weaker and the spirit man will grow stronger and God will begin to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom to you, the longer you stay. 

 

Does this mean that you have to go out to the wilderness and a fast for 40-days?  No! But it does mean that if you want to see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in a greater measure than what you have now, it will require you shutting down some things in your life and shutting up with God for some one on one time.  If you spend 2–3 hours of your day before God and it’s without eating or drinking anything then this is considered consecrating even if for only 2–4 hours.  Don’t try to jump into a 40-day fast unless the Lord has instructed you to do so. You will have to start off slow. Perhaps you will only be able to fast for 1 hour at first, this is good purpose in your heart that each day your will go longer and longer before you know it you will be fasting a full 8–10 hours easy.

My Prayer: Father God, help us to understand the proper way to fast and pray before You. Teach us how to deny our flesh and seek Your face give us the strength to preserver even when it seems hard. We want to see a greater manifestation of Your power and glory in our lives and in the lives we touch. Lord open up the eyes of our understand so that we can see and comprehend the true meaning of Your word. Thank You Father for your word and the Holy Spirit which instructs us in the things we must do and the way we should go.  Thank you for your love and the blessings of the Lord which makes us rich and adds not sorrow to it. These things we ask in Jesus name, Amen!

Have A Bless Day…Go in God’s Peace! 

 

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