Your Daily Devotional for August 23, 2006

 

August 23, 2006

 

By Prayer and Fasting

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”

 

Mark 9:26-29

 

As we come to the Word of God today, Jesus is revealing the power that comes by fasting. It says in verse 29 in the previously viewed passage, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Jesus was emphasizing that many things cannot be accomplished without the use of prayer and fasting. Fasting, unfortunately, is a forgotten act in Christian living today. I fear that the spiritual vitality that comes with fasting is also lost.

 

Fasting is denying the physical pleasures of this life in order to get the spiritual growth and closer relationship with Christ we need. It’s not only the willingness to rid yourself of a physical pleasure such as eating, TV perhaps, or the radio, but also to deny yourself of the weights of this world in order to seek higher ground. It is a focused attempt at seeking God’s face.

 

God commands fasting! Fasting is relevant today, as Jesus spoke in Mark 2:20 that “…when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.” Jesus does not walk among us anymore, as the days of old. We must seek His power through the biblical command of fasting. This is not a suggestion, but a command.

 

Fasting is mentioned more than 80 times in the Scriptures. A majority of those times, it was in prayer for a specific need. When an Old Testament prophet craved the repentance of God’s people, he would proclaim a fast. When the apostles needed wisdom concerning a certain feature of their ministry, they would proclaim a fast. And when Christ was asked how He had the power to cast out the demons when the disciples could not, he could have answered them many things; instead, he said that it wasn’t possible except by prayer and fasting.

 

What about you? Do you have a special, pressing need in your heart today? Is there a sin that you cannot shake, a sorrow that you can’t seem to bear? Has there ever been a lost relative, friend, or co-worker that you cared about enough to miss a meal? Isn’t the difference between Heaven and Hell more important than lunch? Fasting is a necessary element in the life of any Christian who has a desire for a closer relationship with God.  So, try taking your burdens to the Lord in prayer and fasting, and see what He can do!

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