In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ included fasting as a spiritual commitment for those who would follow Him. Jesus gave instruction on how we are to live as Kingdom citizens, and in   Matthew 6 He taught that giving, praying, and fasting were to be a part of a believer’s life:

“When you give (v. 2)…,

“When you pray (v. 5)…, and

“When you fast (v. 16)…”

In this brief post, I want to focus on the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.  Early in my ministry, I received teaching from several sources in this area, and consequently have embraced fasting in my life and ministry. I have fasted every Wednesday for some years now, and have set aside specific time on these days to seek the Lord in prayer for personal revival, spiritual needs in my church family, awakening in my community, and the cause of Christ globally.

Alan Redpath once said, “Never undertake more Christian service than you can cover by believing prayer.”  This is a great challenge in our generation that is bombarded with distraction. Prayer and fasting helps us to focus on what is truly important in this world, namely our relationship with God. In seeking the Lord in this way, we discover that prayer and fasting is the prescription and pathway for God’s supernatural power to be unleashed in our lives and in His church. (more…)