Are you finding it hard to understand fasting and prayer, or do you want to know the advantages of fasting and praying for one’s life, if yes, then keep reading?
Most times you might have come across the word fasting and praying, in your Bible or just random preaching, but you are lacking in-depth knowledge about it.
In this post, I’ll discuss more on Fasting and prayer, you’ll learn, what is fasting and prayer, how to fast and pray, and lastly 10 importance of fasting and prayer.
What are fasting and prayer?
The word fasting and prayer are two different words.
I’ll break the two words down, for you to have a better understanding of what I’m trying to explain:
Fasting:
Fasting is the act of abstaining from some or all food, drink, and sometimes sexual intercourse.
Prayer:
Prayer is a form of religious observance in which one or more people engage in ritualized conversations with a deity.
10 Importance of fasting and prayer
I’ll list out the 10 major importance & benefits of fasting and prayer
1. Quick Answers to prayer:
fasting and prayer bring quick Answers to prayers, if you have something you’ve been looking on the face of God for, why not try adding fasting and prayer, to force God to action.
Just like the people of Nineveh, after neglecting the ways Of God, then God decided to clear away the city from the face of the Earth and everything therein, but once the people heard that God was unhappy, and of his next plan, the people of Nineveh quickly went on fasting and prayer, to ask for forgiveness from God, when God saw this he overturned his decision to destroy the city.
Fasting and praying bring quick Answers to prayer.
2. Spiritual growth:
For someone to grow spiritually, such a person needs fasting and prayer, by so doing, you are working closer to God.
Jesus laid down a good example while he was on Earth, he fasted and prayed for 40 days and 40 nights, even though Jesus was the son of God he also had to fast and pray to connect more to the heavens since he had become flesh.
3. Focus on God:
Fasting and prayer help human beings focus and humans are likely to make one sin or the other. But in the process of fasting and praying, human beings would want to abstain from any sort of unclean things to get God in action.
4. Perform miracles:
For a believer to be able to perform some form of miracle, he/she needs fasting and prayer.
Just like in the Bible when the disciples of God were unable to cast out a demon from a young boy, but once Jesus commanded the demon to leave the child, it left the child immediately, the disciples of Jesus marveled and asked why they couldn’t cast out the demon, Jesus answered and told them, without fasting and praying they won’t be able to cast off the demon.
To perform some kind of miracle it takes fasting and prayer.
5. To refine your life:
when you fast and pray you have indirectly purified your life.
6. To hear the voice of the Lord:
Fasting and praying make it easy for you to hear the voice of the Lord, the Lord works with a clean heart, once you can keep your heart clean by Fasting and praying, then you’ll hear the voice of the Lord.
7. Detoxifies your body:
Fasting and praying help the body to heal itself.
Once you’re fasting you are giving your brain space and time to heal your body. That’s why you get stronger after breaking your fasting.
8. Emotional stability:
Once you’re having a hard time with your emotions try fasting and praying to stabilize your emotions.
9. Healthy leaving:
Your body needs refreshments once you embark on Fasting and prayer, it helps us stay healthy.
10. It edifies the church:
Once there’s fasting and praying in the church the spirit of the Lord will move in such gatherings. Just like the days of the disciples after which Jesus left them.
When there’s fasting and prayer it put the church in one spirit and one heart.
Why fasting and prayer are dangerous to some people’s health
It is important to note that fasting can be dangerous if done incorrectly or without medical supervision. It should not be done by those with certain conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. If you are considering fasting, please consult your doctor first.
How to fast and pray
To fast and pray, you need to abstain from all kinds of sins that may hinder your answer to your prayers. It will be of no benefit to fast and pray without result.
To fast and pray the right way, you have to:
1. Avoid sin
2. Pray from your heart
3. Have faith and believe
4. Understand your main reason for fasting and praying
5. Concentrate on God.
With this, you’ve got off to a good start in your fasting and prayer life.
Inconclusion:
Finally, fasting and prayer are key factors to improving your life and your growth spiritually, fasting and prayer are important to both our spiritual life and our physical health.
once you’re in a good medical condition you can always consider fasting and praying as an option.
Comment below if there’s anything you’ll like to clarify on this topic.