Making the Most of our Walk with God

Part 2

The Power of Prayer & Fasting

Mark 2:18-20

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were going without eating. Some disciples came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘John’s disciples are fasting. The disciples of the Pharisees are also fasting. But your disciples are not. Why aren’t they?’

Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? They will not fast as long as he is with them. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. On that day they will go without eating.’

Matthew 17:14-21

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’

‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’

He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’

21 ‘But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’

An unmet need

V16 ‘I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’

An unanswered question

V19 ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’

An unexpected reply

V20-21 ‘He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’

21 ‘But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’

Mark 9:29 ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’

Godly prayer, with fasting,

releases breakthrough spiritual power.

Why is fasting so productive in releasing spiritual power?

• It reminds us of our humanity

• It humbles us

• It is a sign of our desire

Godly prayer, with fasting,

releases breakthrough

spiritual power

Matthew 6:16-18

‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’

• Fasting is not about an outward show but an inward desire to connect with God.

• Fasting should be coupled with fervent prayer.

Godly prayer, with fasting,

releases breakthrough

spiritual power.