We undoubtedly live in turbulent times, one look at the daily news is enough to cause distress in the hearts of many people. So many people are living in fear and living lives of quiet desperation. Some are asking, ‘If there’s a loving God, why is He allowing all this suffering?’ There is hope in God. The answer is found in His word,

2 Chronicles 7:14 – 15 says, ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place.’

Fasting is humbling yourself before God. It is acknowledging your insufficiency before the Almighty God. It is saying, ‘Lord I cannot but I know that you can.’ Fasting is denying yourself food and communing with God to intervene in any area of your life. Individuals, groups and nations can gather before God in fasting and prayer. Tremendous power is released when we fast and pray. Long standing problems are destroyed and we see mighty victories.

One can ask, ‘Is prayer alone not enough?’ Jesus disciples thought the same thing as well. They tried to cast out a demon but they could not. Let’s see what happened in Matthew 17:19-21, ‘Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief, for I assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you. However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’

So we can see that there are long standing and stubborn situations in our lives that require us to go the extra mile in prayer and fasting. We know that we are in the middle of an intense spiritual battle.Ephesians 6:12 says, ‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.’ Fasting helps to silence the flesh and unbelief. Fasting increases our faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 says, ‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.’

When we fast, we subdue the flesh, unbelief is removed. When we fast, our faith in God is increased and we believe that there’s nothing impossible before God.

Join us in these 21 days fasting and prayer, from 1st August – 21st August and you will experience the mighty hand of God in every area of your life in Jesus name. Amen!