Does fasting make your prayer more effective?

[Jesus_is_Saint]

Does fasting make your prayer more effective?
Some people told me that fasting is to show your sincerity to God, and because of that, God is more likely to answer your prayer.
Is that right?
I seldom fast, I can only skip one meal which is lunch.
To fast whole day and pray, I never did that.
Am I not sincere?

 

[1watchman]

The whole thought of fasting in the Bible is to deny self and be fully and earnestly before the Lord to seek His mind and ways over a time. Just not eating is not the issue, but an earnest entreaty to God undistracted. We are not asked to be ceremonial, but coming in humility with singularly minded. It is essential that one first must know God and be trusting Him in heart always.

 

[Jesus_is_Saint]

Is Christian fasting same as Muslim fasting?

 

[Kit Sigmon]

Fasting is done so a body can focus/ an direct their attentions to God...it's usually closely associated with praying.
It's not done to draw attention to yourself or your fast...Matthew 6:16-18.
In Acts 13:2, Acts 14:23 fasting and prayer was done before Barnabas and Saul were sent out to proclaim the Word of God...seeking God's will.
fasting was done here when turning away from sin...Jonah 3:5-10.
fasting helps a believer to worship God without distraction...Luke 2:36-38.
fasting can be done to show humbleness before God...Daniel 9:3.


muslim fasting..
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Taqwa [God-consciousness]. – The Qur’an, Al-Baqarah:183
Fasting is also one of the five pillars of Islam, (1) monotheism (2) daily prayer (3) charity, (4) sawm/fasting, (5) pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims believe that in keeping the five pillars of Islam that they are assured a place in paradise.
The quran forbids the bearing another person's burden of sin... which denies Jesus is Messiah, the quran dies Jesus' death on the cross; and the quran teaches that man must save himself by keeping the five pillars of Islam.

 

[shelley1952]

Just not eating one meal does not really count as fasting. I know a woman who does three 40 day fasts a year, you saw that correct, 40 days of nothing but water. That's a fast that you better know how to do correctly or it can cause harm and those on meds. do not do that kind of fast. I believe she is the only one who can do that in her church but the whole church does many 3-7 day water fasts. There are a few that do Daniel fasts and some fast one day on and one off and so on for a month or so. Some do 3 on and 3 off. While they are fasting they spend a lot of time in worship of the Lord, studying scriptures and praying in tongues. During those times they are putting the flesh man down letting it know it cant control them. It does help you learn how to hear the Lord better well actually its Holy Spirit you are hearing giving the Words of the Lord to you if you have Holy Spirit that is. It also brings you more into the spiritual side of things. But it does not mean the Lord is more apt to answer your prayer. Sometimes our prayers are not according to His will or the Lord wants something to be handled differently than how someone is praying. Lets use an example. Lets say a man is praying for The Lord to help him get rid of something in his life, something that really isn't good, so the man prays....Lord please take this bad habit from me....but maybe from the other side the Lord knows that there is a deeper reason why this man is doing this and the Lord knows that the deeper issue is what needs to be dealt with first so the other thing can then be dealt with easier. Or it could be the Lord wants the man to learn himself how to deal with our own sin with the Lords help. Its up to us to do our part in partnership with the Lord. Sometimes when He just takes away something and its no hardship to us but then if we keep those temptations in our face if we are not sanctified enough we will just go back in to it like the Bible says about the pig returning to the mire after someone had taken it out of the mud and stench took it and gave it a bath with nice smelling stuff but as soon as it was allowed outside it went right back to the mud and stench. Humans are a lot like that when something is done for them with no hardship on their part but if they do their part to stay away from sin, something that takes real effort, it may mean making a lot of changes and putting the Lord first, substitute that sin with prayer, Bible study, just whatever then the Lord sees you mean business then He comes along side to help you overcome that sin. .........Please read the following verses for as Christians we are to understand what it means sin shall not have dominion over us. Also I do not know anything about the Muslims or their ways other than they are serving an anti-Christ. Oh and one other thing.....

To fast whole day and pray, I never did that.
Am I not sincere?

My answer is no,( my opinion.)
Don't forget to read the following scriptures with the intention to understand them, if you don't its time to study.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

 

[Stillicidia]

Changing my posts, please forgive my error,

Jesus commands that you ask for something but once, Matthew 6:7-8

 

[Greg J.]

Does fasting make your prayer more effective?
Some people told me that fasting is to show your sincerity to God, and because of that, God is more likely to answer your prayer.
Is that right?
I seldom fast, I can only skip one meal which is lunch.
To fast whole day and pray, I never did that.
Am I not sincere?

God is not a machine where how you do things matters a lot. Don't think about it that way. God is concerned with why you do what you do: your commitment to it, your faithfulness of it, and your reliance on him to do it. Both prayer and fasting are offerings you make to God. Do them with soberness, love, reverence, honor, thankfulness, and humility, then they are very good and the details matter less. They both are significant because usually they require you to sacrifice something you'd rather do.

If you fast like this, God will be pleased. It's perfectly fine to just fast lunch, although if you can, try to stick to a schedule you prayerfully choose.

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

fasting disciplines you to not be moved by what your flesh (5 senses) tells you so that your faith will be more effective

Mar 9:14-29 KJV
(14) And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
(15) And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
(16) And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
(17) And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
(18) And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
(19) He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
(20) And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
(21) And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
(22) And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
(23) Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
(24) And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
(25) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
(26) 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.
(27) But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
(28) And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
(29) And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.


Mat 17:14-21 KJV
(14) And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
(15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
(16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
(17) Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
(18) And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
(19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
(20) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
(21) Howbeit this kind <of unbelief> goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
text enclosed in "<>" added by me

here we have 2 descriptions of the same account of the lunatick son being set free from demonic influence; the powerful display of the boy rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth was enough to create doubt, or unbelief, in the disciples, which 'bound' their faith; prayer (focus on the Spirit rather than the flesh) and fasting (denying the flesh's reports to focus on God's promises) reduces unbelief (doubt) by disciplining one to focus on the Spirit rather than the flesh, thus 'unbinding' or 'releasing' faith so that it can be effective

 

[paul1149]

Does fasting make your prayer more effective?
Some people told me that fasting is to show your sincerity to God, and because of that, God is more likely to answer your prayer.
Is that right?
I seldom fast, I can only skip one meal which is lunch.
To fast whole day and pray, I never did that.
Am I not sincere?

Fasting can be done by the Holy Spirit, or it can be a work done outside of grace. There are passages that critique fasting, such as Isaiah 58, where the Lord condemns fasting that is wrongly motivated and which disdains the deeper things of God. The story of mad king Saul also shows a man who was cut off from God doing a religious fast in his own strength in order to try to force God's hand. He only got into more trouble, and would have brought a great bloody defeat upon Israel had it not been for his son Jonathan's intervention.

I like the way Chuck Pierce synopsizes Isaiah 58. He says to let God choose the fast. It may not be fasting food that would benefit us. We might need the food to function in our jobs, or due to a medical condition. It may be that we need to fast a certain activity or relationship. The bottom line is to seek being filled with the Holy Spirit at all times and to be led by Him. Otherwise anything we do is just going through the motions and vain religion. Remember, we are not under the letter, but under the Spirit (2Cor 3).

 

[FutureAndAHope]

The bible says that certain kinds of demonic powers can not be removed without prayer and fasting. So fasting is obviously a good thing for a Christian to do.

However you said are you not being a sincere Christian if you don't fast long enough. God gives us all grace, we are saved by His love for us, his atoning work on the cross. The deeds we do like fasting, are to draw us closer to God, closer to his heart. We perform works of service out of our knowledge of who God is. Firstly God is gracious, and merciful. Try to fast, but don't feel guilty if you don't do long time periods. Also it is interesting that fasting in the bible is connected with giving your food to the hungry. It actually says it is not a day to bow down your head in dust and ashes, but rather to perform acts of justice to the oppressed and needy. Fasting should be to not eat, so you can use the food, or in our case money to help the poor. This kind of fast shows God's heart, one of sacrificing what you have, so others can have something.

When I was first a Christian I fasted only lunch, and God filled me with mighty power. He showed me the benefit of fasting if only for a moment in time.

I have at admit I have been a bit slack on the fasting front for a while, I might fast a weekend or something every six months. I probably need to do more. But I am not going to feel guilty over it. At the moment I am fasting (giving up) things that take up my time, so I can pray more, to draw closer to God.

 

[Goodbook]

You can fast an evening meal and then spend that time and night in prayer until whatever time you need breakfast. Thats why its called Breakfast. Because thats when you break the fast.