Praying without Fasting is only a blunt sword.

[Another Lazarus]

One day the disciples came to Jesus asking why they could not cast out the devil from somebody.

Jesus said that kind of devil would not go without prayer and FASTING.
Matt 17:21 "But this kind (of devil) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

It shows that FAITH alone is only a blunt sword without Fasting.

The Hebrew was commanded to afflict their souls (fasting) during the Feast of Yom Kippur.

Levi 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall AFFLICT your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Whoever did not fast will be CUT OFF :
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be CUT OFF from among his people.

The widow at the Temple did fast and God remember and wrote her good deed in the Bible !
Luke 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Daniel did fast to receive the most important message for the fate of the Hebrew in Babylon.

Ester and the whole Hebrew fasted to ask God to save them from genocide.

I guess we'd better train ourselves with fasting.

 

[dreadnought]

One day the disciples came to Jesus asking why they could not cast out the devil from somebody.

Jesus said that kind of devil would not go without prayer and FASTING.
Matt 17:21 "But this kind (of devil) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

It shows that FAITH alone is only a blunt sword without Fasting.

The Hebrew was commanded to afflict their souls (fasting) during the Feast of Yom Kippur.

Levi 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall AFFLICT your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Whoever did not fast will be CUT OFF :
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be CUT OFF from among his people.

The widow at the Temple did fast and God remember and wrote her good deed in the Bible !
Luke 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Daniel did fast to receive the most important message for the fate of the Hebrew in Babylon.

Ester and the whole Hebrew fasted to ask God to save them from genocide.

I guess we'd better train ourselves with fasting.

No, you are absolutely wrong. We should pray constantly (1 Thess 5:17). We should always be walking with the Lord - in prayer. To add to that, some people have low blood sugar and get very sick if they don't eat.

 

[Daniel9v9]

Austerity in itself does not bring us closer to God, but fasting can be good, providing we understand what it means: Isaiah 58

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

One day the disciples came to Jesus asking why they could not cast out the devil from somebody.

Jesus said that kind of devil would not go without prayer and FASTING.
Matt 17:21 "But this kind (of devil) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

It shows that FAITH alone is only a blunt sword without Fasting.

The Hebrew was commanded to afflict their souls (fasting) during the Feast of Yom Kippur.

Levi 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall AFFLICT your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Whoever did not fast will be CUT OFF :
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be CUT OFF from among his people.

The widow at the Temple did fast and God remember and wrote her good deed in the Bible !
Luke 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Daniel did fast to receive the most important message for the fate of the Hebrew in Babylon.

Ester and the whole Hebrew fasted to ask God to save them from genocide.

I guess we'd better train ourselves with fasting.

Firstly, Matthew 17:21 in the original Greek manuscripts leave out the word "fasting". It was added later.

Also Isaiah 58:5-7 gives another perspective on fasting and it has more to do than going without food:

…5"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? 6"Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? 7"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?…

This shows that the "fast" that the Lord approves of is to free people from the bonds of wickedness by giving them the good news of the gospel, to release folk who are oppressed by the devil and to break the yoke of sin and condemnation. It is also to feed the hungry and house the homeless, clothe those who have no clothes to wear and to be always visible and available to assist where necessary.

If people lock themselves away in their prayer rooms and go through a ritual of fasting without following Isaiah's guidelines as to what a true fast really is, then they will not be effective in anything. Going without food achieves nothing in itself, but putting "legs" on your Christian profession, along with sincere prayer will achieve great results in the lives of others.

 

[Another Lazarus]

some people have low blood sugar and get very sick if they don't eat.

People with stomach acid problem can still do the fasting but they should not leave their meal.
Instead they can try Daniel's fast :

Daniel 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

Daniel 10: 2-3, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I annoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

We should not try to imitate a very hard fasting like Jesus did.

But a regular once a week will be very good for our Christian Life.
Such as once a week eating fruit and pure water only for a day.
Or one day with one meal only instead of three meals.
Or one day with drinking juice only or just pure water.

The regularity will OBVIOUSLY forge our souls and faith and give amazing results in battle !
Matt 17:21 "But this kind (of devil) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 

[Another Lazarus]

…5"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?

Jesus did fast for 40 days and nights which shows it is important and should not be left, besides those things as to free people from the bonds of wickedness, feed the hungry and housing the homeless.

Matt 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempte by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

 

[Hall]

Many of my prayers were answered without fasting. However fasting with prayers is a very powerful effective tool.

 

[Kdutree]

People with stomach acid problem can still do the fasting but they should not leave their meal.
Instead they can try Daniel's fast :

Daniel 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

Daniel 10: 2-3, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I annoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

We should not try to imitate a very hard fasting like Jesus did.

But a regular once a week will be very good for our Christian Life.
Such as once a week eating fruit and pure water only for a day.
Or one day with one meal only instead of three meals.
Or one day with drinking juice only or just pure water.

The regularity will OBVIOUSLY forge our souls and faith and give amazing results in battle !
Matt 17:21 "But this kind (of devil) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

I think that it is good for our spiritual walk to fast. There are some things that can not break unless one fast. The flesh has to die so that the spirit may live. Our spiritual is awakened and one can see and hear more clearly-discernment is sharpened. God's voice tend to be louder. I've decided to make fasting a lifestyle. I use to just offer up microwave prayers until something brought me on my face- lying prostrate.

 

[Another Lazarus]

I use to just offer up microwave prayers until something brought me on my face- lying prostrate.

Sorry i dont catch what you mean

 

[Kdutree]

Sorry i dont catch what you mean

I meant that I use to just say quick prayers. Until I was afflicted that is when I needed to do more...such as fast. Laying prostrate is a position of prayer. In stead of knealing in prayer (a position), I laid prostrate (a position when you lie flat on the floor face down). When I said that "...something brought me on my face prostrate" it's like saying "something brought me to my knees." The difference id that one position of prayer is on the knees while the other is laying flat with face to ground or as mentioned in Job "face to earth."

 

[Weathering Storms]

Fasting is a spiritual exercise that is so drastic to many people

I decided to try it once. The first two or three days was miserable. I didn't understand WHY would God want me miserable.

Then I woke up the 4th day, and wow, what a difference. Once your body adjusts, there is an amazing amount of spiritual energy. My head and thoughts were so clear, it was amazing. I was weak at times physically, but in every other way, it totally astounded me how great I felt.

When I became diabetic, I was disappointed because I thought that meant I couldn't fast. But with type II diabetes, fasting is actually helpful in getting the body reset when you have very high blood sugars. My Endocrinologist said that after a few days, your body stops being resistant to insulin. BUT it only lasts as long as you're fasting. WHen you start eating, the resistance comes back.

But God's voice becomes very clear - or rather, my hearing His voice became very clear.

I have to be careful AND sneaky though. My husband freaks out when he finds out I'm fasting. He doesn't understand how I could possibly feel good without eating.

 

[Another Lazarus]

Fasting is a spiritual exercise that is so drastic to many people

Once people try it regularly they will realize it is necessary as you do.

 

[Sorn]

Then I woke up the 4th day, and wow

So you go 4 days without eating or drinking anything nutritional?

If so you must eat a lot in your non-fast days otherwise you would lose too much weight.

 

[Doug Melven]

Fasting makes us less dependent on material things.
In Matthew 17 when Jesus said that this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting, He was not referring to the type of demon but there unbelief. Because Jesus said if you have faith as a grain of Mustard seed you can say to a mountain that it needs to move and it has to go.
They couldn't cast the demon out because of there unbelief.
Fasting doesn't make your prayers stronger, it gets rid of some of that unbelief and you become more dependent on God. And your faith is increased.
Having great faith makes your prayers stronger.

 

[HopefulHepatica]

Fasting doesn't necessarily mean it has to be food. While I believe God honors prayer, I do think fasting has its benefits, like being less dependent on material things and being a show of faith, that during a particularly trying period, you're willing to give something up to God. (How I view it) Faith is the most important part though. I always use the example of people who recognized Jesus' power and could be healed just by touching His clothes or walking in Peter's shadow while he was filled with the Holy Spirit, as faith. I have to remind myself of this, of who God is and what He's capable of.