The Realm of Maximum Impact
FAST: When Praying Is Not Enough
In the New Testament of my Newly Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Mark 9:14-21 gives the account of Jesus healing a boy who possessed within him an undesirable spirit. Possessed since childhood, the boy was unable to speak or hear. His father brought him to Jesus’ disciples, but they were unable to remove the spirit. In fact they did so poorly that the father asked Jesus to help him with his unbelief. Jesus was able to remove the spirit. The disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus replied, “This kind can come out only through prayer.” Ancient authorities add “and fasting” to the end of Jesus’ reply.
In present Christian circles, the “Fast” has become an unpopular four-letter word. It is considered painful and frustrating. Look in any book that focuses on Christian spirituality and you will rarely read anything on the “Fast.” But fasting, a spiritual discipline just like prayer, has always been an integral part of living our Christian faith. Prayer without fasting is like a brand new car without fuel. Even worse, it is like an empty barrel making a lot of noise.
The fast enhances the presence of God in our living. Before you fast, it is advised that you alert your health professional and take their counsel. Various guides provide us with different types of fast (Daniel fast, juice fast, spiritual fast, etc.). Described in its most basic form, a fast is simply the practice of abstaining from food. The purpose of this action is to invite God’s presence more clearly in one’s life. Prayer is necessary as our ongoing conversation with God, but fasting brings us into God’s presence.
Through the fast, we are broken to the point where we realize that we can do without material items, but it is the Word of God we truly rely on (Deuteronomy 8:3). We are able to hear God more clearly through the fast so that the conversation in prayer is not a monologue of our speaking and not listening. We have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth, thus we should hear more, see more, and speak less.
In a narcissist driven, consumer-minded society, we clamor to materialism as if consumerism is our sole purpose in life. We have hundreds of cable channels that we could never watch. We have two or more homes, while many go homeless. We have stimulus dollars yet many people are unemployed or underemployed. We have consumer stimuli that drive drug and sexual addictions. We are addicted to work, money, and pleasure and have the IPods and other toys to show for it. We so readily take life that God has created and destroy the creation God has provided with our selfish desires at hand. We have become a vain aberration of the image of God for Whom we were created.
Fasting brings us back to our Creator for life’s sustenance. When we pray God is constantly listening but fasting places us in the presence of God. Fasting enables us to remove the consumerist spirits which possess us and empowers our belief that we can accomplish all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.
The next time you pray, consider whether or not you could come closer to God through fasting. If so, consider fasting to bring you into God’s presence.
Holla!