Prayer And Fasting
And he said unto them, This kind can come forth
by nothing, but by prayer and fasting
(Mark 9:29)
Sometimes as Christians, we miss God’s order of
things. God is a God of order, and order gives
meaning to things. For example, all around the world,
people tend to confuse the order and say, “fasting and
prayer,” instead of “prayer and fasting.” Prayer comes
before fasting in the Scriptures.
Not understanding the right order may account for
the reason many people fast without praying, which is
largely a waste of time and effort. The emphasis should
be on praying. It’s a call to prayer, and because you’re
praying, you’re consciously staying away from eating.
The fast is on, because you’re praying, not because
you’re not eating.
Acts 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord,
and fasted, the Holy Ghost said….” Notice the order:
they ministered to the Lord and fasted. How do you
minister to the Lord? It’s in worship, prayer, praise and
thanksgiving. The focus was on ministering to the Lord,
and because of this, they fasted. Then the Lord spoke
to them after they had prayed.
The New Year is just around the corner, and in
preparing for it, you must spend time to pray and
fast. Pick the days, or if such days have already been
designated in your group or in your local church, be
sure to participate fully, bearing in mind the purpose
of the fast: praying; ministering to the Lord.
Some people occupy themselves with various
irrelevant activities during prayer and fasting, so they
don’t feel the hunger until it’s time to break the fast, no;
it’s not that way. Aside from praying, the only activities
you should indulge in and encourage are such that
would further inspire you to pray, such as studying
and meditating on the Word.
Take your Bible and some Christian books to read,
and messages to listen to or watch on your devices.
Put the TV off, and cast the newspapers and magazines
aside. Possibly, put off your phone or turn off the
network; you don’t need any distraction.
If you desire specific outstanding results in the
coming year that only the anointing can produce,
you need to do this: Spend quality time to speak in
tongues and position yourself for achievements and
significant exploits, not just in the coming year, but in
the years ahead
Prayer
Blessed Lord, I thank you for all that you’ve prepared for
me in the coming year. My spiritual antenna is raised to hear
and receive your instructions, guidance, and wisdom that’ll
propel me in the path of greatness that you’ve ordained for me,
in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
Daniel 9:3-5; Acts 14:23
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Zechariah 9-11
Revelation 19:11-21
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Acts 4:23-37
Ezra 7