Strong and abundant faith in God's constant faithfulness is discovered through prayer and fasting.
Prayer isn’t just telling God what you desire, but is about listening
and understanding what He desires. Prayer doesn’t change God, but you.
When you enter into holy communication with God, the Spirit of the Lord
within you prays to the Holy Spirit. You have surrendered control
(Romans 8:26). The heart prays and receives faith without the analytical
perspective the mind attempts to interject. Satan’s lies can’t
penetrate the shield of faith.
Fasting focuses the mind on God
instead of circumstance. “You will keep in perfect peace him, whose mind
is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). You know
supernatural peace at the moment the mind surrenders its struggle for
control. When the human mind is bypassed, the need for assurance is
exchanged for His grace (Philippians 4:6-8). Satan tempted Jesus to turn
stones into bread, but Jesus said, "Man doesn’t live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). In
another instance, the disciples insisted that Jesus eat, and he said, “I
have food to eat that you know nothing about”. The disciples didn’t see
any food. “My food,” Jesus explained, “is to do the will of him who
sent me and to finish His purpose" (John 4:32-34).
When we
surrender control to God—whether in prayer or food—we receive more of
the Lord’s strength to handle life’s uncertainty, and to complete the
work He has assigned us. As we grow in these disciplines, sensitivity to
the Holy Spirit increases, revealing our own inadequacy, and teaching
us how to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Prayer isn’t just telling God what you desire, but is about listening and understanding what He desires. Prayer doesn’t change God, but you. When you enter into holy communication with God, the Spirit of the Lord within you prays to the Holy Spirit. You have surrendered control (Romans 8:26). The heart prays and receives faith without the analytical perspective the mind attempts to interject. Satan’s lies can’t penetrate the shield of faith.
Fasting focuses the mind on God instead of circumstance. “You will keep in perfect peace him, whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). You know supernatural peace at the moment the mind surrenders its struggle for control. When the human mind is bypassed, the need for assurance is exchanged for His grace (Philippians 4:6-8). Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, but Jesus said, "Man doesn’t live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). In another instance, the disciples insisted that Jesus eat, and he said, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about”. The disciples didn’t see any food. “My food,” Jesus explained, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish His purpose" (John 4:32-34).
When we surrender control to God—whether in prayer or food—we receive more of the Lord’s strength to handle life’s uncertainty, and to complete the work He has assigned us. As we grow in these disciplines, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit increases, revealing our own inadequacy, and teaching us how to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
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