“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV)
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14 NKJV)
“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:19-21 NKJV)
Fasting increases my spiritual awareness. It opens me up to receive a deeper revelation of who my Heavenly Father is, and a clearer revelation of who I am in relation to Him. As I deprive my body of something that it desires, and force it into a position of submission, I begin to move out of the dominance of the physical realm into the realm of the spirit.
When I enter into fasting from a position of humility, I am moved into a posture of repentance. My thinking changes from prideful self sufficiency to submission to my Heavenly Father (Daddy). As I withhold food from myself, I am driven to a place of dependency on God to sustain my efforts. When I humble myself before the Lord He exalts me. When the breakthrough comes I am catapulted from humility to exaltation. I now see my Father for who He is, and see myself through His eyes.
Daddy sees me from the inside out. He created me as a “living spirit. ” I am a spirit, I have a mind, and I live in a body. Fasting elevates my spirit to a place of preeminence over my body and mind. As I fast, my body cries out to be fed, and my mind screams at me, “Feed him before he dies!” As I answer my mind with a firm, “Shut up you’ll survive!” and keep right on fasting, Daddy empowers me to succeed. This sets me up for the next great benefit of fasting.
Fasting also increases my spiritual power. Power to overcome my personal battles. Power to control my mind, and discipline my body. And spiritual power to fulfill the Lord’s call and co-mission for my life. Fasting increases prayer’s effectiveness, and enhances worship. It takes me deeper into the spiritual realm where I was created to abide.
When the disciples failed to cure a boy with epilepsy Matthew recorded, “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief…this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” I have heard this passage described in two different ways. One view is that Jesus was referring to the failure to cure the boy, and relating prayer and fasting to this type of spirit of sickness. If that is the case, then why did Jesus turn right around and heal the boy without first taking time to fast and pray? The alternate view is that Jesus was referring to the disciple’s unbelief. This is the view that I hold as it fits the flow of the passage far better, and from this perspective it makes complete sense that Jesus did not need to fast and pray before healing the boy as He did not have a problem with unbelief. Either approach to this passage points to the power of fasting,
I believe Jesus is teaching me that since unbelief resides in my mind, and faith is an issue of the heart (my spirit), when I fast my spirit takes control of my mind allowing faith to overpower unbelief releasing spiritual power to bring breakthrough, healing, and deliverance. It is possible to have both faith and unbelief simultaneously. This is why the boys father said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help me in my unbelief.” Jesus honored his faith, and helped him overcome his unbelief at the same time, by healing the boy.
There is a place of spiritual awareness and power that only comes through fasting. I am anticipating breakthroughs, awakenings, and spiritual encounters, like I have never experienced before as the Holy Spirit moves me through…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 131: “The great value of the lost art of Fasting.” Part 3: Pathway to increased spiritual awareness and power