The Importance of Fasting and Praying

Tuesday Night Bible Study

"Prayer and fasting are two key disciplines of the Christian faith because they help us connect to God in a powerful way.

Prayer keeps us focused on the things of God and protects us from evil. Jesus told us in Matthew 26:41 that we should pray so that we will not fall into temptation. One of the first steps to becoming a better Christian is that you don’t give in to temptation to sin but instead flee from things that tempt you.

When you couple prayer and fasting, you will be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and you can better hear God. Fasting keeps our focus on God and not on food and other distractions that take our attention from Him. We train ourselves to keep away from distractions when we fast and pray. This guarantees that we mature in our faith and become better Christians."

https://www.berachahfellowshipchurch.org/blog/beet-season-jbwwy

Scriptures

Matthew 17:14-23 (King James Version)

Cures an Afflicted Boy

14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

In Galilee

22And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Matthew 26:36-56 (New Living Translation)

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

47And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.

50Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”

Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Notes

THE IMPORTANCE OF FASTING AND PRAYING

To strengthen the spiritual man. To deepen our faith.

Praying and fasting is about increasing my faith and trust in God and not in myself.

Matthew 17:14-23 (v.21) “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

How deep do we believe?

How do we fast?

What do we pray for?

Why do we fast and pray?

It’s a faith building experience! … to bring us closer to God.

Matthew 26:36-56

Jesus took the disciples to pray with him.

He says to Peter “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

Peter pulls the sword and cuts the ear of one of the soldiers.

We need to fast and pray so that we will be able to think and react with our spiritual mind (led by the power of God).

We need to pray and fast more to help break down flesh (die to self).

MORE OF GOD AND LESS OF ME!