Jeremiah TiptonFounder in president of David Hernandez ministries

10 Benefits of Prayer and Fasting

16 Dec 2024 · 2 min

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2:06

In this devotional teaching, the speaker explains that fasting—voluntarily abstaining from food—to devote oneself to prayer and the Word is a largely neglected but powerful spiritual discipline. Drawing on biblical examples such as Jesus’ instruction to the disciples (when confronting demonic oppression) and Galatians 5:17, the speaker argues that fasting strengthens the Spirit while weakening the flesh, thereby increasing the effectiveness of prayer. The speaker likens prayer to a sledgehammer breaking spiritual barriers and says fasting adds extra force. He then enumerates ten specific benefits that result from fasting and prayer: (1) clearer hearing of God’s voice, (2) proper establishment of new ministry, (3) receiving divine favor, (4) physical and spiritual healing, (5) preparation for God’s call, (6) greater resistance to temptation, (7) personal freedom, (8) protection, (9) increased spiritual authority, and (10) deeper dependence on God. The message concludes with an invitation to trust God’s word and observe the transformative effects of fasting combined with prayer.

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Fasting is the discipline of abstaining from food for a given period of time in order to devote oneself more to prayer and the Word. For most believers, fasting is likely the most neglected of all spiritual practices, but this powerful discipline has the ability to increase the effectiveness of your prayer life. When the disciples encountered a demon they could not expel from a boy, Jesus told them that certain demonic beings could only be removed through a combination of both prayer and fasting. For every natural act of faith, there was a divine reaction. Whatever it is that occurs in the realm of the spirit when we fast and pray, it's safe to say that there is something to be said of acting in faith out of obedience to God's word. Even if we don't understand exactly how or why fasting intensifies the potency of our prayers, we know that it does. Like a sledgehammer chips away at a brick wall, so our prayers chip away at stubborn spiritual barriers, and fasting adds more strength to the strike. Furthermore, fasting helps us to weaken our greatest enemy: the flesh. The sinful nature wants wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These 2 forces are constantly fighting each other so that you're not free to carry out your good intentions. That's Galatians 5:17. Whatever strengthens my spirit weakens my flesh. So if my spirit is strengthened through fasting and praying, then my carnal nature is weakened by the same. Therefore, every benefit that you can receive from a weakened flesh or from empowered prayer, you can receive from fasting. Though there are many more, here are 10 benefits of fasting. Fasting can bring clarity to the voice of God. It can help to properly establish a new ministry. Fasting can bring favor, bring healing, prepare you for the call of God, prepare you to stand against temptation, bring about freedom, bring protection, increase spiritual authority, teach you dependence on God. Take God at his word. Watch what begins to happen in your life as you fast and pray.