earth, He devoted time to teaching His disciples the principles of the kingdom
of God, principles that conflict with those of this world. In the Beatitudes,
specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus provided the pattern by which each of us is to
live as a child of God. That pattern addressed three specific duties of a
Christian: giving, praying and fasting.
Jesus said, “When you give” and “When you pray” and “When you fast.” He
made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of
Christian life. As much attention should be given to fasting as is devoted to
giving and to praying.
Solomon, when writing the books of wisdom for Israel,
made the point that a cord, or rope, braided with three strands is not easily
broken (see Eccl. 4:12). Likewise, when giving, praying and fasting are
practiced together by a believer, they combine to create a type of threefold
cord that is not easily broken.
In fact, as I’ll show you in a moment, Jesus took it
even further by saying, “‘Nothing will be impossible'” (Matt. 17:20).
Could we be missing our greatest breakthroughs because
we fail to fast? Remember the thirtyfold, sixtyfold and hundredfold return
Jesus spoke of? (See Mark 4:8,20.)
Look at it this way: When you pray, you can release
that thirtyfold return, but when both prayer and giving are part of your life,
I believe that releases the sixtyfold blessing. But when all three-giving,
praying and fasting-are part of your life, that hundredfold return can be
released!
If that’s the case, you have to wonder what blessings
are not
being released. What answers to prayer are not getting through? What bondages
are not being broken because we fail to fast?
Matthew tells the story of a father who had a
demon-possessed son. For years he watched helplessly while his son suffered
with severe convulsions.
As the boy grew older, the attacks became so severe
that he would often throw himself into an open fire or a trench of water. A
suicidal spirit tormented him constantly, and his situation became
life-threatening.
Having exhausted every attempt to cure the boy-even
taking him to the disciples with no avail-the father almost gave up. Then he
heard that Jesus was near.
Going to the Master, he cried, “‘Lord, have mercy on my
son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the
fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they
could not cure him'” (Matt. 17:15-16).
When the boy was brought to Jesus, He “rebuked the
demon; and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour” (v.
18).
But what made the difference? After all, Matthew 10:1
records that Jesus had already given the disciples power to cast out evil
spirits and to heal every disease. So why couldn’t the disciples cast out the
demon and cure the boy?
That’s what they wanted to know, too, so later that
night, when they were alone with Jesus, they asked Him. Jesus replied,
“‘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'” (Matt. 17:20-21).
Each time I’ve read that passage, I’ve focused on the
statement “and nothing will be impossible for you.” I think a lot of people
stop right there, but Jesus didn’t because He knew there was more—much more.
See, that one little word “however” is the
connection-it’s the key that unlocks the power in the statement “nothing will
be impossible for you.” Jesus told the disciples they needed faith, even faith
as small as a tiny seed.
But that wasn’t all. Long before this incident, the
Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He spent 40 days and 40 nights
and ate nothing. “‘However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and
fasting.'” For Jesus, casting out that stubborn demon wasn’t impossible.
If Jesus could have accomplished all He came to do
without fasting, then why did He fast? The Son of God knew there were supernatural
things that could only be released through fasting. How much more should
fasting be a common practice in our lives.
Jentezen Franklin is the pastor of
Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, and Orange County, California. He also
hosts a weekly TV program Kingdom Connection, and has written several books, including Fasting and Believe
That You Can (both
Charisma House).
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