Title: The Power of Fasting and Prayer in a Christian’s Life.

Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

My testimony: Nine years ago I was led by the spirit to kneel down and start praying for my children. At that same hour one them was involved in an accident in which some people died but he survived. The power of prayer.

Devotion: In the quiet moments of devotion, when the heart longs for deeper communion with God, fasting and prayer become sacred tools of spiritual renewal. These disciplines are not mere rituals but profound acts of surrender, drawing believers closer to the divine presence.  

  Fasting, as seen throughout Scripture, is a way of humbling oneself before God, seeking His guidance, and expressing dependence on Him. Jesus Himself fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness before beginning His ministry (Matthew 4:2). In the Old Testament, Daniel fasted as he sought understanding and revelation from God (Daniel 10:3).  

  Prayer, the lifeline of faith, is the means by which believers communicate with their Creator. The Apostle Paul exhorts, “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), emphasizing the necessity of an unbroken connection with God. Jesus taught His disciples the power of prayer, saying, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).  

  When fasting and prayer are combined, they create a powerful spiritual force. In Acts 13:2-3, the early church fasted and prayed before sending out missionaries, demonstrating the importance of seeking God’s will before making significant decisions. Isaiah 58:6 reminds believers of the true purpose of fasting: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”

  Through fasting and prayer, the believer’s heart is refined, faith is strengthened, and divine wisdom is imparted. It is in these moments of consecration that God speaks, leading His children into deeper intimacy with Him.  

 May every season of fasting and prayer be a time of renewal, revelation, and restoration, drawing the soul ever closer to the heart of the Father. Start today at least once weekly. 

©Dr Joel Olanrewaju; gbemide09@gmail.com.

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