Listening to a pastor preaching recently about fasting made my mind wander back to the IRA hunger strikes in the early 1980s.
The men on hunger strike were trying to force the British government to change their mind over something; they were attempting to force the government to do something that the hunger strikers wanted.
I was reminded of this as the pastor was saying that most fasting that takes place in the church today is like a hunger strike.
Fasting is seen as a way of changing God, of twisting His arm to make him do some healing or deliverance for example.
I’ve heard it said, “Well, Jesus said that some types of demons only come out through prayer and fasting”, so we are going to pray and fast.
This of course comes from Mark 7 where the disciples could not cast out a demon from a small boy, and Jesus indeed does say (and I paraphrase), “this kind only comes out with prayer and fasting” (Mark 17 v 21).
But Jesus is not talking about a demon; He is talking about the unbelief in His disciples; look at verse 20 and see that He is talking about unbelief.
Jesus is saying that this type of unbelief can be removed through prayer and fasting.
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is designed to change you (and I) and not change God.
Fasting is designed to get your body to come in line with your spirit, to allow you to overcome your flesh in other areas as well as eating.
Fasting is designed to change you and it is not designed to change God.
God wants everyone to be healed; that was part of the sozo package that Jesus died for, so fasting to try and get God to heal someone is just plain stupid!
I am not against fasting, but I am against fasting if it is done to twist God’s arm, if it is done with the attitude of a hunger strike.
Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you want everyone healed and you have already provided for this through the finished work of Jesus Christ”.
Mark 17 v 21…..Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting
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