DOES THE BELIEVER HAVE TO FAST?

For sometimes now many believers have being asking me these questions: "Does the believer have to fast"? "What is your view on fasting?", "Must we fast in this dispensation?" . These people want to know if fasting is a thing of the old or its for the new.

I like good questions and these are good questions. They remind me of an argument between Kofi and Ama on Facebook:

Kofi: Believers are not suppose to fast

Ama: Believers must fast.

Kofi: Fast for what reason? Don't you know fasting is an old testament practice?

Ama: You are a big lier. Jesus says we should pray and fast.

Kofi: see you, what do you know about the Bible? You are a baby, you don't study the Bible well. Jesus didn't tell us anything like that. He told his disciples to do so, and that was before the cross. We are after the cross so that has nothing to do with us.

Ama: see you, stop deceiving yourself. The believer have to fast.

Kofi: ok If you want to fast then go and join the Muslims

You see? This is the confusion all over the social media, especially Facebook:

"We have to fast!"
"We don't have to fast!"
"We have to fast!"
"We don't have to fast!". Which is which?

Believers are insulting each other on social media because of fasting. Why? Because we refused to humble ourselves and learn. Nobody knows all, but some people think they know all.  Hmmm.... It is a pity.

The other day a man whose son was possesed  by demons, brought his son to the disciples of Jesus for healing but they couldn't cast the demon out of the boy. The man later approach Jesus and complained to Him, and Jesus cast the demon out of the boy, the boy was healed. Glory!

The disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "why could not we cast him (demon) out?" (Math 17:19KJV) And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief" ( Verse 20a). In Verse 21, Jesus said unto them, "But  this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

"Albright, wait a munite. What kind is 'this kind' that Jesus says does not go out except by prayer and fasting? This kind of demons or what?" Not at all, not this kind of demons. What Jesus meant is this kind of unbelief.

What Jesus Did Not Say

Did Jesus says the disciples need prayer and fasting to cast the demons out of the boy? No! Did He says they need to fast and pray to get more faith to cast out the demon? No! Then what did He says? He says they need prayer and fasting to overcome their unbelief.

Understand that Jesus didn't say there is something wrong with their faith, rather they have unbelief.

Before we continue I want you to understand that faith is a gift and that gift is a person- Jesus. When a man received Christ, he receives the totality of the faith; the measure of THE faith (ROM 12:3). But  one can walk in doubt and unbelief after receiving the faith. He can be full of doubt and double mindedness, resulting in the weaken of his faith. Hence such a believer can not receive anything from God. Here is Apostle James:

But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. (Jas:1:6-8)

A double minded man is man that have unbelief; is a man that is full of doubt. Even though he is speaking his faith he is full of unbelief. This was the problem of the disciples of Jesus and it's the same with many believers today.

Most of us know we have faith but we doubt if we can heal the sick, raise the died, give sight to the blind. We are full of unbelief and doubt resulting in paralysis of our faith

Unbelief and doubt are faith killers. You want to go into business but you are afraid you will fail; that is unbelief, it's a disease and you need medicine to cure it.

What Is The Medicine?

How will the believer overcome unbelief; doubt; double mindedness for the effectiveness of his faith ? Jesus says by prayer and fasting:

But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. ( Matt 17:20a)

Understand that this is not directed to only the disciples of Jesus but to the believers of today because many of us are facing the same challenges the disciples faced. If you agree with me, then, believer have to fast. Lol!

But the question now is what is prayer and fasting? I asked this question because I've discovered that most believers are against fasting because they don't really know what fasting is. They believe fasting is about avoiding food or starving oneself for a number of hours or days. But that is not fasting, its religious drama.

So what is prayer and fasting and what is the right way to fast and pray? And why must we fast as believers?

We will answer the above questions in the next part of this study. Stay tuned!

Shalom.