The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast just like the Pharisees’ and John the Baptist’s disciples. He responded by asking them a question, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? (Luke 5:34 NIV). Then as they processed what He meant, He said the words in our theme scripture, “but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days”. This tells us that Jesus categorically showed that fasting is in God’s plan. This collaborates with the Old Testament part of the bible where fasting was a consistent feature within the prayers of God’s people. This continued all the way through the New Testament section of the bible. The focus is not just fasting but fasting in prayer. In fasting you stay away or abstain from food for the purposes of prayer. It is part of our spiritual service unto the Lord as we pray. Luke 2:37 testifies of Prophetess Anna, “she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day”. She rendered spiritual service to God through fasting in prayer.

Fasting doesn’t change God but it helps you create a conducive environment in your heart. What gains do you have in fasting as you pray? Firstly, there is a gain of focus where you shut your attention from what your body craves unto God. In fasting you are channeling your attention away from food engagements to God in prayer. Proverbs 4:20 enjoins us, “My son, attend to my words...” showing us the necessity of yielding our attention to Him. Secondly, as you fast there is a gain of mastery over your flesh. In 1 Corinthians 9:27 (AMP) Paul said, “But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].” Fasting is a spiritual discipline. As long as your body controls you, you are a slave to it and it’s difficult to be led by the spirit. If you are in the flesh you can’t please God (Romans 8:8). Thirdly is the gain of sensitivity where your spiritual antenna rises high to hear God easily and sharply. Fourthly, as you fast often, you get the gain of precision, where your spirit is synchronized with God’s perfect will and there is precision of target in spiritual combat, having precisely guided spiritual missiles. In referring to certain kind of demons, Jesus said, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”(Matthew 17:21). Having known all these benefits in fasting, never relegate it in your prayers.