A man of God held a crusade, fasting and praying for salvation, healings, and miracles. Despite initial disappointment, he stopped fasting and feasted, telling God to do as He pleased. The next day, miracles broke out. God later revealed to him that the lesson was to shift his focus from his own efforts to trusting Him.
Friend, your trust must be in God alone (Jeremiah 17:5-10). As wonderful as prayers, fasting, and other spiritual activies are, they can take our focus from God. The moment you begin to boast in your prayers and fasting, you have already moved into carnality. Sometimes, the devil will not stop you from doing spiritual things, but he would make you do them carnally (Matthew 6:5, 23:14).
Remember the story of the Pharisee who went to God in prayers. His prayer was filled with pride and carnality to the point that he began to despise the sinner beside him (Luke 18:11-14). His prayer amounted to a waste of time. What about you? Do you use your spirituality to prove your superiority to others (Romans 12:3, 1 Corinthians 4:7)?
The truth is, God does not need your prayer and fasting to do what He wants to do in your life (Romans 9:15-16). Those spiritual activities are for you, not God. They are meant to align your heart and mind towards God in humility and faith. But when they begin to make you go carnal, then they have lost their usefulness (James 4:1-3). The very thing that should be a blessing is now a curse.
A ‘prophetess’ told a young minister to fast and pray for 21 days. When asked what would happen after, she questioned his faith in fasting. He replied, “I don’t believe in fasting, I believe in God.” This challenges us: Do we trust in our prayers or in the God who answers them (Psalm 121:1-2)?
Any spiritual activity that does not bring you closer to God in humility and faith is an effort in futility (Isaiah 66:1-2). God must be at the centre of it all. As you pray, worship, fast, give, serve, etc., do all to the glory of God. Put your faith in God and not in things. Don’t boast of your efforts in prayers. Rather, boast in God’s faithfulness to answer your prayer (Zechariah 4:6). We can only have faith because God is faithful.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria