I’ll never forget a story our prayer coordinator shared during my campus days. He was talking to a young lady from a wealthy background, and they discussed fasting. Her response stuck with me: “I can’t fast – I’ll die if I skip a meal!” She couldn’t fathom going without food, revealing a mindset that’s all too common today. Fasting does not kill.
Friend, fasting does not kill. You need to settle this early in your walk with God (Daniel 1:8-20). Just like every other sacrifice, fasting would stretch you, but you won’t die. Don’t let fear keep you away from stepping into greater realms in God. Don’t let your flesh cause you to avoid spiritual activities meant for your edification (1 Peter 2:5).
A renowned old man of God was once quoted as saying that; “Fasting does not kill. It is the uncontrolled appetite for food that eventually kills people.” Medical science would tell you that most sicknesses and diseases can be traced to what and how people eat.
Fasting has a lot of benefits to our spiritual, mental, and physical well-being (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It aligns our heart and spirit to God. It causes our flesh to be tamed as our spirit gains ascendancy. Fasting clears our mind, causing us to focus on what’s truly important (Romans 12:1-2). Fasting improves our physical health.
The realm of the spirit only understands the language of sacrifice (2 Kings 3:26-27). Fasting is a sacrifice that commands result. It amplifies your voice in the spirit and causes you to experience supernatural shifts. You take your place practically in dominion through the finished work of Christ (1 John 5:4).
There is routine fast, purposeful fast, personal fast, and corporate fast. All are important (Ezra 8:21). When you give yourself regularly to fasting as a routine, it keeps you spiritually fit and positions you for encounters with God (Daniel 9:1-22). Fasting does not change God or the devil. It changes you.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria