Prayer and Fasting has so many benefits for "the believer" (one who exercises faith/trust/reliance in GOD'S WAY OF DOING THINGS) and will improve their life (and can improve others lives when understood and correctly applied) inside out.
The Bible refers to prayer and fasting as a necessity throughout a Christian life.
We read in Matthew 6:16 (New Living Translation) "And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get."
We notice that it clearly says "And when you fast" and not "And if you fast."
Other Fasting mentioned in the Bible: Deuteronomy 9:18, Matthew 4:2, Matthew 9:15, Luke 2:37 and there are many, many others.
For further study on fasting in the bible search on the internet "When you fast in the bible" Or I encourage you to look up Prayer and Fasting at your local CLC bookstore or Amazon. There is an Amazon link provided below.
But why does God tell us to fast?
In Ephesians 6:12, we were clearly told that: "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Amplified Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 :For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Despotism: rule by or as if by a despot; absolute power or authority, a government by an absolute ruler unchecked by effective constitutional limits to his power.
Despot: an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Amplified: For though we walk [live] in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not PHYSICAL (weapons of flesh and blood) but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive in to the obedience of Christ, The Messiah, The Anointed One. Being in readiness to punish every [insurbordinate for his] disobedience when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.
One of those weapons is when you fast combined with prayer.
HERE IS A VERY QUICK RECAP OF WHO WE ARE
We were created in the image and likeness of God who is the creator of all life.God created angels for many reasons and one of those reasons were to help us. God created us to be in the God class. Angels are not. Angels are very powerful and carry out God's Perfect Will (which is HIS word) and listen to us when we speak God's word over our lives and respond to His word. There was an Arch Angel name Lucifer and he was one of the most powerful Arch Angel's and one of the most Attractive Angels in the Angelic class. He was described as being very beautiful, anointed and wise in the Bible. He even was so clever into fooling one third of God's Angels into following him.
Lucifer's main job was to be in charge of music in Heaven. So he became puffed up, too into himself, he unwisely saw himself as greater than everyone, even his maker. He sought after his own stardom, desiring to be like the Most High, which was impossible because he was not made in the image and likeness of God, he was clearly not made in the God class but the Angelic class only.
Rebellion grew in him, lust for more power grew within to the point he couldn't contain it (control himself) anymore so he planned an attack thinking he could take down his maker and since God is Perfect, knows everything about everything (even before and while Lucifer's thoughts betrayed him) God stopped him in his tracks and there was a brief up roar in the heavens.
Nevertheless God is Almighty, All knowing, Perfect, etc., etc., etc. and banished him, kicked him out, demoted him (loss his rank and some power) from heaven (now known as the devil, the deceiver, the accuser, the adversary, the father of lies, the fallen Angel, the serpent, the thief, named Satan). Now God has 2/3 of HIS Angels doing HIS will . To make a long story short God's Angels out number the Devil's army of demons 2 to 1 and God's Angels are far superior to demons. Later on down the line, Satan, the deceiver, deceives Eve and Adam, stealing, corrupting taking everything man once owned and had dominion over it, Jesus the son of God who lived a Perfect life defeated Satan in every possible way and in the flesh and in the spirit to give back dominion to those who were created in the God class, (YOU AND I who are born again).
Source: Hub pages-Christian living
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