Fasting is a "means of grace"

Biblically, there are many reasons that people fasted. And one of those reasons was that fasting was believed to be a "means of grace", and grace (Gk. charis) is God's divine enablement.




One well-known Christian leader calls it, "the grace of fasting".  We of our own free will take on voluntary weakness with the expectation that we will be clothed in greater power.




Fasting has been misused, abused and misunderstood. But its misuse should not result in its disuse, which is exactly what has happened for most Evangelicals and Charismatics.  




All sorts of "excuses" are given for why we don't fast - but Jesus said that when He left the planet that His disciples WOULD FAST (Matt 9:5).  




The Church fasted in the Book of Acts (13:2-3 and 14:23)




The Church in the 2nd Century fasted (and the 3rd and the 4th).




But today, many who name the Name of Christ do not fast. 




Jesus knew that fasting increased God's power in our lives. And He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer AND fasting.” (Mark 9:29)




Polycarp (a personal disciple of the Apostle John) wrote in AD100 - "watching unto prayer, and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation".  Fasting helps us to overcome temptation!

Hermas wrote in AD150 - "Every prayer should be accompanied with humility. Fast, therefore, and you will obtain from the Lord what you plead for." Fasting strengthens our prayer and aids in our obtaining what we pray for!




Tertullian wrote in AD200 - "[when we are fasting], our prayer ascends with more acceptabil­ity. 

...This bodily patience [fasting] adds grace to our prayers for good, a strength to our prayers against evil..."He [Jesus] taught likewise that fasts are to be the weapons for battling with the extremely bad/dreadful demons"




Agreeing with Jesus, Tertullian understood that fasting is a weapon that we can employ in spiritual warfare when we are "destroying the works of the devil".




Even Basil wrote in the middle of the 4th century, "Fasting is a weapon against the armies of demons: “For this kind doesn’t go out [31.181] except by prayer and fasting...Power to overcome invisible enemies doesn’t come by bodily exertion, but by endurance of the soul. By patience trials are overcome...Fasting is, therefore, useful all the time to those who take it up. The abuse of demons can’t challenge the one who fasts, and the angels who guard our lives love working more when they stay beside those who have made the soul clean through fasting...The danger of the inexperienced soldier is that he will put down his shield when the battle is engaged. That’s something that must be thoroughly warned against. Don’t appear to be putting down the great weapon of fasting."




Fasting has been understood to be a powerful spiritual weapon that God has given us to release His grace and His power.  To advance His Kingdom, to overcome the forces of darkness, and to resist temptation.  




Let us become disciples who fast and pray for such a time as this!