Is Fasting Without Prayer A Meaningless Exercise?

Is Fasting Without Prayer A Meaningless Exercise?

Some would be quick to respond in the affirmative, because they believe fasting must go with prayer, otherwise it would be a mere hunger strike.

But let's see what the Bible has to say about fasting to know if they have a case or not.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV)

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Now the above is a well known passage in the Bible that speaks about fasting, and it was actually from this passage that Jesus quote to the devil concerning fasting emanated from, when He was being tempted by the devil to eat, during His forty days and forty nights fast in the wilderness when He was said to be tempted of the devil. Matthew 4:4

From the passage, it could be observed that fasting itself has a purpose, and that purpose is that man shall not live by bread alone but by the Word of God. That is because bread is the food of the flesh but God's Word is the food of the spirit, and it's the Spirit that quickens and give eternal life, the flesh profits nothing but death. So the purpose of fasting is make us live by the Word of God which gives life.

But how does man live by God's Word? It is by keeping it, therefore that is the primary purpose of fasting and what it's meant to achieve in our lives.

Hence since fasting cannot be said to be a meaningless exercise even if it is without prayer, because it has a purpose if its own, and more so if that purpose is achieved by fasting alone.

For instance, if someone fasts so as not to sin or to overcome temptation just as Jesus did, and he achieves that purpose even without praying, it cannot be said to be a meaningless exercise or just hunger strike because the purpose of fasting which is the obedience of God's Word had been achieved.

It's all about the purpose, so even if someone doesn't just fasts but also prays, but the purpose of fasting which is that someone doesn't fall into temptation but obeys God's Word, which also happens to be the same purpose as that of prayer, was not achieved, the effort could be said to be meaningless and a failed exercise, because the purpose of fasting and prayer was not achieved in the person's life.

Matthew 26:41 (KJV)

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

It is often said that when purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable, this is the reason why despite the fact that many fast and pray, the purpose of fasting and prayer is usually defeated and made of no effect in their lives, because they know not the purpose of fasting and prayer.

Take Nigeria as a case study. Many Nigerians pray and fast, yet there is so much iniquity in the land, because many of those who pray and fast don't keep God's Word which ought to be the purpose of fasting and praying, so regardless, their prayer and fasting is meaningless and has no real effect in their lives.

Hence it is very important for those who pray and fast to know the purpose of prayer and fasting, which is the obedience of God's Word, so that the purpose of prayer and fasting is not defeated but fully achieved in their lives.

God bless. Via Nairaland https://ift.tt/2v3ULVL