Prayer and Fasting- 5- Healing

 Prayer and Fasting -5- Healing

January 9, 2026

Mark 9:17-19 (NKJV) 

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who hasa mute spirit. 18 “And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

Mark 9:23-29 (NKJV) 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

26 Then [the spirit] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he becameas one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

This story of Jesus healing the epileptic boy tells a lesson on faith, prayer and fasting. Jesus has already given the disciples the authority to heal and cast out demons (Luke 9:1-6), so why were the disciples not having success in praying for the boy? Jesus seemed a little put out  by this; “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?” He also told the father “If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes.”    Jesus emphasized that having faith is a key to healing. So how do we increase out faith. The disciples asked Jesus directly why they could not cast out the demon and Jesus answered, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

One lesson from this story is that we can increase our faith by prayer and fasting. There is something about denying yourself by fasting that reduces your dependence on yourself and increases your dependence on God. Jesus has given us authority to heal all diseases and cast out demons, but we need to have faith that it is His power at work and not our own efforts. With sufficient faith we can move mountains so let us build up our faith by prayer and fasting. “All things are possible to him who believes.”

Prayer and Fasting- 4- Delight in the Lord

 Prayer and Fasting- 4 - Delight in the Lord

January 8, 2026

Isaiah 58:13-14 (NKJV) 

13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, [From] doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy [day] of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking [your own] words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV) 

36“Teacher, which [is] the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is [the] first and great commandment. 39 “And [the] second [is] like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Rememberer the three main points in Isaiah’s discourse on fasting in chapter 58:

1. Praying for others
2. Promises for pleasing God
3. Loving God

Today we come the third and final aspect of God’s chosen fast. It is arguably the most important aspect of fasting in that it results in delighting yourself in the Lord. The whole point of God’s chosen fast is to bring you closer to the Lord. Jesus said that the most important commandment was to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. He taught that all the Law and the Prophets hang on this as well as loving your neighbor. This is something that King David understood.

Psalms 37:3-4

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

God’s chosen fast is a lifestyle of doing good and cultivating faithfulness. This results in delighting in the Lord and also can bring you the desires of your heart. But most of all, fasting will change your heart so that your foremost desire will be to delight in the Lord. So I urge you to solemnly consider how you should pray and fast as you enter into the new year. There can be great joy and delight when you enter into God’s chosen fast.

Prayer and Fasting- Part 3

 Prayer and Fasting -Part 3- Promises

January 7, 2026

Isaiah 58:8-12 (NKJV) 

8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I [am.]’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 [If] you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall [be] as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

Rememberer the three main points in Isaiah’s discourse on fasting in chapter 58:

1. Praying for others
2. Promises for pleasing God
3. Loving God

Today, let us look at the second point. When you live according to Gods’ chosen fast, there are many promises that follow. There will be a new light or understanding and healing and deliverance will spring forth. The Lord will hear your prayers and guide you continually. You will be like a spring of water refreshing your neighbors and a light to the world.

Jesus taught the same in the sermon on the mount*. He began with the beatitudes which taught how you should live, how you should love your neighbor, then added this passage.

Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV) 

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all [who are] in the house. 16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

When you live the blessed life, being meek, merciful, compassionate, etc. then you will be salt and light. God’s chosen fast is to live in such a way that you will be a blessing to those around you. And when you are a blessing, you will be blessed. You will be a light, illuminating the world with true wisdom and grace, and salt, bringing flavor and salvation to those around you.

So as you prepare yourself for the coming year with prayer and fasting, remember God’s chosen fast and love your neighbor. Be salt and light to the world and look for the blessings and promises that follow for those who live in such a fashion. It is the way of the kingdom of God. It is God’s chosen fast.

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*Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV) 

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed [are] those who mourn, Forthey shall be comforted. 5 Blessed [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed [are ]those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great [is] your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Prayer and Fasting- Part 2- God’s Chosen Fast

 Prayer and Fasting- 2

January 6, 2026

Isaiah 58:6-7 (NKJV) 

6 “[Is] this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 [Is it] not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your housethe poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV) 

36 “Teacher, which [is] the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is [the] first and great commandment. 39 “And [the] second [is] like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

There are three main points in Isaiah’s discourse on fasting in chapter 58:

1. Praying for others
2. Promises for pleasing God
3. Loving God

This is similar to Matthew 22 where Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord and the second was to love your neighbor. Therefore, the first purpose for fasting is to deny yourself and turn your focus to others. You should pray for the healing and deliverance for the oppressed, but your prayers should have legs. If you see your neighbor hungry, you should actually go feed him. But the first step is to stop thinking only about yourself. Fasting is a discipline that denies your hunger for a time and helps you to think beyond your own physical needs. The fast that God chooses is one which will break bonds of wickedness. In Mark 9, we see the story of the disciples praying for an oppressed boy, but they were unable to cast out the demon. Jesus said the thing they were lacking was prayer and fasting.

Mark 9:28-29 (NKJV) 

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Whycould we not cast it out?” 29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

So as you enter into this time of prayer and fasting, pray for others and ask the Lord what it is that you should do to demonstrate your love for your neighbor. You should not fast to be seen by men, but your fasting should have an effect on your neighbor as they experience the Love of God through your actions.

Prayer and Fasting- Part 1

 Prayer and Fasting - 1

January 5, 2026

Isaiah 58:3-4 (NKJV) 

3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ [they say,] ‘and You have not seen? [Why] have we afflicted oursouls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as [you do] this day, To make your voice heard on high.

Matthew 6:16-18 (NKJV) 

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I sayto you, they have their reward. 17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 “so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who [is] in the secret [place;] and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

The beginning of the new year is a good time to reflect on your life and spent time in prayer and fasting preparing for the coming year. This week, we will look at some scriptures on prayer and fasting. For today, let us examine what fasting is not.

Isaiah starts his prophecy and teaching in chapter 58 with a rebuke from the Lord about how the people were fasting. They were complaining that the Lord wasn’t noticing their prayers when they afflicted themselves and fasted. The Lord answers them and says that He was not answering their prayers because of their attitude and behavior. The people were making a big show of their prayer and fasting, but they weren’t changing their behavior. They were still arguing with one another, perhaps with a “holier than thou” attitude, and they were continuing to mistreat their fellow workers. They were expecting the Lord to hear their prayers but were doing nothing to help their neighbors.

Likewise,  Jesus taught in Matthew 6 that we should not fast like the hypocrites. The scribes and Pharisees of his day loved to put on a show of great piety, looking sad and crying out loudly in public, but Jesus instructs us to pray quietly and keep up a normal appearance so as not to call attention to ourselves. Fasting is not about trying to make the Lord hear our prayers, but in changing our heart so that we can hear His voice. The Lord will hear our prayers without us flogging ourselves in public and making a spectacle of our prayers. There are many religious people in our day who love to make loud sounds and disrupt public life with their displays of praying, some 5 times a day. Jesus says this is not to be the way that we pray and that such displays don’t help our chances that the Lord will hear our prayers. Jesus even says that the public attention is the only reward they will get for their loud efforts.

Tomorrow, we will continue and talk more about the purpose and goal of fasting and seek to find out how it is that we should pray and fast in order to please the Lord.

Our Help

 Our Help

December 5, 2025

Psalm 124:8 (NASB95) 

Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 138:1-3

1 I will give You thanks with all my heart;

I will sing praises to You before the gods.

2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple

And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

3 On the day I called, You answered me;

You made me bold with strength in my soul.

John 14:13-14

13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Our help is in the name of the Lord. When we call upon His name he answers. Whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. There is power in the Name of Jesus. So pray in the name of Jesus for His help and deliverance from all you troubles, for He is mighty and His name is worthy to be praised.

Above all Power and Authority

 Above all Power and Authority

July 15, 2025

Ephesians 1:20-23 

He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power anddominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Psalms 2:1-4

1 Why are the nations in an uproar

And the peoples devising a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand

And the rulers take counsel together

Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us tear their fetters apart

And cast away their cords from us!”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,

The Lord scoffs at them.

When the church prays for the world situation, we need to remember that the church, as a body, represents Jesus, who is seated in heaven, far above all the powers, authorities, dominions and names that influence world affairs. As Psalm 2 says, The nations are in an uproar and plot evil plans against the Lord, but He has anointed His king, that is Jesus, who has all real authority, and sits in the heavens and laughs. When we look at the world situation through natural eyes, things look dire, but if we look at the world through God’s perspective, we have hope. We should come together and pray for the Lord’s plan to triumph over the evil schemes of the enemy. The devil’s plan is to separate us so we are hopeless and powerless, but when we come together in unity and pray, we can have great effect in the Land. Interceding for the nation against evil powers and authorities is not something to be taken lightly, but together as the body of Christ, we can pray for the worlds situation and tear away fetters and cast away cords. When we look at American history, we see many times when the Lord intervened and brought victory to a praying people in the face of almost certain defeat. So take heart, humble yourselves and pray, and the Lord will heal our land.

Wisdom and Revelation

 Wisdom and Revelation

July 14, 2025

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NASB95) 

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you aspirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

In the Bible class I’m teaching, we have been studying intercessory prayer. This verse in Ephesians is particularly relevant to that topic as you can not effectively pray for someone else without a “ spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Him.” To pray for the will of the Lord to come into someone’s life, you need to have some idea of what that is. It’s hard enough to descend the will of God for your own life, but praying for someone else is more difficult. Thanks be to God that He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named”. And has authorized us to use that power as well. But exercising that power takes wisdom. A person may appear ill, but what is the root cause of the sickness? They may seem depressed and oppressed, but what is the power that is disturbing them? Praying for these things takes wisdom. Fortunately, the Lord gives wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5) but you need to have the humility to ask. Therefore, humbly ask the Lord for wisdom and knowledge and pray that all things will be in subjection at His feet, including disease, oppression and infirmities.

Prayer of Faith

 Prayer of Faith

July 2, 2025

Mark 11:24-25

24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25 Wheneveryou stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

James 5:13-16

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offeredin faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

This week, we have been talking about intercessory prayer, which is basically praying for someone else. When we see sickness and oppression in those around you, you want to see them healed and set free. But what is the key to seeing those prayers answered? In Mark 11, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray, believing that they would receive an answer. So how do you pray and believe? That is one of the eternal questions of the Christian walk. Even the disciples, that walked with Jesus for three years struggled to believe. In the passage in Mark, the discussion started when they saw the withered fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before. They saw the immediate results of Jesus’ prayer, and yet they had difficulty believing, so how do we pray in faith? I don’t think there is a pat answer. Part of the answer is just to commit to walk with Jesus regardless of what you see. After the disciples saw the fig tree wither and die in one day, they had more faith than they did the day before. So faith can grow when you see the results of prayer. 

Another key is forgiveness. Both of the passages quoted couple the prayer of faith with forgiveness. We will not see our prayers answered if we harbor unforgiveness in our heart. Forgiving and being forgiven increases our faith. When we truly repent and realize the great power in forgiveness, it becomes easier to pray for others,  believing that they also will be forgiven and healed.

There is a lot more that can be said about this topic, but the important thing is to do what you know to do. Pray and believe, in what little faith you have today, and that faith will grow, so that tomorrow, you will see more results than today. Keep repenting and confessing, and forgiveness will cleans your soul so that the power of the Holy Spirit can more more freely in you life. Commit to walk with Jesus every day, and listen to His voice. He will teach you to pray and believe, and when you have more faith, you will see more people healed and set free.