Fasting + Prayer = Spiritual Clout

# 544 - Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 9:28,29. “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

In Matthew's account of this incident Jesus also mentions the necessity of faith in this process of deliverance. “if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you..” (Mt 17:20)

I like to think of Jesus as that mustard seed. (See my archived blog from March 2nd, 2011)

This Mustard Seed (of faith) comes to us in the Holy Spirit at our baptism, but it must be nourished and enabled to grow in each one of us if we are to have any kind of spiritual clout.

This faith is nurtured in part through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting.

Prayer being defined as the process of continual communication with God (pray without ceasing. 1 Thess 5:17) and fasting as any form of denial of the flesh for the purpose of strengthening faith.

This kind of prayer and fasting must be practiced on a regular basis BEFORE the hour of need. Are you engaged in regular communication with God and are you practicing the discipline of fasting?

If not, get started now, so that when the spiritual battles come, you don't end up like the seven sons of Sceva. These exorcist wannabes, thought it was enough to toss out the name of Jesus without having an intimate relationship with Jesus. Look what happened!

Ac 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Tired of losing your spiritual battles? Then start practicing intimacy with Jesus through prayer and fasting, nurturing the mustard seed of faith that God planted in you at your baptism.

Father, it is so easy to get out of the good spiritual disciplines You have provided for us, to strengthen our faith. Help me to not be a lazy servant, but one who earnestly seeks You through prayer and fasting, that I might be prepared for whatever the devil, the world, and the flesh throws my way.