“He said to them, ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.’” (Mark 9:29)

When the Son of God descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, He was immediately confronted with the failure of His disciples. How had they failed? Outwardly, the failure consisted in their inability to cast out a particular demon. But this failure had a deeper reason—the Lord explained to them that their lack of faith had been the problem. He had expected them to show more faith in this situation. But how could they have done so? Through prayer and fasting!

Doesn’t this example show us that the confidence of faith, which is also shown through prayer and fasting, is blessed by God with special power? Can it therefore be that there are certain problems that God only solves when we pray and fast with faith on our side?

Fasting means first and foremost not eating. In addition, the Word of God also shows us other types of fasting (see Isa.58:6–7); but the primary way is to abstain from food for a while. While in prayer, we express our dependence on God, fasting is an act of self-denial—we give up something we actually need.

In many places in His word, God shows us that God-fearing men and women fasted. Usually, it was done in conjunction with prayer; sometimes to humble oneself before God (see Dan 9:3; Ezra 8:21), and sometimes to receive guidance from Him (see Acts 13:1–4). In this way, believers in both the Old and New Testaments allowed their bodies to share in the spiritual trials of the soul.

The Lord Jesus—our great Example—also fasted here on earth. In the same Psalm in which He prophetically says: “But I give myself to prayer,” He also says: “My knees are weak through fasting” (Ps. 109:4, 24). Forty days and nights—for almost six weeks!—He fasted in the desert, not eating any food. His words, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer,” indicate that He also fasted later, during His public ministry.

Although the Son of God didn’t call His disciples to fast in Matthew 6 (just as He didn’t call them to pray or give alms here), it seems that He assumed that they would practice it. It’s true that throughout the New Testament, we find no specific invitation to fast. Nevertheless, Paul, who himself often fasted (see 2 Cor. 11:27), writes that we prove ourselves to be servants of God by fasting (see 2 Cor. 6:5 NKJV).

Concerning the question as to whether fasting is appropriate for Christians today, a brother once aptly said the following: “Do the needs of the Lord’s work still occupy and press us so much that we allow our body to participate in the exercises (trials) of the soul? The example of the Apostle and his co-workers (see Acts 13:1–4) shows us vividly what devoted service to the Lord means, and that the body is also touched by it—in waking and fasting.”

Have you ever asked yourself why God, in His Word, presents to you so many encouraging examples of people who have fasted?

Many lament the decline of Christianity today, but how many are there who really humble themselves, in deed and in truth, with fasting and pleading? If God has so often responded in grace, why should He not do so today?