Memorise: Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21
Read: Matthew 17:15-21
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Bible in one year: Psalm 22-27, Obadiah 1
AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL
1. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” From the above scripture, we understand that since we are expected to do the works of our Master, we as true disciples of Jesus Christ are here not only to advance the Kingdom of God on earth, but also to destroy the works of Satan in the lives, homes and circumstances of people (John 14:12).
2. To be effective in this assignment, you cannot approach the battle physically; rather, you need both divine revelation and spiritual backup from God.
3. Let us take the disciples of Jesus Christ as a case in point. Matthew 10:1 says, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
4. At this point, the disciples were empowered by the Lord to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases, and to cast out demons. Not too long after they were empowered, a demonized boy was brought to them for deliverance. They struggled for so long to cast out the demon, but they just could not deliver him. Finally, this case was referred to Jesus and He delivered the boy. The disciples thereafter went back to Jesus to find out what was amiss, and why they could not deliver the boy. In response to their enquiry, the Lord told them that they had manifested some unbelief, and that their prayer was not backed up with fasting (Matthew 17:20-21).
5. This experience of the disciples goes to show that when you are having doubts or even unbelief, and decided to truly seek God’s face in prayer and fasting, such doubts, fears and unbelief would give way to faith.
6. When you fast, it strengthens your faith and your prayer life is given a boost.
7. We often attempt certain assignments without the backup of a commensurate level of faith, and hence we experience failures in such assignments.
8. You can actually add fire to your faith and shut the doors against unbelief and doubt by spending time with God through fasting and prayer.
9. Do you still harbour doubts, fears and unbelief in your heart about any assignment God has given you? Discard them now!
10. God wants you to operate in the realm of faith and not doubt.
11. Feed your faith with God’s word, prayer and fasting, testimonies of what God have done, and shun all remarks contrary to the advancement of your assignment.
SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS
Today’s topic is one of the mysteries that’s not easily decoded by many believers. It’s obvious from the above explanations from the writer that Fasting is booster of faith. When we fast, fear of uncertainty disappears. If you have fasted before for a particular incident, why not fast again for this bigger situation with a greater faith that God who did it then is still on the throne. ““For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6. He does not change and able to do it again. May God continually uphold and strengthen Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.
Action Point
Always ask questions! If you can ask the Lord questions on things you do not understand, He will provide the answers.
HYMN
My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away.
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine!
May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire.
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.
When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Savior, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!
RECENT COMMENTS
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TJ