SPIRITUAL FUNDAMENTALS:

PRAYER AND FASTING

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Luke 11:1-12, Colossians 4:2
YOUTH MEETING 22ND APRIL 2024

OVERVIEW
Prayer and time spent away from food would keep the believer on his/her toes. The
believer should be reminded that as a spiritual being, he or she lives also by the power
of the Holy Spirit ignited through prayer and fasting.

CONTENT EXPOSITION
Just like the word of God, prayer is very important in the life of a Christian. The New
Birth establishes a parent-child relationship between God and the believer, and God
wants to keep this relationship active and growing through regular conversation with
Him. Therefore, although He is able to supply our needs without us asking Him, He
insists we ask Him to supply our needs whenever we find any. (Matt. 7:7)

In asking, we must ask in the right way. What is the right way?
Our prayers must be patterned after God's word. When we ask anything according to
his will, God answers. (1 Jn. 5:14-15) The will of God is His word. What it means is
that when our lives are ordered by God's word our prayers will be answered. The
opposite is also true, in Prov. 28:9, the Bible emphasizes that if anyone does not obey
God, his prayers are abomination to Him.

Prayer also helps the believer to recognize the doings of the Lord in his or her life. If
indeed, he asked God and God did it, it gives him/her a testimony and helps him to
put his trust fully in God.

The importance of fasting to spiritual growth lies in the fact that it creates the space
and time for the believer to wait on God to be filled with good things without
interruptions. When we deny ourselves of food and other pleasures of the body, we
are able to concentrate better on God. We get the opportunity to assess our past and
gain a clearer perspective for the future.

Because of the physically weakening effect it imposes, fasting may require that we
stay away from the regular demands on our time and devote much attention to God
alone. Where it is not possible to totally abstain from work you will need to make a
conscious effort to make time within the fasting period for prayer and the study of the
Word.

Fasting, however, does not stop the devil from appealing to our desires (Matt. 4:8). As
we fast, its important to be sensitive to God and His word which is able to build us.
(Acts 20:32)
DISCUSSION
• God's Word assures us that He knows our needs before we ask, Identify key
reasons why He still wants us to pray regularly.

• How do you think God will feel when his children are not confident to approach
Him for help in times of need but consult others to pray on their behalf?

• Would you say that fasting imposes difficulties on us or it relieves us of

difficulties?

CONCLUSION
Our faith needs prayer and fasting for development and growth. Every believer must
therefore cultivate a habit of prayer and fasting to build himself/herself up.