All About Prayer and Fasting

  We sometimes pray for what is aligned with God’s will, but our prayers are not being answered. We check that we are not doing anything hindering our prayers and cannot find anything that does. Therefore why is it that our prayers are not being answered, although what we are asking about has been promised in God’s Word? Does Satan have the ability to block our prayers? A. Daniel’s prayer was delayed. Daniel was given a vision by the angel Gabriel that revealed what would happen in the future, but he did not understand it. Therefore Daniel decided to pray and fast for 21 days. He received the following response from the angel of the Lord. The angel explained that Daniel’s prayer was heard on the first day that he said it. However, the prince of the Persian kingdom blocked him for 21 days.  Who is the prince of the kingdom of Persia? 1. Satan is also referred to as a prince. 2. Satan has a kingdom The Persians were ruling Babylon in the third year of Cyrus king, and this is whe...

Fasting is a practice that can be read about in various parts of the bible, and it is important to do it in a way that God approves; otherwise, it would be a waste of our efforts. So let us explore how to fast and how not to fast.  What to do and not to do during a fast 1. Lessons from Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus gave us specific instructions on what not to do when we fast. We should not act like hypocrites: We should not look sad or miserable while we are fasting. We should not do things that are out of the ordinary. For example, we should take a bath/shower and look neat. We should not tell others that we are fasting, but we should fast in secret. 2. Lessons from Isaiah 58:1-12 We read of other other instructions in the book of Isaiah. We learn the following lessons in various verses: Verse 3  -   We should not be doing what pleases us, but what pleases God. Verse 4  - We should not engage in arguments, conflict, or violence. Verse 6  - We should stop sinning and op...

  Various parts of the bible talk about how God's people prayed and fasted for multiple reasons. However, the importance of fasting is not always emphasized in the church, which is why few Christians do it and do not see it as a vital component of their Christian walk. 1. Does God expect Christians to fast? God expects us to fast. Fasting is not given as an option in the bible. Based on the above verses, it is evident that Jesus said Christians should fast when Christ was no longer on earth. 2. Seven Benefits of Fasting and Prayer A. Old Testament reasons why believers fasted 1. For deliverance from enemies 2.   It is a sign that we are serious about turning to God. Sin causes us to have a broken relationship with God, and when we both pray and fast, it shows that we are truly repentant of our sin and are serious about turning to Him. When God sees that we are serious about repentance, He returns to us. 3. It is a sign of revival and resulted in the judgment of God reversed ag...

  There are three responses to any prayer to God. Sometimes the answer is "No." Sometimes it is a "Yes." Sometimes it is a "Yes, but not now."  God will not answer a prayer that is not in accordance with His Will, and we should not bother to pray for such things. Why does God take time to answer prayers might be a question that you often ask yourself. There are certain prayers that get answered more quickly than others. Some prayers take longer to be answered even if they are in accordance with God's Will. 1. The prayer request relates to an emergency. Most of us are impatient and want our prayers answered as soon as possible. However, not all prayers need to be answered quickly. For example, a prayer request relating to a life-or-death scenario is more likely to be answered quickly. Example: When king Jehoshaphat prayed for help against Israel’s enemies (2 Chronicles 20). 2. The prayer request is a need, not a want. There are a few occasions in my li...

"Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?" is a question that many questions ask themselves. There are various reasons why your prayers are not being answered. Let us explore 14 possible reasons. Table of Contents 1. A husband's prayers are hindered if he dishonors his wife (1 Peter 3:7). 2. Want something to fulfill your lustful passions (James 4:3).      2.1. Asking for the right thing for the wrong reasons. 3. There is sin in your life (1 Peter 3:12).      3.1. You are not forgiven because you refuse to forgive others (Matthew 6:15). 4. You are asking for things that are not God's will (1 John 5:14).      4.1. God did not promise it, e.g., marriage, a life free from problems, etc.      4.2. Asking God to infringe on someone else's freewill. 5. God provides needs, not wants (Philippians 4:19). 6. The time is not right (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).      6.1. You need to make some changes in your life. 7. You have doubt (James...