Is Fasting Without Prayer A Meaningless Exercise?

Some would be quick to respond in the affirmative, because they believe fasting must go with prayer, otherwise it would be a mere hunger strike.

But let's see what the Bible has to say about fasting to know if they have a case or not.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV)

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Now the above is a well known passage in the Bible that speaks about fasting, and it was actually from this passage that Jesus quote to the devil concerning fasting emanated from, when He was being tempted by the devil to eat, during His forty days and forty nights fast in the wilderness when He was said to be tempted of the devil. Matthew 4:4

From the passage, it could be observed that fasting itself has a purpose, and that purpose is that man shall not live by bread alone but by the Word of God. That is because bread is the food of the flesh but God's Word is the food of the spirit, and it's the Spirit that quickens and give eternal life, the flesh profits nothing but death. So the purpose of fasting is make us live by the Word of God which gives life.

But how does man live by God's Word? It is by keeping it, therefore that is the primary purpose of fasting and what it's meant to achieve in our lives.

Hence since fasting cannot be said to be a meaningless exercise even if it is without prayer, because it has a purpose if its own, and more so if that purpose is achieved by fasting alone.

For instance, if someone fasts so as not to sin or to overcome temptation just as Jesus did, and he achieves that purpose even without praying, it cannot be said to be a meaningless exercise or just hunger strike because the purpose of fasting which is the obedience of God's Word had been achieved.

It's all about the purpose, so even if someone doesn't just fasts but also prays, but the purpose of fasting which is that someone doesn't fall into temptation but obeys God's Word, which also happens to be the same purpose as that of prayer, was not achieved, the effort could be said to be meaningless and a failed exercise, because the purpose of fasting and prayer was not achieved in the person's life.

Matthew 26:41 (KJV)

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

It is often said that when purpose is unknown, abuse is inevitable, this is the reason why despite the fact that many fast and pray, the purpose of fasting and prayer is usually defeated and made of no effect in their lives, because they know not the purpose of fasting and prayer.

Take Nigeria as a case study. Many Nigerians pray and fast, yet there is so much iniquity in the land, because many of those who pray and fast don't keep God's Word which ought to be the purpose of fasting and praying, so regardless, their prayer and fasting is meaningless and has no real effect in their lives.

Hence it is very important for those who pray and fast to know the purpose of prayer and fasting, which is the obedience of God's Word, so that the purpose of prayer and fasting is not defeated but fully achieved in their lives.

God bless.

I'm a strong believer in prayer because prayer has proven itself to be very true and effective in my life. It made me a believer.

The first time I got depressed, it was prayer that brought me out. I found it hard to get out of my bed at the time, and was very spiritless, but when I started praying, as my prayer life began to grow from strength to strength, from minutes to an hour or more, after a while, I suddenly realized that I was so energized and full of spirit, and my depression was no where to be found.

I used to fast at the earlier point of my spiritual life, but I paused after i received an instruction I believe from God not to fast until i was instructed to. So i wasn't fasting during the period the Spirit of God made Himself manifested to me. I hadn't fasted for years, i was just praying. I used to pray for four hours or more on a daily basis, and on a certain day, i felt the weight God's presence come upon me and I couldn't stand for a long time. I felt a rush of air coming out through my mouth, my whole body was vibrating. Days later, I was about to get into my room from the sitting room, but when I came close to the door, I fell to the floor and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit of God gave utterance, I was there on the floor and couldn't get up for about an hour thirty minutes.

The time a chief witch that wanted to kill me ended up killing himself, I wasn't fasting. I only used to pray during that period, also when someone who wanted to attack me while I was walking down the road, got struck down by an angel inches from getting to me, and more.

Also my prayer time, is when I get a lot of revelations, answers, inspiration, courage, strength, knowledge, understanding, power. I ensure that i always have a pen and book close to me whenever I'm praying, to put down whatever I received during my prayer time. It's where most of my Nairaland topics emanate from that before a short while, I had hundreds of topics pending, I really struggled to keep up. It was simply overflowing. Some of the answers I gave to difficult questions which NL atheists pose that they were unable to gainsay or resist were received during my prayer time.

God bless.

That in a nutshell illustrates the indispensable role prayer plays in my spiritual life and the accomplishment of the assignment that God had given to me, so I should know a thing or two about prayer. I don't play with that aspect of my spiritual life.

However despite how much prayer has proven itself to me, fasting has proven itself to be more potent and on another level compared to prayer, because the things I couldn't do or achieve with prayer alone, I was able to achieve with fasting. Even those which I was already able to achieve with prayer, with fasting, they tend to assume another dimension.

Most importantly, fasting actually helped to unlock my spiritual potential to begin walk at the level of the Spirit, where it's all about God, which that's the best thing I have ever achieved in my life, because that's walk at the highest level of obedience of the Word of God.

And as I said earlier it's all about the purpose of fasting, which is the obedience of God's Word, so it couldn't get any better than that, and it was fasting that help me to get there. Because before that, I had prayed and prayed and prayed, an average of 3 hours everyday, but I was still powerless and helpless in that regard. My flesh was very weak, even though my spirit was willing. Hence the drastic step I took to embark on a dry fast in the "wilderness".

And during the fast, I couldn't even pray much because of the extremely harsh conditions, under the scorching heat of the sun in the day time and the freezing cold at night. But by the time i was through with the fast, that which seemed like a distant or an impossible dreamed before embarking on the fast, I had become. I was now feeling as a spirit, dead to the things of this world, but completely alive to the things that be of God just as it was with the apostles.

That life of the Spirit which I now live, is the reason God is going to be able to accomplish so much with me to His own glory. It because it has given Him much more room to work with than He usually has. He could send me anywhere, to say anything, and I would just do it and wouldn't care about men would say about me or do to me, because my life is no longer about me but all about God!

This is the reason God doesn't joke with me. It's not because i am special or something else, because i am not. I actually see myself as nothing but dust and ashes, but if there's anything that distinguishes me and makes it seems as though I am special, it's the life of the Spirit I live, which is all about God. It has given God the freedom to express Himself however He wants and pleases, and to show what He's really capable of, even the extent of the greater works which Jesus spoke about, because it's all about Him.

This is likely the explanation why when the Spirit of God first revealed Himself to me, He seemed very pleased and to feel at home with me, as my life had given Him the opportunity to show what He was really capable of, which is something He hardly has here on Earth. It was fasting that helped to unlock that spiritual potential in me.

That's why I keep and would continue to recommend fasting to anyone who cared to listen, because this is not about hearsay and what I heard from men, but about what I have tested myself and proven to be true about fasting in my spiritual life.

But very importantly as i said earlier, it's all about the purpose of fasting, which is that man doesn't live by bread alone but by (the obedience of) God's Word. Once that purpose is accomplished in your life, just watch how the potency and results of your fasting and also your prayers would significantly rise.

God bless.

Na who send you to fast sef?

Damnnn niggar
Isoright

You need to pay more attention to your mental health. Seems you've lost grip with reality in your quest for whatever it is you're seeking. God commandment to you is very simple, love Him with all your heart and love your neighbor. Don't get it twisted

God help us,
Most of the people even fasting in Nigeria, is becoz they don't have what to eat.

According to my mom
Fasting without prayer is just starvation
When you fast, you're opened to the spirit realm... Now you dey spirit world how you wan navigate?

Yes it is meaningless in this context.

Fasting without prayer is sapa or dieting.

Ok

Why does the supposed creator of the universe need you to suffer from stomach acids in order to grant your wishes?

Fasting in itself is a prayer. Prayer is communication with God which can come in different ways, including fasting. From the very moment you decide and commence fasting with the hope that God will provide, or solve an issue or in appreciation of what God has done or will do for you, I believe you have already started praying.
Note: this is however different from fasting for health issues.

Observing

AntiChristian:
Hmmm

Eku bookin of space

How can you say you are fasting without praying? Are you not just starving yourself? Prayer and fasting is the ideal. While you can easily pray without fasting, you can't fast without praying

Well said

alizma:
Fasting in itself is a prayer. Prayer is communication with God which can come in different ways, including fasting. From the very moment you decide and commence fasting with the hope that God will provide our solve an issue or in appreciation of what God has done you, I believe you have already started praying.
Note: this is however different from fasting for health issues.

I agree.

Very enlightening post which came at the right time for me.

The testimonies are amazing and deep! @jesusjnr2020

That's Intentional Hunger Strike.

Only God can be the judge of that.

alizma:
Fasting in itself is a prayer. Prayer is communication with God which can come in different ways, including fasting. From the very moment you decide and commence fasting with the hope that God will provide, or solve an issue or in appreciation of what God has done or will do for you, I believe you have already started praying.
Note: this is however different from fasting for health issues.

Biblically, Fasting isn't praying.

Fasting only subject ur flesh to be under, but prayers gives u access to God nd communion with God.

Fasting without praying is just waste of time bcuz after subjecting ur flesh to obey d voice of God, how do u commune with God without praying.

Romans 8: 26 says

Good News Translation
In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.

The moment you enbark on fasting you establish a connection with God, there's this connection I always feel when I'm fasting and while not encouraging people to always fast without praying but when it happens the above passage can comes into play.

Of course God already knows our needs even before we open our mouths to say them and when we do we establish our faith in Him to meet those needs, so sometimes when we feel the need to fast and do and ended up not praying out. The Holy Spirit does it for us.

Tobechuckwu:


Biblically, Fasting isn't praying.

Fasting only subject ur flesh to be under, but prayers gives u access to God nd communion with God.

Fasting without praying is just waste of time bcuz after subjecting ur flesh to obey d voice of God, how do u commune with God without praying.

What is prayer

Just remember there is differences between Fasting and Hunger strike.

Thats a big lie... Each time I fast...I don't pray most times... Sometimes I may not have the chance... I've seen results every single time . the fast is the real thing. The bible says your prayers are stored up in a jar before God... But your fast Goes straight in. You humble yourself in fast. The bible says they that humble themselves will be exalted.

No its not

Fasting without prayers, is an exercise without any spiritual connotation.