Some things won't happen...

In the context of Jesus talking to his disciples about a thing that seemed difficult (or for some even impossible) he says this, "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

This section of Matthew 17, that culminates in the sometime questioned verse 21, is telling us that when tough things come our way, sometime our faith and prayers need to be supercharged in both how we are able to focus on God and the importance we communicate with our action to God that we are relying on Him alone.

While I had done it a few times earlier in my Christian experience, fasting became a more regular and meaningful part of my personal practice about three years ago.  The first longer fast I did was over a two week stretch and since then I have fasted for up to forty days.

For my experience the two things I would say more than anything else are...

1.  Fasting is much easier than most people think!  After you get past those first few days when your body is detoxing from it's addiction to food, you start to realize how little food you actually need (on longer fasts I do drink juice for energy so that I am able to function normally...I have done up to a one week 'nothing but water' fast and that is significantly harder).

2.  Every Christian ought to fast for at least two weeks once in their life!  After getting through the first week the one thing I noticed is how God began to sustain me in ways that even food could not.  I had a strong sense of focus, clarity and spiritual power that only came from taking something I ultimately need, and setting it aside to focus and rely on God!

Today we have called a day of prayer and fasting as a church to focus on our future and some of our critical needs going forward.  I am deeply thankful for the ways that God has shown up and is working through people and anticipate the unbelievable ways we are going to discover Him and unleash what He wants to accomplish because of our obedience to fast and pray!