FASTING AND PRAYER AN UNANSWERED QUESTION

IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: FASTING AND PRAYER

AN UNANSWERED QUESTION.

Matthew 17:19 KJV
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

They had answers to prayer before, you see. They ministered effectively at times - they had SOME successes. So what was different this time? Why could we not cast out this DEMON? Lord, we tried everything we knew how. We prayed just as we've e heard You pray for people. We got louder and louder, and sweatier and sweatier. What went wrong? We were so frustrated! Where did we go wrong?

I don't know about you, but I have been right where those disciples were so many times. Why Lord? UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.

The disciples had an unanswered question: why could WE not cast him out?

But to their question, Jesus gives:
AN UNEXPECTED REPLY.

READ v20-21.

How many of you have the NIV there? You will notice that verse 21 is missing. The text jumps straight from verse 20 to verse 22, right? (That's just another reason why you should get yourself the New King James Version.) The translators decided to translate from a Greek manuscript that didn't have that line in it. The majority of the old Greek manuscripts, however, DO have it in. I believe that it is a serious omission. What's more, if you look at the same story recounted in Mark gospel chapter 9, verse 29 confirms what Jesus said: this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. This time the NIV does include the verse, but drops the words and fasting.

I think the enemy will do anything to keep Christians from fasting! Let me read the verses to you again from the New King James Version [read].

Jesus says, you only need a little bit of that faith of yours and you can move mountains - let me encourage you. Don't doubt the power of faith in God for a moment. HOWEVER this kind of demonic problem does not go out EXCEPT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.

There are needs that are especially great - obstacles that have a whole different dimension of difficulty about them. SOME things require a specific breakthrough in the heavenlies - they are spiritual problems, spiritually discerned, and they require spiritual power to break them.

And Jesus says that there is a way to obtain the spiritual power to break through such needs - and here is the substance of my message to you today.
Try fasting and prayer on your issues.

LET US PRAY
LORD JESUS EMPOWER ME TO FAST AND PRAY FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF MY MIRACLE IN JESUS NAME

Share this meal
Good morning friends