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Prayer & Fasting

Prayer & Fasting

“This kind only comes out by fasting and prayer (Matthew 17:21).”

In Matthew 17:14-21, Jesus, our example of what it means to be fully human and fully Divine, encountered a young man who appeared to be a lunatic. The young man often cut himself and had fits of rage. He was suicidal and made several attempts to drown and burn himself to death. While his friends and family loved him, they did not have the consciousness to help him; therefore, he lived in the tombs by himself.

One of the family members decided to bring the young man to the disciples for healing. They, too, were unsuccessful in healing the young man. Finally, they brought the young man to Jesus, who restored the young man to sanity. Privately, the disciples asked Jesus the reason why he was able to help the young man when they were not. Jesus credited his ability to cast out negativity to fasting and prayer and encouraged his disciples to do the same.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples about fasting and its rewards(Matthew 6:16-18). Sometimes you may think that a Prayer Tool is not for you, or is unnecessary or no longer relevant. The disciples probably thought the same thing until they had this experience with the young man. All the tools in Prayer Toolbox are relevant and are for the development of your soul to equip you to handle whatever experience comes your way.

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