Prayer and Fasting: The Lifestyle We Forgot
Some breakthroughs do not come because we heard another good message. Some things do not move because we had another emotional moment. Some things only begin to break when we humble ourselves, get in the secret place, and return to the lifestyle Jesus actually showed us: prayer and fasting.
In today’s Morning Charge podcast, we talked about something that is not talked about nearly as much as it should be anymore: adopting the lifestyle of prayer and fasting.
Not just prayer.
Prayer and fasting.
And let’s be honest, fasting is not the most popular topic. Nobody gets overly excited about denying the flesh. We like comfort. We like convenience. We like quick fixes. We live in a fast-food, microwave, drive-thru society where we want results without surrender, breakthrough without discipline, and spiritual authority without consecration.
But that is not the lifestyle of Jesus.
If we are going to follow Jesus, we have to look at how He lived, how He walked, how He prayed, how He withdrew, and how He carried authority. Prayer and fasting were not spiritual add-ons for “extreme believers.” They were part of a consecrated life.
One of the main scriptures we looked at was Matthew 17:14-21. In this passage, a father brings his son to Jesus after the disciples could not help him. Jesus rebukes the demon, the boy is healed, and the disciples later ask why they could not cast it out.
Jesus addresses their unbelief, but then He says something extremely important: this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
That matters.
Some translations have removed that verse from the main text or pushed it into a footnote, but the principle is too important to ignore. Jesus connected certain levels of breakthrough and deliverance to both prayer and fasting.
Not prayer or fasting.
Prayer and fasting.
Prayer is how we commune with God. Prayer is where we talk with Him, hear His voice, receive direction, and bring our lives before Him. But fasting is where we humble the flesh. Fasting sharpens spiritual sensitivity. Fasting says, “Lord, I want You more than I want comfort.”
And that is where a lot of us get challenged.
Because fasting exposes what has been ruling us. It reveals appetites, cravings, habits, distractions, and places where the flesh has been sitting on a throne it was never meant to occupy.
That is why fasting is so powerful.
It is not about starving yourself to impress God. It is not about looking spiritual. It is not about walking around sad, tired, and making sure everybody knows how much you are sacrificing.
Jesus addressed that in Matthew 6:16-18. He said, “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” That means Jesus expected fasting to be part of the normal life of His followers. But He also made it clear that fasting is not for show. It is something done before the Father, in the secret place.
Biblical fasting is not a performance. It is a posture.
It says, “Lord, search me. Change me. Break what needs to be broken. Clean what needs to be cleaned. I am setting this aside because I want more of You.”
We also looked at Isaiah 58, where God rebuked people who were fasting outwardly while their hearts were still wrong inwardly. They were going through the motions, but God was after something deeper.
The fast God desires is connected to freedom, humility, deliverance, compassion, and breaking yokes. Fasting is not just about what you stop eating. It is about what God is doing in you while you seek Him.
That is why fasting without prayer is just a diet.
If we skip meals but do not seek God, we have missed the point. Biblical fasting is abstaining with purpose. It is taking time that would normally be given to the flesh and giving that time intentionally to the Lord.
And yes, there is wisdom in how we do this. Some people have health situations that require caution. Some may fast one meal. Some may fast from sunup to sundown. Some may do a Daniel fast. Some may need to seek medical wisdom and godly counsel. The point is not extremity. The point is obedience, humility, and hunger for God.
Throughout Scripture, fasting is connected to many different moments. Esther called for a fast in crisis. Ezra fasted for humility and protection. Joel called the people to return to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning. In Acts 13, the early church was ministering to the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit gave direction.
So, fasting is not just for one type of issue. It is part of a life that wants to stay tender, clean, focused, and close to the Lord.
Some of us have been praying about things that may also require fasting.
Some strongholds need more than another thought. Some battles need more than another plan. Some areas of oppression, confusion, fleshly craving, or spiritual resistance may only break when we decide to seek God with prayer and fasting.
So today, do not turn this into a religious burden. Let it become an invitation.
Ask the Lord: “What would it look like for me to begin adopting prayer and fasting as part of my walk with You?”
Maybe it starts with one meal. Maybe it starts with your lunch break. Maybe it starts with setting your phone aside and seeking the Lord instead of feeding distraction.
Whatever it looks like, start somewhere.
Because if we are serious about adopting the lifestyle of Jesus, then we cannot ignore prayer and fasting.
Real Talk. Real Jesus. Real Life.
Want to go deeper?
Inside the Branjo Circle, you’ll find the complete teaching notes, scripture study, discussion questions, and practical application steps from today’s Morning Charge.