Double Circle

“This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:21 KJV

For thirteen years I was a frustrated writer. I had a half-dozen half-finished manuscripts on my computer, but I couldn’t seem to finish a book. I started to think that the dream of writing a book might be nothing more than a mirage. Finally, when my level of frustration hit an all-time high, I decided to do a forty-day media fast out of desperation. That fast was the turning point in my writing career. I needed a breakthrough, but it took more than prayer; it took prayer plus fasting. In the process, I found that my writing became a form of praying. I don’t type on a keyboard; I pray on it. And by the time I was done, I had completed my first self-published book.

There are times when circling something in prayer isn’t enough. We need to double-circle it with prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 tells us that certain miracles only happen in response to prayer and fasting. In the same way we open a double combination lock, we need to both pray and fast to unlock the miracle. And the combination of these spiritual disciplines doesn’t just add up; it multiplies their effectiveness. Fasting will take us further into the presence of God than praying, and it will get us there much faster. We still need patience and endurance, but fasting has a way of fast-tracking our prayer life like a hyperbolic chamber that speeds healing or a hyperlink that gets us someplace with one click. Fasting is hyperprayer.

There are many different kinds of fasts. I do a twenty-one-day^a Daniel fast at the beginning of every year that consists of just fruits and vegetables. I sometimes fast from sunrise to sundown. And I occasionally do a complete food fast for short periods of time. But while the most obvious kind of fast involves food, a media fast can be just as powerful. If we want to hear the voice of God, we’ve got to get rid of the white noise in our lives. A television fast or Facebook fast may be precisely what we need to hear God’s voice more clearly.

No matter what we fast, we need to establish a time frame and an objective. If we don’t determine exactly when the fast starts and finishes, we’ll find excuses to compromise and probably quit. So we must establish a start date and an end date and then figure out what we’re fasting for.

We can fast for deliverance from the yoke of bondage. We can fast for the discernment to make a decision. We can fast for favor. We can fast to dedicate something to God — a new year, new job, or new business. We can fast for a financial, relational, or emotional breakthrough. Or we can fast simply to seek the heart of God.

The Flesh

On the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus was in Gethsemane praying hard. His disciples were supposed to be praying, but they were sleeping instead. You can hear the disappointment in Jesus’ voice when He asked them, “Couldn’t you men keep watch^b with me for one hour?”

That challenge is worth circling. Take it literally. Take it personally.

I’m convinced that one hour of prayer will revolutionize our lives in ways we can’t even begin to imagine. It will help us tap into new dimensions of God’s power. It will help us reach out in love, even to the most difficult people. And it will give us the wisdom we need to navigate our greatest challenges.

The disciples let Jesus down when He needed them most. Their failure didn’t just hurt Jesus; Jesus knew that it would hurt them. Let me play counterfactual theorist with a question: Would Peter have disowned Jesus if he had been praying instead of sleeping? Maybe he let Jesus down because he wasn’t prayed up? While I can’t prove it, I think Peter would have passed the temptation test if he had prayed through. His betrayal started when he fell asleep in the garden instead of praying through. That is where the battle is won or lost.

Then Jesus gets to the heart of the matter: “The spirit is willing,^c but the flesh is weak.”

Truer words were never spoken.

Most people have a willing spirit. It’s the weak flesh that gets in the way. The problem isn’t desire; the problem is power and, more specifically, willpower. That’s where fasting comes into play. The reason fasting gives us more power to pray is because it’s an exercise in willpower. Physical discipline gives us the spiritual discipline to pray through.

To be honest, I struggle with fasting more than any other spiritual discipline for one simple reason: I love food. But fasting is the way I say to God, I crave You more than I crave food. I’ve also found that saying no to food helps me say no to whatever my flesh craves. It’s like a spiritual workout that strengthens my willpower. If I can say no to food, I can say no to other forms of temptation.

When we work out, we break down our muscle fibers so they can be built back up even stronger. In much the same way, fasting breaks down our pride, our bondages, our will. It helps us break bad habits and build good habits. Fasting is the way we break down our spiritual calluses and regain sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

And if we will live in a place of brokenness, God will build us back up in the power of the Holy Spirit. After forty days of fasting, Jesus’ body was undoubtedly in a weakened state. But Scripture states, “Jesus returned to Galilee^d in the power of the Spirit.”

Empty Stomach

I’m more and more convinced that the answer to every prayer is more of the Holy Spirit. Need more power? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more wisdom? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit.

We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but we have to empty ourselves first. And one of the best ways to empty ourselves is through fasting.

When I have a big decision to make, I circle it with a fast. It doesn’t just purge my body; it purges my mind and spirit as well. It also purges my motives. When I need a breakthrough, I circle it with a fast. It doesn’t just break down the challenges I’m facing; it also breaks down the calluses in my heart.

An empty stomach may be the most powerful prayer posture in Scripture. It’s even more powerful than kneeling! It shows God that we mean business. And when we fast, God makes our business His business!

Maybe there is something you’ve been praying for that you need to start fasting for. You need to take it to the next level. Draw a double circle by fasting for a friend or a family member. During our forty-day prayer challenge, small groups turned into prayer circles by fasting for friends who were battling cancer or applying for jobs or fighting to save marriages. And the answers were absolutely amazing. If you double-circle things with prayer and fasting, don’t be surprised if you receive a double blessing!

If you want to break the sin habit, you’ve got to establish a prayer habit.