What is Prayer and Fasting?
Prayer is communicating with God. It can include:
- Talking to God about your thoughts, needs, and gratitude
- Listening for His guidance
- Worshiping and praising Him
- Asking for wisdom, strength, or help
Prayer builds a relationship with God and helps align your heart with His will.
Fasting usually means intentionally giving up food for a period of time (or sometimes other things, like social media or entertainment) to focus more fully on God. In the Bible, fasting is often paired with prayer to:
- Seek God more deeply
- Show humility and dependence on Him
- Gain clarity or direction
- Prepare spiritually for what God wants to do
Fasting isn’t about punishment or earning favor—it’s about creating space to focus on God without distractions.
Prayer and fasting together
When combined, prayer and fasting help people:
- Draw closer to God
- Strengthen their faith
- Refocus their priorities
- Grow spiritually
In Scripture, many people fasted and prayed during important moments, such as seeking God’s guidance, repentance, or spiritual renewal.
What Scripture Says:
PRAYER
Matthew 6:6 (NLT)
“When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”
FASTING
Fasting is often connected with humility, repentance, and seeking God more deeply.
Matthew 6:16 (NLT)
“When you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do.”
Joel 2:12 (NLT)
“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
