THE PRIORITY OF FASTING AND PRAYER

But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. —Matthew 6:33

FASTING DEFINED:
Abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.

PRAYER DEFINED:
A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God

1. Prayer and fasting are both a private, intimate act that bring public results.

5  “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. —Matthew 6:5 - 6

16  “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 
17  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 
18  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. —Matthew 6:16 - 18

2. Fasting is a gateway to humbleness…the posture of humbleness in prayer moves the hand of God.

3  I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4  Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 
5  I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 
6  His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. —Daniel 10:3 - 6

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. —Daniel 10:12

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” —Daniel 10:12

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” —James 4:6

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire,
and it shall be done for you. —John 15:7

3. Fasting is a physical obedience that brings about spiritual results.

Moses, Naaman, Esther.

7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 
8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 
9  Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 
10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. —James 4:7 - 10

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. —Hebrews 12:1

28  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.
30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,
31  But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:28 - 31

4. Fasting and prayer led by The Spirit “washes the world off” so God can work through you and for you.

1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 
2  being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. —Luke 4:1 - 2

13  Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. —Luke 4:13 - 14

15  “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 
16  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 
21  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” —Matthew 17:15 - 21

5. Fasting and prayer come with a promise.

6  “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
7  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8  Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10  If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11  The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. —Isaiah 58:6 - 11

37  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” —John 7:37 - 38