SOME THINGS ONLY COME OUT THROUGH FASTING(Matthew 17:21, NKJV — “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”)

There are certain battles in life that cannot be won by ordinary prayer alone—they require fasting. Jesus Himself affirmed this truth after His disciples failed to cast out a demon. He revealed that spiritual authority is strengthened through prayer and fasting. This shows that fasting is not merely a physical discipline; it is a spiritual weapon that deepens our communion with God and weakens the flesh.

The word “fasting” literally means to abstain or withhold from something. Spiritually, it means to deliberately turn away from natural appetites or distractions to focus entirely on God.

1. The Lesson of the Hen: A Picture of Spiritual Incubation

Consider a hen: before she can have chicks, she must go through an incubation period of about twenty-one days. Laying eggs is not enough—there must be a season of stillness and heat. She stops eating excessively, wandering around, or playing with other hens. Her focus is singular—to nurture life until it is born.

If she becomes careless and abandons the eggs, they lose warmth and die. In the same way, believers must separate themselves for a time of “spiritual incubation”—a period of fasting and prayer to birth new things in the Spirit. The prophet Isaiah described this principle clearly:

“As soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.”
(Isaiah 66:8, NKJV)

No new spiritual life can be born without travail—without the heat of persistent prayer and the consecration that comes through fasting.

2. Fasting as a Life of Separation

Fasting is not limited to abstaining from food—it is a lifestyle of separation and focus.
A student who desires to excel must “close certain doors.” He may go to boarding school, leaving behind comfort, entertainment, and family life for months. He wakes up early, studies late, and endures hardships for the sake of his goal.

He does this because he understands a simple truth: you cannot hold on to two things and succeed in both. As Jesus said,

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.”
(Matthew 6:24, NKJV)

To gain mastery in one area, you must let go of another. That is the essence of spiritual fasting—choosing God above all else.

3. Fasting Produces Spiritual Power and Clarity

Many believers fail to overcome sin, not because God is weak, but because they have not yet “closed the doors” to temptation.
You may say, “I have prayed for years but I still struggle with sexual sin.” The reason is that you have not yet cut off the sources that feed your weakness—ungodly company, immoral media, or worldly conversations. Scripture says:

“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”
(1 Corinthians 15:33, NKJV)

Fasting helps us silence the voice of the flesh and tune our hearts to the voice of the Spirit. When we fast with a sincere heart, the Holy Spirit strengthens us to overcome sin, temptation, and worldly desires.

Jesus Himself modeled this when He fasted forty days in the wilderness before beginning His ministry (Matthew 4:1–2). After that period, Scripture records:

“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.”
(Luke 4:14, NKJV)

Power follows consecration.

4. Fasting and Understanding God’s Word

Have you ever wondered why some people read the Bible but never understand it? Often it’s because their hearts are filled with worldly distractions.
Just as a student who skips foundational lessons cannot understand advanced topics, a believer who neglects the Word cannot grow in revelation.

Paul told Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
(2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV)

Spiritual understanding requires discipline. When we fast from distractions—social media, entertainment, idle talk—we make room for the Holy Spirit to teach us. Jesus promised:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
(John 14:26, NKJV)

The Bible becomes clear when the heart is quiet before God.

5. Guarding What God Has Deposited in You

Many believers lose spiritual fire because they do not guard what God has planted in them. The Word is a seed—if not protected, it can be stolen by worldly influences. Jesus said:

“Now the ones sown among thorns are those who hear the word, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
(Mark 4:18–19, NKJV)

Every time we fill our minds with endless TV dramas, football matches, or social media, we quench the spiritual warmth that sustains growth. You cannot incubate both the world and the Word at the same time. One must die for the other to live.

6. Fasting Restores Spiritual Focus

People often say, “Let me watch a movie or football to relax or clear my mind.” In truth, these distractions numb the heart and silence conviction. Over time, the Word once planted within begins to fade away. That is why Scripture urges us:

“Do not quench the Spirit.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:19, NKJV)

The more we fast from worldly pleasures, the sharper our spiritual sensitivity becomes. Fasting restores focus and keeps the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in our hearts.

7. The Call to Persevere in the Last Days

We are living in the closing hours of history. The Lord’s return is near, and the Church must remain alert and consecrated. Jesus said:

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
(Luke 21:36, NKJV)

This is why fasting and prayer are essential disciplines for the end-time believer. They keep us awake spiritually and preserve our crowns.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
(Revelation 3:11, NKJV)

Conclusion
Fasting is not punishment—it is preparation. It is the sacred act of silencing the flesh so the spirit may thrive. It sharpens discernment, strengthens prayer, and releases divine power. Just as the hen must incubate her eggs in stillness, so must believers withdraw into the presence of God to “incubate” spiritual life until it manifests.

“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles.”
(Isaiah 40:31, NKJV)

Let us therefore fast not as a ritual, but as a pursuit of deeper intimacy with God.
For “this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

May the Lord bless, strengthen, and renew us in His presence. Amen.

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