Travailing is all about prayer, intercession, standing in gap for people either for the unbeliever to come to the knowledge of Christ or for believers to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
The purpose of God is that all men be saved first and come to the knowledge of Christ. And the devil’s purpose is that the this doesn’t be the reality. Whatever God has spoken concerning a man, devil wants the contrary happen.
Judges 6:23 NKJV
Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
The lord told Gideon that he will not die but then in Judges 6:30 “Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.” the enemies here wanted were speaking contrary to what God has promised.
Whatsoever the Lord has spoken to you, the enemy wants the opposite to happen. The plan and the purpose of God to see it happen requires warfare because it is a supernatural contest. It is not only God that is interested in that life, the devil also is interested.
Jesus said all things are possible, not all things will be given so as a believer we have the responsibility to stand in gap and pray to enforce the will, purpose and the counsel of God.
We wage war against the prophecy that has gone ahead of us in prayer and fasting. Fasting and travailing goes hand-in-hand, and it produces perfect result.
It is through fasting that we see and hear clearly the plans and possibilities of God. And it is what you see that transforms you not only what you hear because the scriptures says “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
What we are hearing must go from been heard to what we see. We must see what we hear. That is why in all Pauline’s prayer, he always prayed that they may see, not only to hear it alone. Because it is what you see that transform you. And one of the way to see/behold clearly is through fasting.
In Daniel 9:1-5, we saw how Daniel prayed for the people after they had acknowledged their sins and they want forgiveness from God. So they prayed and fasted.
They added fasting to their prayers. In Esther 4:13-17, there was a problem in the land and the king passed a judgement that a particular set of Jews should be killed and the only person that can help them out is Esther, because she is the wife of the king and the only way she could do that is to appease the king. She recommended that everyone should pray and fast for a change of heart for the king.
Life is warfare but ministry is a greater warfare because the lives involved are being contended for by the enemy, that’s why ministry is a contest.
Fasting is a spiritual exercise. Nobody will fast correctly and not grow in godliness and with burden. It’s a spiritual discipline that subdues the flesh. It makes one to be more sensitive spiritually. It’s easier to see visions and hear from God when fasting. It starves the body and feeds the spirit. It’s a means to tap into the divine interventions of God.
Apart from the spiritual benefits associated with fasting, there are also health benefits. It detoxifies the body.
Fasting is a means by which we get heaven’s attention. It helps our faith to come alive. It instills a level of confidence.
Acts 13:2&3, Romans 14:17. Fasting and prayer goes hand in hand. Fasting and prayer helps to renew strength.
2 Corinthians 11:27 reveals that Apostle Paul was a man who believed in fasting.
Matthew 9:13-17
We do not combine the old and the new together. It is still talking about the old and the new testament.
The disciples of John were confused. John represented prophetic figure. He was speaking and preaching repentance. Jesus represented the New Testament and John represented the Old Testament.
The fasting is as old as prayer. So they saw fasting as a spiritual rigor.
They asked Jesus what was the reason why His disciples were not fasting. They asked Him how come and why His followers were not fasting.
John’s disciple saw fasting as the usual way. Jesus’ disciples did not because Jesus was still with them. We fast with understanding. John’s disciples saw it as a ritual. Fasting is a means of worshiping God. We fast to bring the will of God to pass on earth. There are counsels and plans of God. They will not drop on our laps. We have to pray to God in fasting. We should always ask ourselves how often we do fast. Even the corporate ones should not be winked at.
Fasting is beyond rituals it is a sign of repentance. Now, it is a sign of a relationship with God. Our spirits become sharpened when we fast. It is our koinonia with God. We receive directions in prayer. The souls we are praying for can get direction through our fasting.
Fasting is one of the instruments that God uses to relate with us. We hardly talk about fasting like we do prayer.
Men and brethren the role of fasting cannot be overemphasized. It keeps us in the will and the plan of God. For us to stay in the will of God perpetually we are meant to give ourselves to fasting. That’s what we should do seeing the distractions in our time. It is through fasting that our flesh will be subdued.
Fasting naturally takes care of the flesh. The flesh will be silenced. This is why men of God do so to be in the plans of God. They do this not to maintain their visions but for what they are called to do. Daniel, having prayed and fasted, entered into a trance.
Daniel 9:21…Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
There is a level of prayer and fasting that will bring us to a point where we will see things beyond the natural eyes. Fasting keeps our visions opened. It helps us to know more. The more we see the more we know. As we keep travailing in the place of prayer we must add fasting to it. If we have prayed over a matter and we have not seen results, add fasting to it.
We must take it before God. we must not undermine in travailing the place of fasting and prayer in order to see the possibilities of God. Prayer and fasting are intertwined. They go hand-in-hand. Jesus our example fasted. If Jesus could fast then we should not desist from fasting.
The Bible says, “food for the belly, and the belly for food, but will perish.” Fasting is a denial of the flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:13
Jesus fasted. If Jesus can fast then we should be able to. Sometimes we should seek to deny ourselves to travail. Fasting should not be done because we don’t have food in the house to eat. It is a deliberate exercise to deny oneself regardless of what you have or not. Consistency is the rule of the game. We’d persist and do it often as a lifestyle. That is how and when we can give glory to God.