“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” Acts 3:19
In Mark 17, when the disciples asked, “Why could we not cast this devil out?” Jesus gave two reasons. He said, “You have unbelief, and you are a perverse generation.” If you have something in your life that just won’t seem to change, maybe it is time to examine yourself.
Maybe you have disconnected from the Word. Possibly, you have stopped attending church. You may have lost your hunger for God’s presence. And when you disconnect from God, unbelief begins to take over. Fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and despair can creep into your life.
Secondly, Jesus said, “You couldn’t cast it out because you are a perverse generation.” In other words, He was saying you’re not connected to God, and, on top of that, you’re too connected to the world. Could it be the case that you have become too connected to the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes? Are you picking up stuff that God already set you free from? Have you been compromising? Are you too connected to the world?
Jesus presented the problem but then turned around and gave the solution. He said (paraphrased), “You want to know why you couldn’t cast this devil out? You’re not connected to God, and you’re too connected to the world, so let me tell you how you can fix this problem. This kind comes by fasting and prayer.”
Prayer is connecting to God. Fasting is disconnecting from the world. It is disconnecting from the things the world tells you are valuable. A season of fasting brings a season of refreshing because suddenly, we have dominion and power over the enemy and experience a fresh anointing. We begin to see the power of addictions, bondages, compromises, habits, mindsets, and sin break off of our lives. As we reconnect to God in intimate prayer, Bible reading, and worshiping, our souls begin to come alive again because it is what we were created to do.
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