Fasting

In the Old Testament fasting and praying was done to get the Lord to consider their plight. This was done because they lived under the Law which was performance-based.

We live under Grace and so there is no need for us to pressure the Lord to do anything for us. All things for life and godliness are already provided.

When we look at the verses below we understand that Jesus recommended that prayer and fasting be done to eliminate unbelief which in this case had prevented the disciples from being able to cast out a demon.

It is important for us to understand though, that the disciples had not yet been Spirit Filled and were not truly converted. They were simply Old Covenant men who had a master whose words they obeyed just as those did under the Law.

In the New Covenant, because we are now Sons Of God and are filled with the Holy Spirit Of Christ Jesus and have His Word of authority we must simply exercise the power and authority of Christ by FAITH in order to cast out demons.

It is His Power and His Authority that we exercise to set the captives free.
Lord, have kindness on my son: for he is lunatick, and extremely vexed: for ofttimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
Epileptic? demon possessed? Regardless the son was in bondage.

And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.
It is persistence in the man that eventually resulted in healing.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him here to me.
Jesus is disappointed with the disciples not exercising the power that He had given them.
Jesus is likely seeing the current Christian Church in a similar fashion. -> where are the healings? -> where are the exorcisms? -> where are the prophets? -> where are the firebrands?

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
Jesus spoke to the demon and he left the child.

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Most of the time we are not aware of, or we are unwilling to acknowledge, the reason we fail.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Unbelief undermines faith and blocks the blessing from arriving.
It is not the quantity of faith that is important, it is the quality. unbelief pollutes faith.
Pure faith in the absence of unbelief is capable of moving mountains.

Howbeit this kind [of unbelief] goes not out but by prayer and fasting.
This kind of unbelief will not leave you except through intimacy with the Lord. Prayer and fasting enhance intimaty with the Lord.

Lent is a 40-day solemn Christian season of preparation for Easter, running from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday depending on the tradition. It honors Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Lent is a tradition, a ritual, an observance.   It is important to note that Christianity is not a religion but a New Life in Christ Jesus by virtue of the New Birth that occurred when we
   ➛ repented and denied our old life
   ➛ believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
   ➛ received Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior
   ➛ determined to follow Christ