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A certain Christian writer once remarked that if prayer is a rail which God's locomotive moves, then fasting is the lubricant which would cause the rail to move smoothly. It is on this foundation that the subject of fasting and prayer would be built.

The concept of fasting is nothing new to believers in the Christian faith, as it is a practice which had been practiced even by Jesus himself. For the purpose of knowledge, I'd define knowledge as the deliberate abstinence from food for the purpose of heightened concentrated communication with God.

The period of fasting is a time when Christians spend quality time to pray and seek answers from God while avoiding food totally or partially. Unfortunately, the practice of fasting is fast waning among contemporary believers. What we should know is that the are situations that ordinary prayers cannot take care of, if fasting is not incorporated.

Fasting is an advanced form of prayer that may be seen as a last resort to difficult situations where prayers seems unanswered. It is the key to unlock impossibilities through God (Matthew 17:21 says it all).

There are however, three types of fasting which we should not be ignorant of.

1. Absolute fasting: This is the type of fasting is holistic in nature. No food nor water is taken throughout the period of fasting. Absolute fasting should not exceed three days, or if it must, counselling should be sought.

2. Complete fasting: Complete fasting is not totally dry in nature. Water can be taken at intervals, but still without food. Complete fasting can exceed three days, depending on the individual's ability.

3. Partial fasting: Partial fasting is the type done in between time ranges. For example, one can chose to fast from 6AM to 12PM, 6AM to 6PM and so on. After this set period, one can proceed to break the fast, or chose to continue praying.

Whichever form of fasting you may chose to go by, the most paramount of factors is individual ability. You don't have to stretch beyond your ability just to prove that you're so into the fast. A lactating mother or an ulcer patient may not want to undergo an absolute fasting session by virtue of their health statuses and that would be understood. Failure to strike a balance between fasting and individual abilities may bring about undesirable results.

Other important things to note about prayer and fasting are;

• Never fast for competition: Don't do it because others are doing it, and you don't want to feel weak or left out. The result of this would be tantamount to not embarking on the fast at all.

• Never fast for show: The Bible warns against fasting like the hypocrites, who only do so to be seen and perceived by others as holy. This is condemnable, and should be discouraged in its entirety. Fasting should be a personal activity borne out of personal volition.

•Never fast for pride: Lastly, every form of pride should be left behind before going in to fast. I had sometime ago learnt of a man who had dared to fast for fourty days and fourty nights - just as Jesus did, but few days to his completion, he passed on. Though this paints a competitive picture, it also portrays pride in a subtle manner.

Fasting and announcing to people that you're observing same is wrong. Fasting so that people would rate you high and consequently applaud you is not just wrong but counterproductive. Remember that God answers the prayer of a broken and contrite heart, but causes a fall to the proud.

Happy Sunday, folks. Hope you learnt a thing or two from this short piece.