After I shared my reflection about a long-awaited breakthrough and how it came—not because of my prayers or fasting, but simply because God is God—I knew this question would rise:
“So what’s the point of praying? Why fast? Why cry out if God will do what He wants anyway?”
It’s a fair question. One I’ve asked myself.
And here’s the honest answer:
Prayer and fasting aren’t about earning answers from God.
They’re about aligning ourselves with Him.
Let me break this down.
1. We’re Not Twisting God’s Arm—We’re Tuning Our Hearts
God is not a vending machine.
You don’t insert 40 days of fasting and get instant favour.
He’s not manipulated by effort.
But when we fast, when we pray—something in us shifts.
We become more sensitive. More surrendered.
We quiet the noise of the world and tune into the whisper of Heaven.
It’s not about moving God.
It’s about letting Him move us.
2. Obedience > Outcome
The Bible calls us to fast and pray—not to get results, but to walk in obedience.
Jesus fasted. Jesus prayed.
Not to manipulate the Father, but to commune with Him.
Fasting and prayer are postures of humility.
They say:
“God, I trust Your will more than I trust my desires.”
“I’m showing up, even if You’re silent.”
And trust me—that posture? It matters.
3. We Still Ask—But We Surrender the Outcome
The tension of faith is this:
We are called to ask. To knock. To seek.
(See Matthew 7:7)
But we are also called to surrender.
Not every prayer will be answered the way we want.
Not every fast will produce the result we hoped for.
But every moment spent seeking God is never wasted.
Even when it doesn’t “work” the way we thought it would.
4. Grace Doesn’t Cancel Discipline—It Completes It
Yes, my breakthrough came by grace.
Yes, it was God’s timing—not my spiritual résumé.
But the fasting? The praying?
They weren’t in vain.
They prepared me.
They deepened my trust.
They refined my motives.
They emptied me of pride so I could receive what grace was offering.
5. You Can’t Earn God—But You Can Know Him
Let’s be clear:
You cannot earn a move of God.
You cannot fast your way into divine obligation.
But you can grow close to Him.
You can become more aligned with His character.
And when you do? Even if nothing shifts around you, everything shifts within you.
Final Thought
We pray and we fast not to control the outcome—
…but to stay connected to the One who already holds it.
So yes, it was all grace.
But my prayers? My fasting?
They kept me grounded while I waited.
Not because they made God move—
But because they kept me close until He did.
Want to go deeper?
Join my new 14-day devotional:
“It Wasn’t the Prayer… It Was Grace”
📖 A journey of trusting God without striving. Comment GRACE and I will send you the Link to it.