Introduction

To be spiritually violent means one must exhibit God's power. Violent prayers are strategically targeted. It is not scattergun. It must be directed at the source. Praying against "my enemies" is not necessarily violent prayers, as you may indeed be your worst enemy. You don't pray against the witch, but the spirit of witchcraft in the person because you want to ultimately bring that person to Christ. Threading upon serpents and scorpions is a violent action, and this requires violent praying lives; and violent praying lives is praying fervently, with fasting, clear purpose. It is not nebulous! Winning battles is about strategic location, allocation, and force!

Main Points:

Matthew 17:20-21

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

When Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, He entered into a prolonged season of prayer and fasting 40 days.

• Biblical examples of fasting and prayer:
  • Ezra fasted and prayed for God's protection while carrying valuable commission for God
    Ezra 8:21-23

    Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God {is} upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath {is} against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

  • Daniel fasted and prayed for fulfilment of God's promises and received mighty revelations
    Daniel 10:3

    I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. {pleasant...: Heb. bread of desires}

  • Moses fasted to receive the Ten Commandments and to see God's glory and goodness
    Exodus 34:28

    And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. {commandments: Heb. words}

  • Elijah needed to fast 40 days before he heard God's voice again
    1 Kings 19:7-8

    And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise {and} eat; because the journey {is} too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

  • Elders, prophets, and teachers in Antioch fasted for Paul and Barnabas' apostolic ministry
    Acts 13:2-3

    As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid {their} hands on them, they sent {them} away.

• God's response to fasting: God made it clear that the Spirit's outpouring will be in proportion to fasting and crying
  Joel 1:5

  Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

  ;
  Joel 2:12

  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye {even} to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

  . The wicked King Ahab's fast postponed God's full judgment on him in his own lifetime
  1 Kings 21:27

  And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

  .
• Fasting brings victory: The Israelites fasted before a miraculous victory
  2 Chronicles 20:2-3

  Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they {be} in Hazazontamar, which {is} Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. {himself: Heb. his face}

  . The Israelites, after losing 40,000 men in battle in two days, cried out to God for help in fasting until the evening, and the next day they were granted victory.
• Certain battles require fasting: In
  Matthew 17:21

  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

  , we read, "howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting". There are scorpions and serpents, that have to be trodden upon through prayer-fasting. It means that holy violence is required to be where God wants us
  Isaiah 42:7

  To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, {and} them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

  ;
  Matthew 12:29

  Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

  .

Memory Verse

Fasting, during the action of fervent praying, is humility, and it is not "earning" an answer to prayer. God cannot be blackmailed by human effort. God wants to answer our prayers and He answers out of grace. Fasting, during praying simply prepares us for God's answer to our prayers! This is violent praying!