Article February 5, 1972 Issue

Prayer and Fasting?

JOHN L. MILLER

Exactly how does Christian healing take place? Not long ago, when I was seriously asking myself this question, Christ Jesus' declaration "this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting"^{ Matt. 17:21;} came to mind. I looked up the statement and found it at the end of the account in Matthew of the healing of the "Iunatick," or epileptic boy.

The father had brought the boy to the disciples for healing, but they had failed to heal him, and so the father appealed to Jesus. The child, of course, was healed immediately, but the significant part of the story for me was what Jesus said afterward. He rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith, pointing out that one has only to have faith as a grain of mustard seed, and that no healing is impossible. He then concluded his lesson by pointing out the necessity for prayer and fasting. So sudden and exciting was this thought that I determined to follow it through to whatever conclusion could logically be reached.

First of all, how relevant is it to today's world? Was Jesus talking just for the period in which he lived, or could I fairly relate his statement to the twentieth century? My answer came from the book of John, where Jesus says, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do."^{ John 14:12;} Shall who do? Anyone, today or yesterday, who believes on him. Yes, it seemed clear that Jesus' declaration was for all time, to all people.