Matthew 17:21 is a powerful testimony of how a Christian can improve their spiritual life through prayer and fasting. However, this verse actually teaches us deeper lessons most Christians aren’t aware of. Discover these life-changing lessons today!
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” — Matthew 17:21 (NKJV)
Let me start with a bold statement:
Many Christians today are powerless because they’ve abandoned two of the most powerful spiritual weapons Jesus gave us — prayer and fasting.
We live in a generation obsessed with shortcuts — instant breakthroughs, instant blessings, instant Christianity. We want mountains to move with minimal effort. We want demons to flee without discipline. We want revival… without sacrifice.
But here’s the hard truth — spiritual power doesn’t come cheap.
Matthew 17:21 exposes something uncomfortable in our faith today: that there are battles you cannot win with casual Christianity. There are mountains that will never move through motivational quotes or Sunday sermons alone. Jesus was clear — “this kind” only responds to those who know the deeper place of prayer and fasting.
This verse isn’t just about casting out demons — it’s about accessing the authority God intends every believer to walk in. And if you’ve ever felt spiritually dry, defeated, or disconnected, maybe it’s not because God is silent… but because we’ve stopped seeking Him with intensity.
So, let’s go deeper. Let’s uncover the 5 powerful lessons from Matthew 17:21 — lessons that will shake the complacency out of your faith and remind you what real spiritual power looks like.
1. Some battles require more than ordinary prayer
When the disciples tried to cast out the demon, they failed. Yet they had prayed. They had seen Jesus do miracles before. So what went wrong?
Jesus’ answer was striking: “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
In other words — not all spiritual problems are the same. Some require deeper surrender, deeper warfare, deeper dependence on God.
This means there are levels in your spiritual life. Levels of prayer. Levels of authority. Levels of power. And the deeper the battle, the deeper you must go with God.
If you’ve been praying and nothing’s happening, maybe it’s not that God’s ignoring you — maybe He’s inviting you deeper.
2. Powerlessness is not normal for believers
Jesus was shocked that His disciples couldn’t cast out the demon. Not because it was too hard — but because they should’ve been able to.
He said in verse 17, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?”
That’s convicting. Jesus expected His followers to operate in faith and power. Powerlessness wasn’t the norm.
So here’s the truth: If you’re living a powerless Christian life, that’s not God’s design — that’s spiritual malnutrition.
We’re feeding on entertainment, not the Word. We’re scrolling more than we’re seeking. We’re comfortable, but not consecrated.
Matthew 17:21 reminds us — you can’t have power without presence. You can’t have victory without devotion.
3. Prayer and fasting are not religious rituals — they are spiritual weapons
We often treat prayer and fasting as religious duties or seasonal acts (especially during church-wide fasts). But to Jesus, they were weapons.
Fasting crucifies the flesh so your spirit can rise. Prayer aligns your will with God’s will so heaven can invade earth through you.
That’s why the enemy loves keeping you distracted — because a praying and fasting Christian is a dangerous Christian.
Think about it. Moses fasted and saw God’s glory. Daniel fasted and received revelation. Esther fasted and saved a nation. Even Jesus — the Son of God — fasted before launching His ministry.
If Jesus needed fasting to walk in power… who are we to think we don’t?
4. Faith grows in secret places
When Jesus spoke of prayer and fasting, He wasn’t talking about public displays of spirituality. He was referring to the secret place — the quiet moments where your faith is forged in fire.
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.”
Your power in public will always reflect your prayer life in private.
You can’t fake intimacy with God. You can fake the language, the gestures, even the Christian smile — but you cannot fake spiritual authority.
Real faith isn’t built in crowds; it’s built in quiet surrender.
5. Revival starts when we return to dependence
At its core, Matthew 17:21 calls us back to dependence on God. The disciples failed because they depended on themselves. They relied on past victories instead of present intimacy.
And isn’t that us sometimes? We rely on our knowledge, our routines, our Christian habits — yet we’ve lost that desperate dependence that once drove us to our knees.
When was the last time you fasted — not for blessings, but just to be closer to Him?
When was the last time you prayed — not to get something, but to know Him more?
The real power of prayer and fasting is not in what you get, but in what you become.
You become sensitive to His voice. You become bold in His presence. You become unshakable in faith.
You become who God called you to be.
Final Thoughts on Matthew 7:21
Matthew 17:21 is not a verse to skip over. It’s a wake-up call.
It’s Jesus reminding us that there’s more. More power. More depth. More intimacy. More of Him.
The question is — do you want it?
Because if you do, it will cost you.
It will cost comfort. It will cost convenience. It will cost your casual faith.
But it will also give you something far greater — a life that moves mountains, breaks chains, and walks in divine power.
So maybe it’s time to dust off your prayer closet. Maybe it’s time to fast again.
Maybe it’s time to return to the kind of faith that actually changes things.
Because this kind… this generation… this moment in your life — will not change except by prayer and fasting.
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