Consider the power of holiness accessible to us in the kind of repentance produced through faithful prayer and fasting. The power given through “prayer and fasting” is unique because only in this discipline is our most serious, distorted, and debilitating sin overcome: In Matthew 17:14-21, and in the parallel account found in St. Mark 9: 17-29, we are exposed to an account of violent demonic possession. A boy is tortured by his demon. His father testifies, “he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oftentimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water.” The father is hopeless to overcome this evil, for his last attempt has failed, “I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.” If we are familiar with the story, it is odd because in Matthew 10:1 the apostles were given authority to cast out demons. The power of sin seems too great, even for the apostles, at this point; however, there is one remedy for such dominant sin. Jesus’ answer is nearly formulaic. He teaches the apostles that Faith + Prayer and Fasting = Power to overcome even the greatest of sin.
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