Small Group Discussion Guide

"Fasting & Prayer Brings Breakthrough Power"

Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Mirek shared that fasting combined with prayer is a lost discipline in the church that must be recovered, pointing to Matthew 17 where Jesus told his disciples that certain spiritual breakthroughs only come through prayer and fasting together. He reminded the congregation that throughout scripture — from Jehoshaphat's impossible military situation in 2 Chronicles 20 to Esther's three-day fast before approaching the king — God consistently honoured those who humbled themselves through fasting and prayer. He challenged the church to move beyond a 21-day fast as a one-time event and instead develop fasting as an ongoing lifestyle discipline that keeps the spirit strong and positions believers for supernatural breakthrough.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 17:20-21 (NKJV)

"So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'"

3. ICE BREAKER

What is one food or drink that would be genuinely difficult for you to give up for even three days, and what does that tell you about yourself?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Question 1 Pastor Mirek described fasting as "putting your spirit over your body" and said it is the act of telling your strongest physical appetite to be quiet so your spirit can take the lead. In your own experience, how aware are you of the ongoing tension between what your body wants and what your spirit needs? Where do you feel that tension most in daily life?

Question 2 In Matthew 17, the disciples had successfully cast out demons before, yet they hit a wall with this particular situation. Pastor Mirek pointed out that most believers can relate to having seen God move in one area of life while feeling completely stuck in another. What do you think it feels like spiritually to be "up against a wall" in prayer, and how have you responded to that experience in the past?

Question 3 He referenced historical accounts of widespread fasting and prayer across America in the years leading up to a significant move of God after World War II, suggesting that the collective, sustained humility of the church preceded a dramatic outpouring. What do you think it would look like for a local congregation today to pursue that kind of unified, sustained fasting and prayer? What would have to change?

Question 4 Pastor Mirek drew on the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, where an outnumbered people called a corporate fast and received specific divine direction that led to a supernatural deliverance. He noted that the direction came through a prophet after the fasting, not before. Why do you think God often speaks most clearly after a season of fasting rather than at the beginning of a crisis? What does that suggest about the connection between humility and hearing from God?

Question 5 In Matthew 6, Jesus said "when you fast," not "if you fast," implying that fasting was an expected part of a disciple's life rather than an optional extra. He also instructed that it be done quietly, without outward display. Why do you think Jesus placed such emphasis on the private, hidden nature of fasting? What does fasting done for public attention reveal about a person's motives, and how does that undercut its spiritual power?

Question 6 Pastor Mirek described what he called a "fasted lifestyle" — not a dramatic ongoing hunger strike, but a consistent, daily practice of placing a governor on physical appetites so that the spirit remains in the lead. What is the difference between that kind of lifestyle and simply having good self-discipline or healthy habits? How does intentional spiritual purpose change the nature of the practice?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

Before the group meets again next week, each member is encouraged to choose one specific meal — breakfast, lunch, or dinner — on one chosen day, skip that meal entirely, and use the time that would have been spent eating to pray specifically about one area of life where breakthrough has felt elusive. Members should write down what they prayed for and bring a brief note to share with the group about what that experience was like.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each member of the group would develop a genuine hunger for God that grows stronger than the pull of physical appetites, and that fasting would become a natural and welcomed part of their spiritual rhythm rather than a reluctant obligation.

• Pray for specific breakthroughs that members are believing God for in their families, finances, health, and spiritual lives, asking God to move in response to the combined prayer and fasting of the congregation during this 21-day season.

• Pray that the broader church would experience a fresh release of the gifts of the Holy Spirit — including gifts of healing, words of knowledge, and words of wisdom — as a direct result of sustained, corporate fasting and prayer, and that those gifts would reach people far beyond the walls of the building.

7. MEMORY VERSE

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."