“Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer IS the greater work.” - Oswald Chambers
At its very heart, prayer is simple. Prayer is a personal conversation with God. What an incredible privilege we have been gifted as His children that we receive 24/7 access to the throne room of the universe. The Bible says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Understanding the relationship with God which we possess through Jesus Christ, it is natural to want to know what effective prayer looks like. There is much He wants to accomplish in us, for us, and through us to advance the Gospel. Jesus modeled a lifestyle of prayer in his earthly ministry. So much so that his disciples noticed the connection between his prayers and his miraculous works. They went to Jesus and made a simple request. “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Amen, Lord, please teach us!
Prayer is PRIORITY.
Let’s start with the most basic reason for praying. God commands it. Prayer is not an optional spiritual exercise reserved for the most pious among us. It is a direct order to every Christian. We will never experience all the marvelous things He has planned for us without remaining in constant contact with Him through an active prayer life. Prayer is the very air of Heaven in our lungs. Our obedience and effectiveness as ambassadors for Jesus Christ actually depends on it. (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1; Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6)
Prayer is PERSONAL.
There are general guides to help get started on your individual prayer journey. Where it goes from there – when and where and how it looks or sounds – is between you and the Lord. A committed prayer life requires intentionality. We set aside a sacred time each day in our schedule to be alone with Him in a quiet place. For many people that is the first hour each morning with a cup of coffee. For night owls, it is the late evening when the phone stops ringing and the kids are in bed. The key is giving God our undivided, undistracted attention. This is precious quality time with the Father. Treat it with the tenderness and respect such an appointment deserves. (Romans 8:26; Matthew 6:5-6; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15-16, 6:12; Jeremiah 29:12; Psalm 5:3, 42:8)
Prayer is PRAISE.
The highest form of prayer is praising God. When we give voice to a heart overflowing with love and adoration for Him, Abba smiles. We don’t brag on Him just to try and butter Him up for whatever we intend to ask for. We genuinely let Him know with all humility and gratitude just how thankful we are for His mercy toward us. When we praise God, good things naturally happen. Burdens lighten, fears flee, problems shrink, pain leaves, anxiety gives way to peace. All because we stopped to remind ourselves through praising Him that we serve a good, good Father. In the model prayer which we traditionally call “The Lord’s Prayer,” notice that Jesus began by praising our Father in Heaven and showing proper reverence for His great Name. That is an excellent place to begin our time in prayer with Him each day. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; John 4:23; Hebrews 13:15; Psalms 9:2, 63:3-4, 100:4)
Prayer is PETITION.
Life is hard. We live in a fallen, broken world filled with hurting, broken people just like us. Hopeful answers can be hard to come by when the rug is jerked out from under us or those we care about. These are the times when God’s ear is keenly turned toward us. He is listening for our faith to meet His heart and release Heaven’s resources to supply every need. Too often our stubborn pride leads us to try and manage things in our own power, from our own understanding. It is only when we surrender control that things begin to move. We trust Him for the solutions which only He can provide. One of the most challenging verses in the Bible is this one: “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Let’s agree together right now to start asking, believing, trusting, and receiving everything Jesus died for us to fully possess. (Mark 11:24; John 16:24; 1 John 5:14-15; Jeremiah 33:3; Psalm 145:18)
Prayer is PARTNERSHIP.
When we pray, we enter into a partnership with Heaven to see God’s Kingdom come into the earth and for His will to be done here as perfectly as it’s done in Heaven. We also partner with other believers by interceding for them before the Father, to pray over their burdens and seek divine intervention on their behalf. Solo prayer in our private place is powerful, but there is something even greater that moves in the spiritual realm when we join our faith with others in corporate prayer. If prayer is being spoken out loud in a gathering of a few or a few thousand, we do not passively listen. We verbally agree with that prayer. The prayer of agreement – our “Yes and Amen” – exponentially amplifies both the praise and the petition being offered. Unity in prayer solidifies unity in the Church. (Ecclesiastes 4:12; Matthew 18:19-20; James 5:16; 2 Corinthians 1:11; Galatians 6:2; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Acts 4:31, 12:5)
Prayer is POWER.
God is the ultimate source of power. All power in Heaven and on earth comes from Him and is subject to Him. A Christian’s power -- his ability to do anything of worth -- is received from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended on high, He told His disciples to wait for the power they needed: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Bible says the Gospel itself is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). When we truly accept that we are fundamentally incapable of performing our Kingdom assignments through our own efforts in a manner which honors Him, we are compelled to cry out for His power to flow through us. Never for our personal glory or to draw attention to ourselves. Always to lift up the name of Jesus and to glorify the Father. Prayer takes our weakness out of the equation and uses it to make God alone the sum total of all our parts. When we confess, “Lord, I can’t, but I believe You can and I know You will,” doubt gives way to victory and fear gives way to confidence in Him. (Isaiah 40:29; Ephesians 1:19-21, 3:20, 6:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 2 Timothy 1:7)
Prayer is PURPOSE.
A survey of the history of God’s involvement with planet Earth and mankind from eternity past through all the ages of our world makes one thing clear. God has a purpose and a plan. As highly unlikely as it seems, He chose to partner with man to accomplish His plans and purposes. He desires for us to join Him in this great adventure. It stands to reason if He has a plan, we have a purpose in that plan. The great question with which all of us have wrestled then becomes, “God, what is MY purpose for being here?”
There are two primary resources He has provided to help us find that answer. The first is the Bible. The other is prayer. Scripture gives us insight into God’s nature and His ways. We see how He has dealt with those who have gone before us. We come to understand His priorities. We receive instruction on how to live in a manner which pleases Him. We tuck away His promises to undergird us in tough times. Prayer then becomes both praise and petition as we earnestly seek His will for us. He weaves a beautiful tapestry of our passion, our natural talents, our acquired skills, and our spiritual gifts and joins it with those of countless others to create a perfect picture of Jesus. When we see His work, we will know that we know that we know “THIS is what I was born to do!” (1 Peter 2:9; Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 19:21; Psalms 33:11, 37:23; Ephesians 2:10)
A word about Fasting
“We fast because we’re hungry for God’s Word and God’s Spirit in our lives. We fast because we long for God’s glory to resound in the Church and God’s praise to resound among the nations. We fast because we yearn for God’s Son to return and God’s kingdom to come. Ultimately we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us.” -- John Piper
Biblical fasting is refraining from all or some solid foods for a prescribed period of time for spiritual reasons. Fasting allows us to bolster our spirit while bringing our flesh under subjection. During a season of fasting, we put aside the things of the world to devote ourselves to the things of God. Some well-intentioned Christians may “fast” from things other than food, such as entertainment, social media, electronic devices, video games, or their favorite recreational activities. It is reasonable to assume that lessening the influence of those things will promote stronger spiritual health. However, the Bible always connects fasting with not eating at all or only eating certain foods, such as the popular Daniel Fast.
Fasting involves self-denial but it is actually about replacement. Replacing the inferior things in our life with the more excellent things. We choose to pass up the dinner table to feed on the Word. We rely on the strength of Christ to stand firm when King Stomach is growling to have its way. We clear the world’s white noise out of our ears so that we can hear the Holy Spirit’s voice more clearly. We turn off the tv and turn on some praise music and worship Jesus. We increase in prayer and the Word while decreasing in worldly affections. Fasting is the physical workout which strengthens all of our spiritual muscles. (Joel 2:12; Acts 13:2, 14:23; Esther 4:16; Matthew 4:1-4, 6:16-17; Philippians 4:13)
Suggested reading on PRAYER:
“Can You Not Tarry One Hour?” by Larry Lea (Charisma House, 1999)
“Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets (Bethany House Publishers, April 2019)
“Andrew Murray on Prayer” by Andrew Murray (Whitaker House, November 1998)
“My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers (Updated Version, October 2010)
Suggested reading on FASTING:
“Fasting” by Jentezen Franklin (Charisma House, September 2010)
“The Power of Prayer and Fasting” by Ronnie W. Floyd (B&H Publishing Group, 2010)
“A Hunger for God” by John Piper (Crossway, April 2013)
“The Daniel Fast” by Susan Gregory (Tyndale Momentum, January 2010)