We welcome you to our devotional edition of this month. I pray that may God be with and bless you richly as you read further the valuable and impactful topics we always treat in our editions. This particular edition will also expose you to the importance of prayer and fasting in the lives of humanity and the church. We believe that you, your family and your church fellowships will not remain the same as you use our devotional topics.
1. Christ expects us to pray
Read Luke 11:1-13
The Gospels reveal quite clearly that Jesus thought those who followed God would want to read His Word and pray. Several times He asked people questions that went right to the heart of their understanding of the Scriptures, beginning with the words: ‘Haven’t you read…?
He assumed that those who professed to follow God would have read the Scriptures. That same assumption was made about the matter of prayer. In our text for today, our Lord says: ‘When you pray… Note: not if you pray but when you pray.
Prayer is the key.
Prayer is not optional. Whether or not we think prayer is a good idea is irrelevant – Christ expects us to pray. We live in an age described as ‘anti-authoritarian’ when people dislike being told what to do. When we become Christians, however, we bring our lives in line with the authority of Jesus and submit to His will and ways.
And His will, as we have seen, is that we should always pray (Luke 18: I). Now this is not intended to be onerous or a heavy burden, but relational. However, it has to be said, I believe, that a Christian who doesn’t pray is being insubordinate.
Prayerlessness is in effect reacting to Christ’s statement ‘You should always pray’ with the attitude ‘I don’t care what You say. I am not going to do it. What if Christ appeared to you right now and said to you: ‘I expect you to pray, regularly and often’? How would you respond?
Would you not immediately extend your prayer time with Him, knowing that He expected and asked that of you? Well, what He has said in His Word about prayer conveys His will for you as strongly as if He appeared to you in your room and spoke to you personally.
Prayer
Gracious Father, help me not to wriggle when I am cornered like this. You challenge me to change me. Help me deepen my prayer life and expand my times of communion with You, in the Saviour’s name I pray. Amen.
Further Study on the Topic
Read Matt. 6:6-13; 26:36-45
1. What did Jesus teach about prayer?
2. What did Jesus expect from His
2. Every prayer answered
Read Isaiah 65:17-25
Today, we ask ourselves: if prayer is of such prime importance why do we pray so little? I am speaking generally, now as I know there will be some reading these lines who pray long and often. One reason is the lack of discipline.
Prayer is not planned. It fits in with other things. Build other things around your prayer time rather than building your prayer time around other things. For some people, another reason may be that they doubt if anything happens as a result of prayer.
I have never heard anyone admit this publicly, but I have often heard it mentioned behind the soundproofed walls of a counselling room – even by those with a long experience of the Christian life. We need to remember that prayer is not like putting money in a slot machine and getting immediate results. Sometimes the results are instant but more commonly they are not.
God hears all prayers
Many times, prayer is answered in a way that we cannot see or understand. Be assured of this: God hears and answers every prayer. He does so by giving us what we asked for, by saying ‘No’ because what we have requested is not good for us, by giving us something different, or by answering our prayer in a way that is beyond our comprehension.
Yet another reason why we do not pray more is because of self-sufficiency. Many reading these words will have received a fairly good education, maybe even acquired a degree or professional qualification.
As a consequence, life seems manageable and prayer is made only when something happens that is far too big to handle. Jesus said: – apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Nothing matters unless He is in it. And if He isn’t then it doesn’t matter at all.
Prayer
O Lord, teach me to pray, for if I fall here, I fall everywhere – anaemia weakens my whole being. Give me the mind to pray, the will to pray and the love to pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Study on the Topic
Read Isa. 59:15-16; James 5:13-18
1. Why was the Lord appalled?
2. How are we like Elijah?
3. Fallacies about fasting
Matthew 6: 16-24
We come now to consider a discipline which has fallen into disrepute in modern times – the discipline of fasting. Most of us, if we are honest, are more interested in feasting than in fasting. Why then, we ask ourselves, should something given such a high priority in scripture be regarded with suspicion by so many Christianity today?
One reason put forward is a fear of becoming legalistic. The church has suffered greatly from legalism in the past – engaging in what appeared to be spiritual practices but lacking inward power.
No one wants to return to the days when people were black to church, carried big black Bibles and entered the house of God looking as if their faces would make a good frontispiece for the Book of Lamentations. But to say that fasting can draw us back to legalism is to misunderstand the Scriptures.
The Meaning of Fasting
Fasting is also viewed with suspicion because we are influenced by the propaganda of our consumer society which encourages us to satisfy every appetite every day of our lives. A further reason is that the subject is not often shared from the pulpit. In some churches, you can go for years without ever hearing a sermon on the subject of fasting
To overlook fasting and ignore its biblical significance is to deprive ourselves of an exercise of the soul that was taught and practised by our Lord. taken up by His disciples and has been part of the life of the Church throughout its 2,000 years of history.
Now let me say at once that some people should not fast for medical reasons, but their numbers will be comparatively small. The discipline of lasting does wonders for the soul. Put it to the test and see.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, help me realise that You never ask me to do something you do not do Yourself. But I confess this is a challenge that I do not find easy. Help me consider it, and practise it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Study on the topic
Exodus. 34:27-29: Malt:411-10
1 What happened when Moses fasted?
2. What happened when Jesus fasted?
4. The purpose of fasting
Read Ezra 8:15-23.
We are seeing that there is more to biblical fasting than merely abstaining from food. Without a spiritual purpose, fasting will achieve nothing more than a loss of weight. Many reasons for fasting are given in Scripture. One is to add weight to our prayer lives. John Calvin advised this: ‘Whenever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter.
It would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer. Ezra followed this pattern. The exiles needed a safe passage to Jerusalem so, according to Ezra: ‘We fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer’ (v.23, my emphasis).
God’s guidance is important
A second reason is to discover God’s guidance. One passage that illustrates this principle is found in Judges chapter 20. Some members of the tribe of Benjamin had committed a terrible sin, which led to the other eleven tribes going to war against the Benjamites. However, the eleven tribes outnumbered the tribe of Benjamin by fifteen to one. they lost the battle.
The next day the eleven tribes fought and lost again. Only after they had fasted and prayed did the Lord make His will plain and grant success (vv.26-28). However, remember this: fasting does not guarantee that guidance will certainly be given but it certainly seems to make us more receptive to the One who guides.
A third reason is to deepen the expression of an act of repentance. The Old Testament is replete with instances of fasting accompanying repentance. Joel 2:12 is just one verse that records God urging His people to show their sincerity by fasting. I have known many whose lives have been transformed in this way.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, tender and skilful Invader of my soul, You keep bringing me back to reality. By Your Holy Spirit and through Your Word, You teach me Your way. Now help me walk in it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Study on the Topic
Read 2 Chron. 20:1-18; Jonah 3:1-10
1. What was Jehoshaphat’s response when threatened?
2. How did God respond to the Ninevites
