Right here’s our overview for this part, and that is the best way I like to speak about it. It’s about listening to God’s voice, having his ear, and belonging to his physique, the church. And right here, I wish to emphasize having fun with the present. It is a present that we frequently don’t get pleasure from like we will. So I hope to remind myself and remind all of us right here this night, what a present we now have in prayer. And maybe we might get pleasure from this present a little bit bit extra, incrementally extra due to our focus right here this night.
To take a little bit half step again and do some greater evaluate, after which come into prayer, we’re going to speak about Jesus’s habits first. I really like speaking about this. I don’t see lots of people speaking about this. I discover this actually thrilling and life-giving. So we’ll discuss Jesus’s habits.
Then, we’ll discuss in some extra nitty-gritty and practicals about our habits of prayer. We’re going to interrupt these up into prayer in secret (private prayer), prayer fixed (prayer that’s on the go and doesn’t stop), after which prayer collectively in firm. After which lastly, we’ll discuss fasting. A number of years in the past, to speak about fasting folks would flip their heads. There was not numerous curiosity in fasting. After which hastily in recent times, there’s numerous discuss fasting, intermittent fasting. We’re going to speak about Christian fasting, fasting for a non secular function. So there’s our overview right here for tonight’s session.
As a evaluate, let me go to this J.C. Ryle quote once more. I simply adore it. I wished to come back again to it to ensure that everybody hears it. I’m positive there’s any person right here who hasn’t been to the opposite classes, so right here’s an opportunity to listen to it. Ryle says:
The technique of grace are similar to Bible studying, personal prayer, and frequently worshiping God in church, whereby one hears the phrase taught and participates within the Lord’s Supper. I lay it down as a easy matter of undeniable fact that nobody who’s careless about such issues should ever count on to make a lot progress in sanctification. I can discover no file of any eminent saint who ever uncared for them (the technique of grace, together with prayer). They’re appointed channels by means of which the Holy Spirit conveys recent provides of grace to the soul, and strengthens the work which he has begun within the inward man . . . Our God is a God who works by means, and he won’t ever bless the soul of that man who pretends to be so excessive and non secular that he can get on with out them.
So could we not fake to be so excessive and non secular as to get on with out these wonderful means. That’s our focus tonight.
The Habits of Jesus
So first, let’s check out Jesus’s habits. Right here’s a disclaimer: The Gospels should not meant simply to show us Jesus’s non secular practices so we will imitate them. On the very coronary heart of the Gospels is one thing Jesus does for us that we can’t imitate exactly. We can’t die for others, and positively for the sins of the world. Nonetheless, even in his loss of life on the cross and resurrection on the very climax of the Gospels, there’s something to mimic, simply as he has washed our toes and died for us, so we’re to like and serve one another in a cruciform sample. There’s a lot within the Gospels we will decide up from the lifetime of Jesus, the God-man, and I feel his non secular habits are value observing. Granted although, they aren’t the primary level of the Gospels; that will be the gospel, Jesus.
However we now have much more about Jesus’s private non secular rhythms than we do about anybody else in Scripture. A part of the explanation for that is that we now have 4 Gospels, and the Gospels are given in half of their area at the least to monitoring his life, particularly his ministry, till he got here to that ultimate week. We now have lots about his actions and his patterns, however we don’t have that about Paul or Isaiah or Moses and even David. Many of those figures within the Bible that we now have numerous textual content about, we don’t get something like a few of these non secular actions and rhythms like we now have within the Gospels with Jesus. Let me present you.
Return and Retreat
First, let me provide the massive image about his rhythms of return and retreat, then we’ll discuss how he dealt with the phrase, then we’ll discuss prayer, and that strikes us into the prayer matter for tonight. The phrase piece is a little bit little bit of evaluate, however it’s vital as a result of there’s this relationship between God talking in his phrase and our response in prayer that we step on that foot once more.
Listed here are a few of Jesus’s rhythms of retreat and return. See how he attracts again from the group and communes together with his Father, after which that fills him and feeds him and strengthens him to then transfer again to the wants of others, again to the group to bless others. Mark 1:35 comes after a really busy day in Capernaum. They’re therapeutic all kinds of individuals and so they’re beating down the door exterior Peter’s home.
And rising very early within the morning, whereas it was nonetheless darkish, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
That’s going to be key language. We’ll see this “desolate place” many times. That might be translated as “wilderness place.” He’s getting out of the city. He’s getting alone. He’s getting some solitary area to satisfy together with his Father. So he will get out to a desolate place, and there he prays. That is actually an incredible second. The entire city, Peter’s hometown, is all enthusiastic about this man that Peter has been following. So Peter must be thrilled, considering, “My complete city is wanting to listen to from this Jesus that I’ve given my life to observe.” And Peter wakes up the subsequent morning and is like, “Uh oh, the place’s Jesus? He’s gone.” Peter should’ve been in a panic. They’re searching for him. The place is Jesus? They discover that he’s gone out to wish, and after they get there to him, they’re like, “Jesus, the place have you ever been?” He says, “I got here out to wish. I would like to maneuver on to the subsequent city” (Mark 1:38).
It should have been very tough for Peter, however he had a mission and he moved out. He was crammed up by his Father and he was prepared to maneuver on to the subsequent city to unfold the phrase. Subsequent is Matthew 9:36–38. Now you see his strategy to the crowds. It’s not that Jesus disdains folks, people, crowds.
When he noticed the crowds, he had compassion for them, as a result of they have been harassed and helpless, like sheep with no shepherd. Then he mentioned to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, however the laborers are few; subsequently pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to ship out laborers into his harvest.”
He’s going to be that, paradigmatically, in being despatched out from heaven to die for us. And he prays for the disciples to be despatched out and for others to be despatched out that there be labor. There’s this motion the place he goes away to commune after which comes again to the crowds. Luke 5:15–16 says:
However now much more the report about him went overseas, and nice crowds gathered to listen to him and to be healed of their infirmities. However he would withdraw to desolate locations and pray.
This sample emerges. The group swells. They wish to know extra about him and he doesn’t hate them. He ministers to them, he blesses them, and he finds his time to withdraw and to wish.
The Son of God’s Every day Bread
Now rapidly, think about the place of Scripture in Jesus’s life, as a result of I don’t wish to give the impression that he’s only a man who prayed and that prayer was not a type of rhythm or response or relationship with the phrase from his Father. So right here’s the place of Scripture within the lifetime of Christ.
First, think about the wilderness the place he confronted temptations. Devil says, “In case you are the Son of God, command the stone to turn out to be loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:3). And Jesus solutions, “It’s written, ‘Man shall not stay by bread alone, however each phrase that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). So Devil comes again to attempt to match him. He says, “All proper, I hear that. Let me study from it.” He’s intelligent. He’s going to attempt to match it. He says, “In case you are the Son of God, throw your self down, for it’s written . . .” (Matthew 4:6). In different phrases, “If you wish to quote the Writings, I’ll quote the Writings.” He says, “It’s written, ‘He’ll command his angels regarding you and on their fingers they may bear you up, lest you strike your foot in opposition to the stone’” (Matthew 4:6). Jesus goes to combat hearth with hearth. He says to him, “Once more, it’s written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the take a look at’” (Matthew 4:7).
Then Devil says, “All these I gives you if you’ll fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). Then Jesus says, “Be gone, Devil, for it’s written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him solely shall you serve’” (Matthew 4:10). So even the Son of God amongst us, God himself amongst us, bases his “Be gone, Devil,” not merely on his personal authority with respect to his humanity, however he bases it on the revelation of God’s phrase. He says, “Be gone, Devil, for it’s written.”
Continuous Appeals to Scripture
Right here’s Jesus in his hometown when he comes again from the wilderness. He involves Nazareth the place he was introduced up. And it says “as was his customized” (Luke 4:16). That is behavior language. He’s making a customized right here to collect with the physique. That belongs to final night time, the behavior of gathering. It says:
He got here to Nazareth, the place he had been introduced up. And as was his customized, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood as much as learn. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and located the place the place it was written . . . (Luke 4:16–17).
He’s dealing with Scripture, studying it aloud. Then he reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:17–19), and he reads the quote. Then it says:
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it again to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all within the synagogue have been fastened on him. And he started to say to them, “At present this Scripture has been fulfilled in your listening to” (Luke 4:20–21).
He begins his ministry in getting back from the wilderness, coming to his hometown (Nazareth), by quoting Scripture. That is the success of Scripture. That is how he identifies his cousin, John the Baptist. He says:
That is he of whom it’s written, “Behold, I ship my messenger earlier than your face, who will put together your method earlier than you” (Matthew 11:10).
And when Jesus clears the temple, he makes use of Scripture:
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who bought and acquired within the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those that bought pigeons. He mentioned to them, “It’s written, ‘My home shall be known as a home of prayer,’ however you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:12–13).
The Phrase Utilized, the Phrase Fulfilled
That is additionally how he rebukes the proud. Mark 7:5–9 says:
And the Pharisees and the scribes requested him, “Why do your disciples not stroll in line with the custom of the elders, however eat with defiled fingers?” And he mentioned to them, “Effectively did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it’s written, ‘This folks honors me with their lips, however their coronary heart is way from me; in useless do they worship me, educating as doctrines the commandments of males.’ You allow the commandment of God and maintain to the custom of males.” And he mentioned to them, “You’ve got a tremendous method of rejecting the commandment of God as a way to set up your custom!”
He’s a person who’s soaked in Scripture, in what’s written. Repeatedly, he’s referring to Isaiah and to what’s written. He’s quoting Scripture. He’s referring to the commandments of God and holding these up in opposition to the traditions of males. He’s saying, “That custom isn’t within the phrase, that’s not in Scripture. However that is in Scripture.”
In Luke 20:16–18, it says:
Once they heard [the parable of the wicked tenant], they mentioned, “Absolutely not!” However he appeared instantly at them and mentioned, “What then is that this that’s written: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has turn out to be the cornerstone’? Everybody who falls on that stone will probably be damaged to items, and when it falls on anybody, it can crush him.”
Listed here are another examples:
- On the best way to Calvary in John’s Gospel, as he turns the nook and heads with intentionality to Jerusalem, it’s pronounced, “It’s written within the Prophets. . .” (John 6:45).
- In John 8, he says, “In your Regulation it’s written . . .” (John 8:17)
- In John 10, he says, “Is it not written in your legislation?” (John 10:34).
- In John 12, it says, “Simply as it’s written . . .” (John 12:14),
- In John 15, he says, “The phrase that’s written of their Regulation have to be fulfilled” (John 15:25).
- He says, “The Son of Man goes as it’s written of him” (Matthew 26:24).
- In Luke 18, he says, “We’re going as much as Jerusalem and all the pieces that’s written concerning the Son of man by the prophets will probably be completed” (Luke 18:31).
Residing by What Is Written
So right here’s my abstract concerning the operate of the written phrase, Scripture, within the lifetime of Jesus. Jesus didn’t have his personal print Bible to web page by means of in personal. You get this, proper? They didn’t have the printing press till 500 years in the past. To supply books was an amazing price. Folks didn’t have private copies of books. So it’s virtually sure Jesus simply doesn’t have a private copy of Scripture. He heard it learn on the synagogue, he heard it in his mom’s singing. He might rehearse what he himself had memorized. Despite the fact that he didn’t have his personal print Bible to web page by means of, let there be no confusion concerning the central place of God’s written phrase in his life. God himself in human flesh lived by what was written.
I got here throughout this quote from Sinclair Ferguson not too long ago. This comes from his guide, The Holy Spirit, and he’s speaking concerning the position of the Holy Spirit within the earthly lifetime of Jesus. And he makes this remark relative to Scripture:
Jesus’s intimate acquaintance with Scripture didn’t come [magically from heaven] throughout the interval of his public ministry. It was grounded, little doubt on his early training, however nourished by lengthy years of non-public meditation.
“God himself in human flesh lived by what was written.”
That is what it means for God himself to be amongst us as a human. Hebrews 5:8 talks about him studying obedience by means of what he suffered. Luke 2:52 talks about him rising in knowledge and data, and that is the knowledge and data he grew in. It was God’s written phrase in Scripture, which then fashioned a lifetime of prayer.
The Place of Prayer within the Lifetime of Christ
The place of prayer then. So on condition that image of how Scripture features within the lifetime of Jesus, what’s the place of prayer within the lifetime of Christ? That is actually wealthy. Let’s begin with Jesus and his prayer alone. I’ll put the playing cards on the desk. I need you to listen to the applying right here. Hear echoing and imitation as we discuss his prayer alone, his prayer with others, and what he’s educating his disciples about prayer. That is all very related and relevant to us.
Jesus and Personal Prayer
We already noticed Mark 1:35. That is Matthew 14:23, which says:
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to wish. When night got here, he was there alone . . .
Despite the fact that he has these 12 and so they have been with him primarily on a regular basis. Right here it’s mentioned specifically that he went up alone. This time, not even Peter, James, or John are coming with him. He goes alone to commune together with his Father in prayer. Mark 6:46–47 says:
And after he had taken depart of them, he went up on the mountain to wish. And when night got here, the boat was out on the ocean, and he was alone on the land.
And you recognize there’s an amazing miracle coming. John 6:15 says:
Jesus withdrew once more to the mountain by himself.
I’m suspecting he goes there to wish. And as one who’s quoting frequently what’s written, when he prays to his Father, he prays in mild of what he is aware of to have been revealed in Scripture. Luke 6:12 says:
In as of late he went out to the mountain to wish, and all night time he continued in prayer to God.
Now this context right here is him selecting the disciples. Jesus didn’t have one night time every week the place he at all times missed sleep for prayer. I’m conscious of two events. It occurred initially of his ministry when he was selecting his disciples, and on the finish of his ministry the night time earlier than he died when the disciples have been all able to sleep and he was praying within the backyard of Gethsemane. I don’t know that Jesus had any sleep that night time earlier than he died. So Jesus did have a daily sample of sleep, and but he was able to miss sleep if he wanted to for communion together with his Father. It wasn’t on a regular basis, however it was on some significantly urgent events. That was Jesus praying alone.
Jesus and Public Prayer
Now, how about praying together with his males, or as his disciples hear him praying? And this happens frequently in his ministry. Luke 6:21 says:
When Jesus additionally had been baptized and was praying . . .
That is when he was being baptized. That is being noticed by his disciples. They’re listening to that he’s praying. Or think about Matthew 6:5–13 when he taught them how you can pray. That is the Lord’s prayer. In Matthew 6, it’s a part of the educating throughout the Sermon on the Mount, however in Luke 11:1–4 the disciples got here to him after listening to his prayers, and so they wished to study. They requested him to show them. We’ll get to that.
Matthew 19:13 says that kids are delivered to him that he could lay his fingers on them and pray. So the phrase goes out and folks suppose, “Hey, that is Jesus!” He was the one who would lay his fingers in your kids and bless your kids and pray on your kids. He’s a person of prayer. He’s a person who loves kids. He’s a person who will pray for them. In order that they introduced kids to him as a result of he was recognized this manner. Mark 9:29 says:
And he mentioned to them, “This sort [demon oppression] can’t be pushed out by something however prayer.”
Luke 9:18 says:
Now it occurred that as he was praying alone, the disciples have been with him.
That’s how a lot he was together with his males, how a lot he invested in these guys. Even at instances when he was praying alone, the disciples have been with him. So how does that work? Is it that he type of goes off to the facet and has a prayer time? Or is he so used to those guys that it seems like being alone in comparison with the group and others?
Lord, Train Us to Pray
It is a time when his males are observing him or listening to him pray. The disciples have been with him, and since they see the type of man of prayer he’s and these rhythms of prayer he has, they ask him, “Lord, educate us to wish” (Luke 11:1). He’s praying in a sure place. And when he completed — one way or the other they knew he completed, both he raised his head or they heard him praying and he stopped — they mentioned to him, “Lord, educate us to wish.” They’ve heard him pray. It’s winsome, it’s contagious. They wish to pray like this man. And so they ask him for his instruction. Luke 9:28 says:
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to wish.
The night time earlier than he died, he mentioned to Peter, “I’ve prayed for you that your religion could not fail” (Luke 22:32). The God-man prays for his disciples that their religion won’t fail. John 17 stands out as the deepest chapter in all of the Bible, and it’s Jesus praying. It says:
He lifted up his eyes to heaven and mentioned, “Father, the hour has come . . .” (John 17:1).
All of John 17 is Jesus’s prayer. Lastly, Matthew 26 is within the backyard of Gethsemane. It says:
Then Jesus went with them to a spot known as Gethsemane, and he mentioned to his disciples, “Sit right here, whereas I am going over there and pray” (Matthew 26:36) . . . And going a little bit farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it’s doable, let this cup move from me; nonetheless, not as I’ll, however as you’ll” (Matthew 26:39) . . . Watch and pray that you could be not enter into temptation. The spirit certainly is prepared, however the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).
And once more, for the second time, he went away and prayed. He was leaving them once more. And he went away and prayed for a 3rd time. That is how he waits for the occasions to start to transpire when he’s taken into custody. These are the previous couple of moments when he might run. That is the second to really feel the load, to undergo beforehand with the load of what will probably be prefer to be on the cross, to ponder what he’s doing. This doesn’t catch him off guard. There can be much less advantage and energy within the cross if it caught him off guard. The cross doesn’t catch him off guard. He is aware of precisely what’s occurring and he wrestles with it. He owns it. He solidifies his will for the enjoyment set earlier than him and he does that by means of prayer.
Jesus and Fasting
Jesus additionally talks about fasting and there are two key texts on fasting, each are in Matthew’s Gospel, which is able to accompany prayer as we’ll discuss. He says:
And whenever you quick, don’t look gloomy just like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting could also be seen by others. Really, I say to you, they’ve acquired their reward. However whenever you quick, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting is probably not seen by others however by your Father who’s in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:16–18).
This pairs together with his discuss praying in secret, as we’ll see in only a minute. And he says “whenever you quick.” This isn’t an if to his disciples. He expects there to be occurrences of fasting. Matthew 9:15 says:
Can the marriage visitors mourn so long as the bridegroom is with them? The times will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they may quick.
So Jesus says we’ll quick. Once they quick, he assumes we’ll quick and he says we’ll. The bridegroom, Jesus, will probably be taken away after which they may quick.
Directions on Seclusion
Up to now we now have seen Jesus’s sample of retreat and return, how Jesus formed his life with the phrase, how Jesus prayed alone together with his disciples, how Jesus taught his disciples to wish, after which Jesus additionally teaches his disciples the identical type of sample of withdrawing at acceptable instances for communion and relaxation after which going again to the crowds to minister. Jesus withdrew together with his disciples, bringing them with him. He’s educating them this sample. Luke 9:10 says:
On their return the apostles instructed him all that they’d achieved. And he took them and withdrew aside to a city known as Bethsaida.
Mark 6:31–32 is extra direct. He says:
And he mentioned to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and relaxation some time.” For a lot of have been coming and going, and so they had no leisure even to eat. And so they went away within the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
In John 11, it says:
Jesus subsequently not walked overtly among the many Jews, however went from there to the area close to the wilderness, to a city known as Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
Matthew 6:11 says:
While you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who’s in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Right here’s my abstract. In receiving his Father’s voice in Scripture, in praying alone and with firm, and at instances when confronted with significantly urgent issues, including the instrument of fasting, Jesus sought communion together with his Father. His habits weren’t demonstrations of sheer will and self-discipline. His acts of receiving the phrase and responding in prayer weren’t ends in themselves. In these blessed means, he pursued the top of figuring out and having fun with his Father, communing together with his Father in prayer.
The God Who Speaks and Listens
We’ve been speaking implicitly all alongside, however now let’s discuss explicitly about our habits of prayer. There are three foundational truths right here earlier than just a few concrete specifics and options. First, our God isn’t solely communicative however listens. The talking God can also be the God who listens. “God Who Listens” is an effective music by Chris Tomlin. Now, he doesn’t solely hear, he first speaks. Generally we will get this factor forwards and backwards in our modern-day. It’s spoken of in therapeutic, psychological phrases. Folks say, “I simply want any person to take heed to me. If God will simply hear. If folks simply take heed to me. I would like listening.” Sure, and also you want educating and divine revelation together with listening.
There are two issues which are occurring. He speaks and he listens. Our God is a God who listens and he listens in mild of his speech. Prayer is a dialog we didn’t begin. God speaks first. We reply in mild of his phrase. We talked yesterday about dialing up. Who’s going to dial up? Effectively, really we’re not going to dial up. God has dialed up. So let’s pray to him collectively in mild of his revelation. And the good function of prayer is that God can be our pleasure. We pray for issues and we pray for assist. We pray for help and we pray for blessing. On the finish of the day, we pray to God himself. We would like extra of him. He’s the best present he offers. His Son is the best present he offers. And so we pray to know him, get pleasure from him, and have him whilst we wish to have and see him by means of blessings he could give.
We’ll discuss in only a minute about how we might work issues into our prayer life different than simply asking. That is C.S. Lewis on prayer, and it’s concerning the asking a part of prayer, which is the place the phrase “pray” comes from. We consider asking issues from God and we must be cautious to not solely ask stuff from him as if he’s an enormous present dispenser within the sky. Lewis says:
Prayer, within the sense of asking for issues, is a small a part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and imaginative and prescient and delight of God its bread and wine.
Our Habits of Prayer
Let me break these out with numerous texts and ideas as our prayer in secret (personal prayer), as within the Ryle quote. Then, we’ll discuss concerning the language within the New Testomony that you just’re most likely accustomed to, “praying with out ceasing.” What’s that? After which, we’ll concentrate on praying with firm with just a few options on how you can pray along with firm in ways in which could be only within the lifetime of the church.
Praying in Secret
Right here’s prayer in secret once more, as we noticed:
And whenever you pray, you could not be just like the hypocrites. For they love to face and pray within the synagogues and on the avenue corners, that they might be seen by others. Really, I say to you, they’ve acquired their reward. However whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who’s in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:5–6).
This doesn’t imply by no means ever pray in public. That’s a part of what we do as a church. It could be a blessed factor to wish for somebody. It’s superb for others to listen to your prayers on a regular basis in our households. Folks must be listening to our prayers on a regular basis. However don’t let prayer turn out to be one thing that’s solely heard by others in order that there’s by no means this prayer in secret. And don’t let it simply be prayer on the go, however have a specific time put aside the place no one else is listening and also you’re not simply begging for assistance on the best way as you undergo life, however you’ve gotten time put aside to commune with God, as we noticed on this sample in Jesus’s life.
It’s nice to discover a area the place you may pray out loud. This has been one thing that’s recent not too long ago in my life that the children have gotten sufficiently old now. They’re at school 5 days every week. I’ve some make money working from home days now as a result of on the opposite facet of COVID there are some recent patterns, and we now have a blended workplace, so some days you’re house. There are occasions I’m simply at house on my own and I can kneel in our front room and I can simply pray out loud. For me, it helps me to wish it out loud so I don’t type of path off. Generally once I’m simply in my head praying, I type of path off. I don’t end sentences and ideas, or my prayers can start to wander into ideas as a result of they have been ideas to start with. I discover it very useful to have the ability to pray out loud and in secret. We have to discover area for that.
My suggestion right here, as I discussed yesterday, is that this sample of starting with the Bible, transferring to meditation, after which sprucing with prayer. The thought there being, we wish to hear from God first and studying is transferring on the typical tempo of a written textual content. So start by studying his phrase. After which meditation is about pausing, pondering, and searching for to really feel the load and significance of a specific a part of that textual content on the soul. After which, as an alternative of doing a tough pivot to praying what you wish to pray for the day, let what God has been talking by means of his phrase and also you’ve been meditating on be the theme, the inspiration, and the catalyst on your prayers.
You might say, “God, I’ve seen your Son is wonderful on this textual content. I pray that you’d assist me to proceed seeing that, assist my spouse to see it, assist my youngsters to see it, assist my coworkers to see it, and assist the nations see it.” I sometimes transfer in a sample from self to spouse to youngsters and household, then coworkers in church and the Twin Cities, after which to the nations. I type of transfer out in concentric circles. However you discover your method and what is sensible to you as you consider circles of prayer. I like to have that prayer time come out of being freshly impressed by time within the phrase.
Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication
Then there may be the ACTS acronym. This isn’t proprietary or particular. You’ve most likely heard of this. I feel it’s very useful. I feel we are inclined to overlook with out reminders like this concerning the different elements of prayer aside from petition. Lewis is speaking about petition being a small a part of prayer. So right here’s what ACTS refers to: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Supplication is there. It’s a part of prayer, it’s vital.
Come right into a prayer time and start by adoring God. There’s something so proper, so valuable, so pleasant about adoring God. It’s becoming and he’s worthy of it, for us to pause and adore him after which transfer from that adoration as we rehearse his glory, his attributes, and his value to a way of self and the necessity for the confession of our sins, and the way we’re not residing as much as the usual, and the way we now have we now have sinned in opposition to him. Then we transfer to thanking him. Thank him that he’s drawn close to in Christ. Thank him for the various blessings in our lives. After which we ask, if you wish to undergo this sample of ACTS.
I get requested this query lots, however I feel the final sample in Scripture and within the New Testomony specifically for Christian prayer is to the Father by means of the Son — that’s, in Jesus’s title — and by the Spirit. So prayer is Trinitarian, however it’s not essentially symmetrical.
We don’t pray to the Spirit by means of the Father by the Son. You pray to the Father by means of the Son by the Spirit. And all three individuals of the Godhead are God in their very own proper. So it’s becoming and great to wish to explicit members of the Trinity. You don’t should solely tackle the Father, you may pray Jesus prayers the place you pray to him. You may pray to the Spirit. And specifically that may be becoming the place there’s sure instances the place we all know of the roles that the individuals of the Godhead take within the financial system of salvation. So if we’re praying for a specific factor, chances are you’ll wish to pray to that specific individual. Nonetheless, the final sample is to the Father by means of the Son, the one individual of the Trinity who grew to become human and died for us, and doing that by the facility of the Spirit who dwells in us. Don’t be shackled into considering it is advisable pray the identical variety of prayers and spend the identical variety of minutes praying to every individual within the Trinity.
Prayer and Fasting
After which, prayer is to be accompanied every now and then with fasting. We’ll say extra about this in a couple of minutes, however let me simply say there are regular day by day prayers and there are occasions in our lives the place we really feel a specific desperation. Fasting is a instrument for the determined. You can’t quick on a regular basis, you’d die. You may pray on daily basis. Prayer goes with the breath. It’s important to maintain respiration and maintain praying. You may go with out meals for a little bit bit, not on a regular basis.
So fasting is a particular measure. When you’ve gotten a specific burden, some explicit desperation, and also you wish to say, “Oh Father, I’m so determined right here,” extra than simply the standard prayer — which is great and blessed and prayed in confidence due to Jesus — then you may add a specific demonstration of desperation in fasting. We’ll say extra about fasting right here in only a second.
Praying With out Ceasing
I’ve 4 texts that discuss praying with out ceasing or being fixed or continuous in prayer:
- Rejoice at all times, pray with out ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17).
- Be fixed in prayer (Romans 12:12).
- Proceed steadfastly in prayer (Colossians 4:2).
- Praying always within the Spirit . . . (Ephesians 6:18).
I don’t suppose this implies you keep in your knees all day and also you by no means cease praying. I feel it means don’t surrender praying. Don’t have trials come into your life the place you overlook to wish or turn out to be so discouraged that you just don’t pray. Persevering with it, persevere in prayer. And as you go all through the day, as you reside, develop patterns of prayer or anchor factors of prayer.
Perhaps you consider your automobile as being a reminder in your commute within the morning, getting within the automobile within the morning. It is a reminder to wish as you begin out on the commute. Or there might be different methods. We do that with meals as we sit down. We take that as an event to wish. That’s factor. That’s behavior. There might be different habits of prayer like that in order that we might have this sense of ongoing prayer, fixed prayer in our life, which doesn’t imply that we don’t ever do our work or don’t ever give any focus some other place. Be free of that burden.
There could be a spirit of dependence, sure, as you go all through the day, and your consideration is proscribed. You may solely actually concentrate on a factor at a time. And God means so that you can do your work and your calling and your parenting and work together together with your partner and do what you’re known as to do. And we will develop these rhythms which are such that it could be as if we by no means cease praying. We pray with out ceasing. We’re fixed in prayer as a result of it marks our life prefer it did for Jesus.
Praying with Firm
Earlier than we end with fasting let’s focus right here on praying with firm. I name praying with firm the excessive level of prayer, which is on no account to attenuate personal prayer or prayer on the go. However once more, as we talked about with fellowship, when God’s folks come collectively, there’s a energy. God likes to brood by his Spirit on the gathering of his folks. And once we sync up our schedules and our lives and our habits to wish collectively, it’s important. There’s multiplying blessings to us and thru the gathering in praying collectively.
Jesus does this, and we see it within the lifetime of the early church the place they collect to wish. My suggestion is to make it common with partner, with household, and with folks in a small group or Bible examine. There will be prayer gatherings within the rhythms of the church. An concept with a time that’s put aside as a prayer time is to start with a short phrase of Scripture. It’d simply be a single verse that somebody reads. If there’s a prayer chief for the gathering, they may simply say, “Let me learn this paragraph and let’s pray collectively.” That might be one option to get into prayer time to do not forget that we’re not the one dialing up, we’re praying in response to God’s phrase. Some phrase of Scripture will be the catalyst for our group gathering in prayer.
I additionally suggest limiting your share time. I strive to do that in our group group. We’ll collect in our time to wish and folks will begin sharing. Are there any prayer requests? Folks begin sharing and the clock is ticking and they’re sharing so nicely, and we’re simply bearing down on the time after they’ve acquired to go as a result of they should have youngsters in mattress for varsity the subsequent day. One technique, if you happen to’re main a prayer time, is to start out with a little bit Scripture after which say, “Does anyone have a very urgent request it is advisable discuss to us about, or can we simply discuss to the Lord in prayer about this stuff?” And you recognize what, in all our prayers, God already is aware of it.
So if you wish to give some additional info in your prayer to him in order that different folks perceive what you’re praying for, God is de facto tremendous with that. I’m fairly positive about that. So for us to get into prayer time and go forward and go instantly Godward and be capable of share as we pray could be a good factor in our praying with firm.
Make the most of Quick Prayers
At instances, I like to remind of us you don’t have to wish lengthy. Jesus commends quick prayers. When he gave us the mannequin prayer, it’s solely 50 phrases. Be at liberty to hop round. You may pray for one thing in a centered method and none of us listed here are going to suppose you’re unspiritual if you happen to pray too quick. The truth is, we might imagine you’re unspiritual if you happen to pray too lengthy, relying on the setting.
Pray with out present and with others in thoughts. That is the final rigidity in company prayer. We don’t wish to pray for present and but when it’s company prayer, you’re praying for different folks. So there’s no have to fake it’s simply you and God. It’s not. It’s company prayer. The very nature of company prayer is that we’re doing this collectively, so it’s acceptable to each search to be genuine and actual earlier than him, and on the identical time, you recognize others are listening and also you’re main them along with you Godward in prayer.
Inducements to Communal Prayer
I’ll simply finish with some incentives right here about the advantages of praying with firm. Why not simply make all of your prayer, personal prayer? In praying with firm, I feel there are solutions to prayer that we get in praying with one another that we could not get in any other case if we didn’t achieve this in firm. I feel there’s development in our prayers. After we hear others pray, we develop in the best way that we pray. It’s an exquisite factor to wish in personal.
We now have to wish in personal, however I feel there’s extra development that occurs as we hear others, as we hear their perspective, as we hear how they’re wording it, the angles of strategy to God, what they are saying to God, their ideas. We get to know these individuals nicely too within the fellowship of the church as we hear their coronary heart in prayer. That attracts out one thing in that individual chances are you’ll not hear in any other case after they come earlier than God’s face in prayer. We get to know them higher. After which, most of all, you get to know Jesus higher.
I feel there are elements of our Savior that God means for us to know by means of listening to these within the prayers of others within the company gatherings. As we all know others, we get to see elements of Jesus, his grace, how he’s drawn close to to them, how he’s blessed them, how he’s proven them grace upon grace.
After which lastly, the good function of prayer in secret, prayer on the go, and prayer with firm is that God in Christ can be our reward.
Questions and Solutions
Are there any questions right here on prayer earlier than I end up with some transient ideas about fasting? Any burning questions on prayer? If it’s not burning, you don’t should make one up.
Do you’ve gotten a favourite useful resource on prayer?
Sure, my favourite is Tim Keller’s guide on prayer. I feel it’s Tim Keller’s finest guide. It’s at a unique degree from his different stuff. It’s so nicely achieved. It’s so steeped in John Owen and the Puritans. I really like Keller’s guide. Years in the past, I cherished Paul Miller’s guide known as A Praying Life. It was so good. There’s an outdated Spurgeon guide known as The Energy of Prayer in a Believer’s Life. It’s actually good. I do know that folks suggest E.M. Bounds. Really I haven’t heard folks discuss E.M. Bounds not too long ago, however go search for E.M. Bounds for lots of sources on prayer.
The Place of Fasting
The final level is on fasting. At no place in all his 13 letters, does the apostle Paul command Christians to quick. Neither does Peter in his letters, nor John, nor some other guide within the New Testomony. There are not any instructions to quick. And but, for two,000 years Christians have fasted. One expression amongst others of wholesome, vibrant Christians and church buildings has been the observe of fasting. Nonetheless a lot it might appear to be a misplaced artwork right this moment, fasting has endured for 2 millennia as a way of Christ’s ongoing grace for his church. So why then, if Christians should not commanded to quick, will we nonetheless quick?
There’s Jesus’s instance as we’ve already seen. He fasted within the wilderness. He mentioned, not if you quick, however when. And Jesus promised, “then they may quick” (Matthew 9:15). So the phrases of Christ impact the church, although it’s not a direct command to quick as a result of they may, and he says “whenever you quick.” The early Christians fasted. They fulfilled what Jesus mentioned would occur. Acts 13:1–3 says:
Now there have been within the church at Antioch prophets and academics, Barnabas, Simeon who was known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong buddy of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. Whereas they have been worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit mentioned, “Set aside for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I’ve known as them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their fingers on them and despatched them off.
It’s a sample within the early church. Acts 14:23 says:
And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting (discover the pairing) they dedicated them to the Lord in whom they’d believed.
Inward Fasting
General, the New Testomony could have little to say about fasting, however what it does say is vital. And what it doesn’t say, I feel it’s leaning closely on the Previous Testomony. The Hebrew Scriptures don’t converse the ultimate phrase on fasting, however they’re very important in making ready us to listen to the ultimate phrase from Christ. I’ve a abstract for you of three teams of passages on fasting within the Previous Testomony. I rely about 25 references to fasting, conditions of fasting, or narratives about fasting. Let me summarize them for you in three teams.
First, there may be inward fasting. There’s an inward focus in fasting to specific repentance. God’s folks quick to specific a coronary heart of repentance earlier than him. They notice their sin, sometimes not small indiscretions or lapses in judgment, however deep and extended insurrection, and so they come searching for his forgiveness. This occurs in 1 Samuel 7:3, which says:
And Samuel mentioned to all the home of Israel, “In case you are returning to the Lord with all of your coronary heart, then put away the overseas gods and the Ashtaroth from amongst you and direct your coronary heart to the Lord and serve him solely, and he’ll ship you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the folks of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and so they served the Lord solely. Then Samuel mentioned, “Collect all Israel at Mizpah, and I’ll pray to the Lord for you.” In order that they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out earlier than the Lord and fasted on that day and mentioned there, “We now have sinned in opposition to the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:3–7).
I’m not going to undergo all these texts, however that is the primary state of affairs: to specific repentance. And you’ll see fasts expressing repentance in 1 Kings 21, Nehemiah 9, Daniel 9, Jonah 3, Joel 1–2. Previous Testomony saints usually expressed an inward coronary heart of repentance to God, not solely in phrases, however with the exclamation level of fasting. It’s type of a declaration of explicit repentance. Such fasting didn’t earn God’s forgiveness however demonstrated the genuineness of their contrition. It’s like they’ve reached for some additional assist to specific the depth of their repentance.
Outward Fasting
Then there may be outward fasting. Then there’s an outward type of fasting, as a way to grieve exhausting providences. You may see this on a number of events. Fasting may give voice to mourning, grieving, or lamenting tough providences. That is the top of 1 Samuel when the primary anointed king, Saul, dies:
And so they took their bones and buried them below the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days (1 Samuel 31:13).
They have been mourning for the loss of life of their king. 2 Samuel 1 is the subsequent chapter right here:
Then David took maintain of his garments and tore them, and so did all the boys who have been with him. And so they mourned and wept and fasted till night for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the folks of the Lord and for the home of Israel, as a result of they’d fallen by the sword (2 Samuel 1:11–12).
“Fasting expresses to God our pointed want for God.”
Onerous providences name for fasting. Esther fasts when the king’s decree goes out. In Psalm 35:13, David talks about carrying sackcloth and afflicting himself with fasting in his grieving. Psalm 69:10 says, “He humbled his soul with fasting.” Fasting gave voice to the ache and sorrow of sudden and extreme outward circumstances and represented a coronary heart of religion towards God within the midst of nice tragedies.
Ahead Fasting
So there may be inward fasting (repentance), outward fasting (exhausting providences), after which the final one right here is fasting ahead, to hunt God’s favor like touring mercies, or one thing like that. But it surely’s with a very acute sense. Fasting can have a type of ahead orientation in searching for God’s steerage or future favor. That is like Acts 13:2, after they’re worshiping the Lord and fasting and the Spirit says to set them aside, and so they pray and quick to ship them out and ship them ahead.
Ezra is an instance of this. He proclaims the quick:
Then I proclaimed a quick there, on the river Ahava, that we’d humble ourselves earlier than our God, to hunt from him a protected journey for ourselves, our kids, and all our items . . . So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty (Ezra 8:21–23).
It’s related for Nehemiah. Fasting usually served as an intensifier alongside ahead prayers for God’s steerage, touring mercies, and particular favors. So let me carry all of it to an in depth right here with the thread that comes collectively in fasting.
A Prayer Amplifier
This isn’t all of the Previous Testomony has to say about fasting. For example, there are correctives to fasting in Isaiah 58 and Jeremiah 14 and Zechariah 7–8. However the three common classes maintain. Fasting expresses inward repentance, grieves outward tragedies, or seeks God’s ahead favor. And a typical thread holds all true fasting collectively. Fasting, like prayer, is at all times Godward. Devoted fasting, regardless of the circumstances of its origin, is rooted in human lack and wish for God. We want his assist, his favor, his steerage. We want his rescue and luxury from bother. We want his forgiveness and beauty as a result of we now have sinned.
We want God. He, not human circumstances or exercise, is the frequent denominator of fasting. Fasting expresses to God our pointed want for God. We now have day by day wants and we now have uncommon wants. We pray for day by day bread, and in instances of particular want, we attain for the prayer amplifier known as fasting.
Christian fasting can also be distinctive. I don’t wish to give the mistaken impression by going again to the Previous Testomony for background that we’re going again to the Previous Testomony for our fasting. Christians have one ultimate and important piece so as to add: the depth and readability and surety we now have in Christ. As we specific to God our particular wants for him, whether or not in repentance or in grief or for his favor, we achieve this with granite below our toes. When our painful sense of lack tempts us to concentrate on what we wouldn’t have, fasting reminds us now of what we do. Already, God has come for us in Christ. Already, Christ has died and risen. Already, we’re his by religion. Already, we now have his Spirit in us, by means of us and for us. Already, our future is safe. Already, we now have a house.
In fasting, we confess we’re not house but and do not forget that we’re not homeless. In fasting, we cry out for our groom and do not forget that we now have his covenant guarantees. In fasting, we confess our lack and do not forget that the one with each useful resource has pledged his assist in his excellent timing. John Piper says:
Christian fasting is exclusive amongst all of the fasting of the world. It’s distinctive in that it expresses greater than eager for Christ or starvation for Christ’s presence. It’s a starvation that’s rooted in — based mostly on — an already current, skilled actuality of Christ in historical past and in our hearts.
In Christ, fasting is not only a Godward expression of our want. It’s not simply an admission that we’re not full; fasting is a press release within the very midst of our want that we’re not empty. In each prayer and fasting, God himself in Christ is our reward.
Questions and Solutions
Are there any questions on prayer or fasting as we wrap up?
I get the sense from what you’re saying right here that fasting is extra withdrawn and alone and purposeful. But usually, I’ve heard from church, if you happen to quick, you’re simply going to stop consuming and go about your small business. I see that as two totally different views, am I proper or mistaken?
Effectively, as you have been asking the query, it made me suppose. What I don’t discuss right here is our fasting collectively. Fasting will be achieved as a fellowship side. We all know Jesus’s phrases about fixing your self up whenever you quick and never making it apparent that you just’re fasting so that you’ve your righteousness exercised earlier than others. However there will be communal quick. That’s very biblical as nicely. A church can name a quick for a specific want, like ending the constructing program, or getting one other pastor or elder, or assembly the monetary hole, or no matter it might be. A church can name a quick collectively. Elders usually do that. We’ve achieved this as pastors along with our church, feeling some explicit wants and saying, “Brothers, we’re going to quick collectively.” A company quick isn’t one thing you retain secret from one another. You’re doing it collectively.
On the query you’ve gotten about whether or not it’s withdrawn otherwise you go about your small business, I possibly have two issues to say to that. On the one hand, I feel what I’m advocating right here is usually that you just go about your regular life. Nonetheless, it’s additionally good to consider what you’re going to do on the time you’re not consuming. We spend numerous time consuming. It occurs 3 times a day for many people and the time provides up. So in wanting your quick to be non secular and never simply going hungry, it’s actually vital.
A variety of instances the fasting that’s talked about these days is trending and it’s a sizzling matter on Google or no matter, like intermittent fasting. That’s about weight administration and it’s about well being. It’s not spiritually-intended fasting. So that you would possibly do some type of Christian intermittent fasting if there’s Christian function in it, if there’s a specific prayer, if there’s desperation to God. But when it’s simply weight administration, like a food regimen or train, then that’s not likely the essence of what we’re speaking about right here with Christian fasting.
Christian fasting has a Christian function. A method you would possibly specific that’s setting apart a while whenever you’re not consuming to have some reflection over God’s phrase, to spend that point in prayer. In fasting, being accompaniment to prayer, it could positive be a disgrace to quick and never pray. And once we’re not consuming, starvation must be a reminder for us to wish, to take the ache within the abdomen and switch that right into a spoken ache Godward. That’s the type of fittingness between prayer and fasting. We’re cultivating or giving area to a bodily ache that corresponds to the type of ache within the soul, the desperation for God’s assist, God’s deliverance, and God himself within the circumstance.
I get how we don’t wish to do that for like bodily enchancment, however what about these those that possibly have a job that could be very bodily exerting and it’s very tough to go with out meals? Or what about the one that has anemia or different well being points that basically needs to quick in mild of the entire belongings you talked about however isn’t capable of? Are there instances the place it’s a must to actually take a look at bodily circumstances? Do you’ve gotten something to say to that?
That’s an amazing query. I ought to have accounted for that in my slides. There’s an amazing quote by Martin Lloyd Jones the place he talks about how the impulse for fasting will be utilized to many different good issues. There could also be explicit well being circumstances. I’m not a health care provider, I don’t know them. There could also be explicit well being circumstances that you just want to pay attention to and you’ll’t go with out meals for no matter purpose. God is aware of that. He’s conscious of that and you’ll go with out different good issues. So some folks discuss fasting from social media or fasting from tv or fasting from another good present, some leisure or some blessing you usually would have and it’s going to be a part of your life, however you’re going with out it for non secular function in searching for God’s explicit assist, or in desperation, and even in placing some good sample into your life.
Perhaps somebody says, “I don’t wish to be leaning so closely on my telephone on a regular basis, so I’m going to put aside time for a telephone quick.” So there are different manifestations of the precept of fasting from one thing good for the sake of one thing higher, to show the shortage of factor right into a Godward ache. So it could not should be going with out meals. However the purpose in Christianity that fasting goes with out meals and that the precept doesn’t begin as selecting your good factor and going with out your good factor is that meals is such a fundamental a part of this life. It’s such an apparent good factor. “Give us this present day our day by day bread” (Matthew 6:11). It’s such a daily a part of our lives and we really feel that ache within the abdomen once we go with out meals for some time. So there could also be medical circumstances the place you merely can’t.
Additionally, it could be value asking ourselves if the abundance of meals that we now have has made it in order that we now have conditioned our system in a option to at all times get meals. There’s potential resilience that people could have — that I feel people do have in regular circumstances — if we educated ourselves to go a little bit bit longer with out meals. So there might be some who really feel like, “Oh man, three hours into my quick, I can’t do it any longer.” I might say, “Effectively, that’s nice you probably did three hours. What if you happen to tried 4 hours subsequent time and 5 hours the subsequent time? What if you happen to tried to construct up resilience?” A few of us could have to construct up metabolic resilience or one thing like that.
However in Scripture it solely talks about fasting from meals?
Right, as far as I’m conscious.
Are you able to draw out the distinction between the Pharisee praying on the nook and public prayer in our gallery, as a result of each are public. What’s the distinction between these?
The potential hazard is that it might be related. Our hope is that it’s not. I feel the image there of the Pharisee praying on the nook is that Jesus saying they’re praying to be seen by others. That’s the motivation. That’s what’s resulting in it. That’s the center and that’s bringing concerning the prayer on the nook in public. It is a good reminder for all of us who not solely pray in gatherings of the church and pray from the entrance right here, however in our prayer instances as a household, if it’s with a partner, if it’s in a group group or a category, that we examine our hearts on that.
Are we simply praying to be heard by others? Even when it’s a very small circle and it’s not on a public avenue the place there are dozens or a whole bunch, I actually wish to impress these few folks proper right here. That’s factor to examine in our hearts. I do know our motivations are not often digital, that it’s both this or not that, however Jesus’s educating and his reminder is sweet for us there. It’s a very thorny challenge to do public prayer within the sense that our hearts would possibly drift into eager to impress folks. So examine that, pray in opposition to that, after which concentrate on God. Pray within the context of different folks for his or her good and blessing and belief that the blood of the Lamb covers numerous our indiscretions and errors and tainted hearts.
