ARTICLE SEARCH 

“Prayer is both conversation and encounter with God . . . We must know the awe of praising His glory, the intimacy of finding His grace and the struggle of asking His help, all of which can lead us to know the spiritual reality of His presence.” –Tim Keller When I was getting to know my husband, and throughout our marriage, I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. I loved having conversations with him about so many different things! Sometimes when we were together, it was enough just to sit, walk or drive somewhere without saying a word. Amazingly, this is exactly how God feels about us and wants us to feel even more so about Him. Prayer is the key to awakening and strengthening such a deep relationship and desire for the Father. Here are some simple ways to practice intimacy in prayer as both a conversation and an encounter with God: Scripture  – as you read your Bible, ask God to show Himself to you. Spend some time writing down what God teaches you about Himself as you read/study His word. Know that the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) wants to have a relationship with you also! Make God’s word your personal “tent of meeting” (Exodus 33:7) with Him! Creation  – spend time looking around you and paying attention to all that God has created. Pay attention to small things like flowers and birds as well as extraordinary things like mountains, oceans, stars, rainbows and babies! Creation gives us confidence that God is who He says He is. Give Him thanks and praise His glory! Worship  – when you truly worship God, sometimes you can forget why you came to Him. You are able to lay down your list of needs and wants and just enjoy being in His presence. Simple times of sharing with Him how wonderful and amazing He is will allow your heart to grow closer to His. Find worship music that honors and glorifies the Father and join in! Listening  – most of us want to talk to or at God. Take time to say, as young Samuel did, “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9)! Write down anything you think you hear. Maybe it will be as simple as “I love you.” Other times it may be something He wants you to do, or something He wants to share with you about Himself. If you aren’t sure if He is speaking to your heart, show a trusted, mature believer what you have written to get confirmation. If it agrees with Scripture and if it is something that is like the character of Jesus, likely you have heard something from the Father. Silence  – there are times when just simply sitting quietly in His presence with no expectations other than just enjoying being with Him can be the most intimate way of developing your relationship with God. No agenda, no wants or needs expressed . . . just being alone with no distractions. Sometimes you can use some quiet worship music. But getting used to sitting with God in silence just as you would with another person you love dearly is a great practice. It’s okay to just be. Asking  – there are times when we have needs–our own, or those of others–that we want to express to God. It’s like saying, “Please, Daddy, I need your help.” In these times, there is no need for flowery language. Just talk to Him as a child sitting in a Father’s lap. God is continually present in each moment of your life. He has come to live within you always (John 14:23)! Cultivate nearness and affection for Him in prayer. When you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is”  (Colossians 2:1-5). This text discusses a step beyond where most of us have ever been in prayer. The idea of “struggling” (wrestling, travailing) in prayer is foreign to many. Yet, Paul is expressing a deep, heartfelt prayer for people whom he has never met. The older term for struggling in prayer is “prevailing” in prayer. Wesley Duewel states that “Prevailing prayer is prayer that pushes right through all difficulties and obstacles, drives back all the opposing forces of Satan, and secures the will of God. Its purpose is to accomplish God’s will on earth. Prevailing prayer is prayer that not only takes the initiative but continues on the offensive for God until spiritual victory is won.” HOW TO PREVAIL IN PRAYER You must be willing to take time.  In this busy day and age, it is difficult to find the kind of time necessary to “Pray through to victory”. You must pray in the Spirit.  Charles Spurgeon has said, “Prayer is an art which only the Holy Ghost can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer.” Therefore, our prayer must not be for selfish gain, but a channel for God’s power to be released upon this earth. You must pray with urgent persistence.  This is the kind of prayer which never gives up! Paul’s purpose in the prayer he struggled with was in order for the Colossians to be encouraged in heart and united in love. The opposites of these things, discouragement and disunity, can easily rob Christians of joy and strength. Discouragement comes when success is difficult to see, obstacles, large and small, get in the way, etc. Closely allied to this is disunity. In the church, it is characterized by grumbling and complaining, with people going in different directions. Discouragement and disunity are a distraction from what is really important–Jesus Christ. These things can keep us from fulfilling the task which Christ has placed before us by distracting us from our primary purpose–winning others to Him. Paul was attempting to share with the Colossians that if they could experience encouragement and unity among themselves, they would be able to focus on Christ with “the full riches of complete understanding”. A church that is focused on anything or anyone else other than Jesus Christ and Him glorified, is going to get into trouble–both doctrinally and in practical ways. Paul commended the Colossians for their ordered and firm faith. His prayers were working. They were, thankfully, NOT discouraged or disunited. Would you think about how you could “struggle” in prayer for someone, or maybe for an entire people group or country, that they would come to know Christ as Savior and Lord? Commit to “praying for one another” utilizing the following two prayer requests: For encouragement of the heart. For unity in love. When enough Christians take the time to “struggle” in prayer, then Christ will be known in our midst and glorified by our lives.

For those of you who have never heard this term, a prayer missionary is someone who takes on (or adopts) a country, a geographical area, or a specific unreached people group and starts praying on a daily and systematic basis. A prayer missionary does not physically go to the mission field (except if he or she goes on a prayer journey or a short term missions trip), but performs the work of prayer from his or her home or place of work. In this way the prayer missionary can prepare the harvest field so that the seed sown by missionaries will fall on good soil. A prayer missionary is part of God’s fighting team in the struggle against the kingdom of the darkness. He is a co-worker with missionaries, because without those who pray, missionaries cannot be effective. According to Bennie Mostert, “The advantage of being a prayer missionary is that one manages to get into places and countries where the preaching of the gospel is prohibited. No-one can prevent the prayers of the prayer missionary from having an effect across the borders of countries or over large distances.” Mostert, in his book, Change Your World through Prayer, gives several guidelines to anyone who wishes to become a prayer missionary: A prayer missionary may be any believer who sees his way open to do the work of prayer as commissioned by the Lord. Just as a missionary commits to one term or a lifetime of service, you will need to make a commitment to pray – one year, three years or as long as it takes for your nation or people group to be reached for Christ. Ask God to show you which country he would like you to do your mission work in. Having a copy of Operation World by Jason Mandryk would be a good resource. Pray for different countries each day until you gradually develop affection for one or more nation and/or its people. Perhaps God will lay it upon your heart to pray for Muslims, or for one particular people group within a country, etc. Begin to do research on your country or people group, watching the paper, news, magazines, etc. Find out the leaders of the nation and what religion(s) are practiced there. Begin keeping a file of information that will help you pray in an informed, specific way. Pray for the leaders of that nation – for their conversion and that they will govern wisely and with mercy. Pray for missionaries, pastors and church leaders in that nation, and for the firm establishment and growth of Christ’s Church in their midst. Pray for the unsaved, as well as for the believers and new converts. Pray for revival in the church in that nation. Pray for unity in the body of Christ Pray for open doors so that the Word may be spread rapidly and thoroughly. Remember to thank God continually as He works!

Living in difficult and challenging days requires leaning into God with all we have! It is so easy to fall into despair, or to be filled with anxiety. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be a target for the Enemy when we let our guard down.  As a friend of mine, Bill Elliff, recently quoted, “Don’t let the Devil rent space in your head.” This is great advice! The Devil would definitely like to take up residence to destroy our minds and our trust in the One whose…”divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). During the Collegiate Day of Prayer, held on the campus of Asbury University in February of 2023, a young college student gave a powerful testimony. She talked about how anxiety and depression “characterize” her generation and that she had suffered for many years with such feelings. However, after several days of experiencing the nearness and presence of God in the Asbury Outpouring, she said, “I wish I could say that my anxiety and depression was gone, but it isn’t. The difference is that because of Jesus, it  no longer has the victory over me! ” Here is a short prayer guide to help you fight back when the enemy of our souls is tempting you to sink into anxiety, despair, depression or defeat: Praise God as your Helper:  “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Pray:  Father, You have given me the Holy Spirit to help me, to guide me, to reveal truth to me, and to remain in me always. Help me to seek out the Spirit’s help whenever the world lies to me and tells me I am not enough, or that my situation is impossible to conquer. May I trust His guidance through the pitfalls and darkness of a culture that seeks to destroy me, so that instead, I can focus on the promises of the word of God which teaches me the culture of heaven. Thank Him for being your Immanuel   (the God who is always with you): “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them; for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Pray:  Immanuel, thank You for always being with me in all things and wherever I find myself. I believe Your word that tells me to be strong and courageous in the face of people and circumstances that make me feel less than all You have created me to be. I trust You to remain at my side always, guiding me and protecting me from lies, doubt, discouragement, anxiety, dark thoughts, or anything else that would try to keep me from the light of Your perfect presence. Pour out your heart in confession for the times when you have doubted that God’s love and power has surrounded you completely, guarding your life: “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me” (Ps. 139:5). Pray:  Lord Jesus, forgive me for doubting that You are able to do far more abundantly beyond all that I could ever ask or think according to the power that works within me. Forgive me for forgetting that the One who lives within me is greater than the world. I’m sorry that I fall short of living into the power and purpose of the life of Christ in me, the hope of glory! Help me to quickly remember how to fight back when I am tempted to allow struggle, anxiety, hurt, pain or any other emotion to overwhelm me! You alone have the victory in my life! Commit the times of your life into God’s hands : “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me” (Ps. 31: 14-15). Pray:  O Lord, I trust in You because You are my God! All of my times are in Your hand, every second of every hour of every day! Please deliver me from dark and evil situations, from people who are not following in Your ways and want me to join them, and from those who would harm me physically, spiritually or emotionally. O Lord, I trust in You, for You are my God! Ask the Father to show you how close He is to you as you call on Him and trust in Him: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). Pray:  Father, I know in my head and through Scripture that You are near when I call to You in truth! Help that knowledge to go from my head to my heart! May I always sense the peace of Your presence in my life so that sin, evil, darkness, anxiety, depression and so many other problems can’t overwhelm me or defeat me! Show me how to trust You enough to experience Your victory in all things and through any situation that I face! As you use these Scriptures and prayers to jumpstart the prayers of your own heart, let this blessing take root in your life as God answers: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

What are you looking for in life? Be careful what you look for. The Bible tells us that those who seek will find. But you might be seeking wrong things. If you are looking to be rich, you may well end up rich, but also tremendously unhappy and burdened down by the things of this world. You may be looking for fame, for recognition of your accomplishments. In the process of finding that recognition on earth, you may well lose the praise of heaven. Many have just quit seeking. Living lives of “quiet desperation,” they simply hope to avoid disaster or pain. Sometimes even Christians can find themselves in the rut of everyday life, with the only thing they are looking for being heaven some day. The pressures of life have stifled desire of any significance, and life is just something to be endured. Did you know that God never intended for us to live this way? God is actually looking for the discontented  in order to revive their hearts once again! He is looking for seekers, those whose desires are always going beyond the confines of daily life. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 the Word says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” The same concept is expressed in Psalm 14:2, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” I don’t know about you, but I want to be found by the God who is looking for seekers. What does it mean to be a seeker after God? Does it have any real meaning for us? After all, if we are Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The Lord has promised to be with us always, even until the end of the age. So, is it necessary for a Christian to be a seeker after God? I believe that King David gives us a wonderful understanding of what it means for a man, woman or young person of God, experiencing the presence of God, to still be a seeker after God. In Psalm 27:4 we read this passionate prayer of a man after God’s own heart: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” If we try to analyze this verse in spatial, literal terms, we find ourselves confused. If David were in God’s temple, gazing upon His face, why would he still be seeking Him? That’s because seeking God is much more than having one experience and calling it “finding God.” It is much more than believing a certain set of doctrines. It is even much more than having a good prayer life. God is too big to be confined to any one person’s experience or belief system. Seeking God is an attitude, a way of life, a journey that is never complete in this life. The vastness of God makes the task of seeking Him the journey of a lifetime. Let me give a totally inadequate illustration, but one that may be helpful nonetheless. I always enjoy visiting the Smithsonian Institute when I go to Washington D.C. As you might know, the Smithsonian is made up of dozens of buildings, each housing a particular aspect of man’s knowledge or achievement. So you could go to the Air and Space Museum or the American History Museum or the Portrait Gallery and still say of each, “I went to the Smithsonian.” What would be totally inaccurate would be to go to one of those museums and return home saying: “I have experienced the Smithsonian in its entirety.” God, of course, dwarfs the Smithsonian, but we sometimes feel like or say, “I know God. I have experienced God. Others need to seek Him, but I have found Him.” That’s like going to one building of the Smithsonian and thinking you have experienced all that the Smithsonian is. David didn’t fall into that trap. His desire was to spend all of his days in the presence of God, gazing upon His beauty. Yet he also realized with humility, that he would still need to have that seeking heart for the rest of his life. I believe that to live this life, we must start with prayer. Ask God to give you a seeking heart. Repent of any spiritual lukewarmness or self-satisfaction. All that we have comes from God, even a heart that seeks God. But we must ask Him. We do not just become seekers because we are naturally good and spiritual. We are not! We must ask and receive that gift from God. Seeking also requires effort. We need a refreshing - to be revived by the Father! When we have asked and received from the Lord a seeking heart, there will be required of us an earnestness and effort that emerges from the longing for intimacy with God, that God Himself has placed within our hearts. The path to God is always Jesus. He is the way! There is no other path to God. Seeking God successfully only happens along the pathway that is Jesus. It is in intimacy with the Lord and walking daily in His ways that we find ourselves with a seeking heart that pleases God and draws His eyes and favor upon us. Here is the good news! Jesus said that all who seek will find. God is not hiding. He longs to be found and known. But His very character and vastness demand a life of seeking. No matter how long we have known Him and walked with Him on this planet, we will still find ourselves learning and experiencing new aspects of who He is. “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage” (Psalms 84:5). Dave Butts was the chairman of  America’s National Prayer Committee  and the co-founder and president of  Harvest Prayer Ministries  until his death in 2022.

When we think of a priest, we usually think of one who is in a special relationship to God, able to approach Him on behalf of others. It’s not a wrong concept–especially if we stay away from the idea that the priesthood is only for a select few with special training. According to Scripture, every believer in Christ has been made a priest through Jesus: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). If we are to walk in all the privileges and responsibilities of a priest in the kingdom of God, we must understand what it means to be a priest. It is especially important to understand this when we see that Jesus Himself is a part of that priesthood, and in fact, is our great High Priest. The book of Hebrews really focuses on the priesthood of Jesus and, consequently, helps us to see our place in God’s house as priests. As a priest, Jesus has a ministry of prayer that we would do well to emulate. “Because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25). “Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). The current ministry of Jesus is prayer. It is what He is doing now. As a priest, His role is that of intercessor. The good news for us is that He is praying for us. It is important to understand that as priests of God, all Christians are now called to priestly intercession. The Apostle Paul calls us to intercessory prayer in 1 Timothy 2:1. Also, in Ephesians 6:18, he tells us to “keep on praying for all the saints.” We are to join Jesus in His current ministry of intercession as we assume our roles as priests of God. The writer of Hebrews gives us great encouragement in our intercessions in the following passage: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22). This passage shows us that a priest has the right place from which to pray. It is in the Most Holy Place. In the Tabernacle and the Temple, the Most Holy Place was the most sacred spot on our planet. It was where the High Priest of the Jews entered once a year to pray and offer atonement for the people. It was the place of the Presence of God. Can you imagine living as a Jew in the Old Testament period and each year watching the High Priest enter the Temple, knowing he would go into the Most Holy Place to meet with God, and that you would never be allowed such a privilege? Only the High Priest . . . and even for him, it was a once a year privilege. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, we have become priests with the amazing privilege of entering into the Most Holy Place as often as we would like. As we pray, we come into the Presence of the Lord and make our requests. Most Christians are unaware of the awesome responsibility as well as amazing honor given to us through this free access into the Lord’s Presence. We can also see in Hebrews 10 that a priest has the right attitude in prayer. We are to have confidence and assurance as we pray. This is not because we are something special, but because our Lord Jesus is someone special. It is through Him that we enter into God’s Presence. We are invited in to make our requests and intercessions known. Hebrews tells us to draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. James tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. How that truth ought to cause our faith and confidence to grow as we pray! We can have the confidence that the Lord is listening and preparing to answer every prayer prayed according to His will. The Apostle John instructs us: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). A priest also has the right model to follow. Jesus, our High Priest and Intercessor is our model. We are commanded to follow in His steps. The disciples were so impressed by the power of His praying that they asked Him to teach them to pray. His response was not to preach a sermon on prayer, but to give them a model prayer. In a sense, Jesus said, “Here’s an outline. Make sure you include these items in your prayer. Make sure you pray about Kingdom issues.” We pray best as we follow the teaching of Jesus on prayer. Priests of God! The Lord Himself is calling you to make a difference in this world by standing before Him as an intercessor for others, releasing His power into their lives. One of the best examples of priestly intercession in Scripture is found in the book of Numbers. The people of Israel were grumbling against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. God sent a plague that began to kill the people. Remembering that incense represents the prayers of the saints, allow this passage to stir your heart: “Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.’ So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped” (Numbers 16:46-48). As priests of God, we are to stand between the living and the dead. We make the difference by bringing the needs of people into the Presence of a holy God through intercession. It is time for the Church to take seriously the call of God to be priests that pray.

We all know that in good times, it seems easier to pray. Our prayers flow from a place of gratitude and peace, thankfulness and joy. Yet, in difficult or painful times, it may seem much harder to press into the Lord in prayer. We know in our heads that God is the place we should go whether our circumstances are good or bad; however, sometimes we can feel paralyzed with fear, doubt, anger, disbelief, sadness, uncertainty, and a wide range of other emotions depending upon the situation. Sometimes, it is only out of the absolute desperation of our heart that we overcome the paralysis and run to the Father…even if that running involves no words at all. There are times when it is all we can do to come into His presence and just sit in our pain, loneliness, fear, or whatever emotion is overtaking us. But one amazing truth about God is that our hearts can cry out in the silence…and God still hears. This is a key principle of prayer that we must always remember: God is always there! He is present with us continually. Be assured, His word says that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He will not leave us in this difficult place unless  we  insist on staying there. If we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He longs to comfort us and sit with us in the midst of our trial. His will, plan and purposes are unfolding in His perfect timing even when it doesn’t seem this way to us. Here are some specific ways to pray during difficult times, or when trials comes your way: Pray that God will be honored and glorified, whatever your circumstance, even if you have to suffer or go through a difficult time:  “…and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15). “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7). Love and pray for people who cause harm or suffering to you, or to others:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’” (Matthew 5:43-44). Pray for God to show you what He needs you to learn in the midst of difficult times:  “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:9). Give thanks to God in the midst of whatever you are walking through:  “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  Important note:  He does not say to give thanks  for  your circumstances, but to give thanks  in the midst  of them! Pray that God will help you to be faithful instead of fearful when trials come:  “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Pray that God will help you to be a light in the darkness to those who don’t yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:  “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). When people see the way you walk through difficulty, they will want to know where you draw your strength from! Give thanks to God because He has overcome the trials and troubles of the world:  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

By Dave Butts For many years now, the Lord has put the issue of revival praying upon my heart. Initially, I must admit, my prayers were fairly generic: “O Lord, please revive us.” As I have grown in my approach to prayer, I’ve learned more specific requests, especially in using the Word of God to help format and provide content for my prayers. Psalm 80 and Isaiah 63 and 64 have helped me to petition the Lord for revival with both variety and the power of Scripture behind my requests. Recently I have been praying through the Psalms again. I began to lift before the Lord the words of Psalm 74. To my delight, I found another “revival” prayer. My desire is that this Psalm will provide fuel for the fire of intercession and petition in your life as you beseech God to once again bless us with His Presence in revival. As you pray through Psalm 74, please notice that before major sections I share some comments to help you see the aspects of revival in each passage. I encourage you to move beyond Bible study, however, to passionately praying the heart of the Psalmist. The Awareness of the Need for Revival At the beginning of Psalm 74 we find the agonizing realization that God’s presence is not near. In fact, because of sin, there has been a sense of rejection. As is typical in revival praying, there is a cry for God to remember His people and return to them: “Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture? Remember the people You purchased of old, the tribe of Your inheritance, whom You redeemed – Mount Zion, where You dwelt. Turn Your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary” (Psa. 74:1-3). The Result of God’s Apparent Absence When sin is accepted in the life of the people of God, the consequences begin to be felt. The enemies of God and His people begin to afflict the nation. Notice that the Psalmist uses the phrase, “Your foes roared.” This reminds us that our ultimate enemy is Satan, the one whom Peter tells us roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour (1 Pet. 5:8). “Your foes roared in the place where You met with us; they set up their standards as signs. They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. They burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of Your Name. They said in their hearts, ‘We will crush them completely!’ They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be” (Psa. 74:4-9). Turning to an Awareness of the God to Whom We Are Praying An important lesson to learn in prayer is that ultimately we need to be concerned about God and His reputation and the extension of His kingdom and purposes. Revival really isn’t about us having better meetings or being happy. It is about God’s Name being exalted and more praise and honor given to Him on this planet. Notice that the Psalmist asked God to go to work, because He is the one being reviled and mocked through the attacks on His people. Note also that this portion of the Psalm then moves into a wonderful expression of recognizing God’s power and ability to handle any attack. It is as we understand the awesome power of the One we are addressing in prayer, that our faith will grow and we will begin to pray in a way that moves the hand of God. “How long will the enemy mock You, O God? Will the foe revile Your name forever? Why do You hold back Your hand, Your right hand? Take it from the folds of Your garment and destroy them! “But You, O God, are my king from of old; You bring salvation upon the earth. It was You who split open the sea by Your power; You broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was You who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. It was You who opened up springs and streams; You dried up the ever flowing rivers. The day is Yours, and Yours also the night; You established the sun and moon. It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter” (Psa. 74:10-17). The Request for Revival  Once again, this prayer is focused upon the honor of God and the integrity of His covenant with His people. The concern is for the Lord and how He is perceived by the nations. The cry for God to rise up and defend His cause will mean that Israel will once again walk in right relationship to their God. When He prospers them, they cry that God will be honored, not only by Israel, but by those nations in the area who see how He protects and prospers His people when they obey Him. “Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled Your name. Do not hand over the life of Your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted people forever. Have regard for Your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise Your name. Rise up, O God, and defend Your cause; remember how fools mock You all day long. Do not ignore the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies, which rises continually” (Psa. 74:18-23). Our Prayer Here is a prayer to pray that embraces the principles of revival in Psalm 74 and makes them our own: Father, like ancient Israel, we too live in a day in which Your Name is mocked. Many times this happens because of the shortcomings and sins of those of us who are followers of Your holy Son, Jesus. Lord, we confess our sins and the way we have lived our lives as Christians apart from complete dependence upon You. We repent of this shameful self-sufficiency and throw ourselves upon Your mercy. Gracious God, our lifestyle has often led unbelievers to insult and attack Your very nature and character. We ask You, Lord, to rise up and defend Yourself. Would You awaken Your people to the reality of Your presence in our midst and in so doing transform our lives into the character of Christ that You desire to see in us? May Your life lived out in Your Church begin to demonstrate to the world Your love, grace, mercy and overwhelming power on behalf of Your saints. Would You allow the kingdom principles that govern heaven to begin to be made manifest on earth? We ask You to revive Your people so that we may rejoice in You and demonstrate in our lives the awesome, transforming power of Jesus Christ in His Church. Amen.

Perhaps no spiritual discipline today is as much misunderstood as fasting. Why to fast, how to fast, when to fast, how long to fast, what type of fast, SHOULD I fast…etc. In simplest terms, fasting means to abstain from food for a period of time for a spiritual purpose or goal. As a Christian, obviously the first question we need to ask is, “What does Jesus say about this?” It is obvious in Scripture that Jesus fasted, but because He did, does that mean that we ought to as well? In Matthew 6, Jesus discusses three specific spiritual activities and gives instructions as to how the disciples should perform these activities in a way that is pleasing to God. His language indicates that He assumes the disciples would already be doing these three things: “When you give…when you pray…when you fast…” This is an interesting combination. There is not a believer who would argue that God does not expect us to pray or to give, but when we talk about fasting, all sorts of arguments begin to be put forth as to why fasting isn’t for today. For many in this busy, self-centered world, fasting is just not an option, or even a consideration, even though we see numerous references to fasting throughout the Scriptures: (Joel 1:14-15, Nehemiah 1:4, Daniel 9:3, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:3 to name only a few). Because Jesus modeled the practice of fasting (Matthew 4:1-2), and took the time to instruct His disciples in the discipline, it should be a pretty strong indication that He still desires us to fast today. Although not everyone is called to the same levels of fasting, we believe Scripture indicates that all Christians who seek to grow and mature should remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this area.  (Note: Fasting is never intended to be done out of guilt, or in cases where it is medically unsafe. If you are unable to fast from food because of medical reasons, please consider fasting from something that would be a sacrifice for you – TV watching, for example. Set aside that time to seek the Lord instead). Ronnie Floyd, in his excellent book,”The Power of Prayer and Fasting”, has, perhaps one of the most concise and understandable exhortations to fast: “God’s gateway to supernatural power can become ours when we come to our heavenly Father with contrite hearts and obedient spirits in fasting and prayer.” He goes on to say, “One purpose of prayer and fasting is to bring our hearts to a place of being filled with a sacrificial love that results in godly attitudes in our lives. True fasting will draw us closer to God and His purposes.” We see three main purposes in Scripture for fasting. • It allows us to come before God in humility and repentance.• It helps us to focus on God, and to become sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.• It empowers us through God for service. God’s Word tells us that God “opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). How can we walk in humility before our God? By recognizing that humility puts us in a position to be able to receive from Him. As individuals, families, churches, communities and nations, we are in desperate need of a fresh touch from God…of hearing His voice instead of the clamor around us! We live in a society of “I’ll do it myself” mentality. However, there always comes a time when “self” just can’t do it anymore. Eventually, we realize that we are not God, but we do NEED Him. That was the situation in Judah during Jehoshaphat’s day. An army from several nations was on the march against them. Outnumbered and in despair, they turned to God and fasted and prayed. Their fasting put them in a place of humility where they could pray the right prayer. Jehoshaphat’s prayer, after they had fasted, was not a prayer asking God to bless their efforts or to do what they wanted Him to do. Instead, it was an astonishing prayer of humility in which he said, “O Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:2-12). Fasting brings us to a proper place of humility before God where we are able to pray such a prayer of faith and dependence. Fasting also helps us to focus ourselves upon God and the leading of His Holy Spirit. Doing without food for a period of prayer helps us to put away distractions and to turn to Jesus. We are living in a day in which Jesus is calling His Church back into an intimate relationship with Himself – a time when we come directly to Him and get to know Him deeply. Christian author, Steve Hawthorne, recently described a seven day fast he experienced as he was seeking direction for his ministry. At the end of the fast, a friend asked him if he had received the guidance he was seeking. Steve replied, “Probably not…but I do know the Guide better now.” Where is your focus? Fasting is also a way for us to be empowered by God for service. There seems to be a release of spiritual power when fasting and prayer are combined. The great men and women of God down through the ages have come to God in prayer and fasting to receive power for greater ministry. Jesus Himself launched His ministry after a forty day fast. Esther went to the king for mercy and salvation for Israel. It was her day of greatness and ministry to God’s people, but it happened after a three day fast undertaken by herself and many others. Our ability to be empowered by God for service, relates back to the first two points. When we humble ourselves and draw near to the Lord through fasting and prayer, then we are ready to receive power to be used in God’s service in an even greater way than ever before. Having learned humility and intimacy, we can be entrusted with greater power because we realize that it is not our doing, but God working in and through us. God desires to raise up a people who will surrender their lives to be used by Him in these critical days. Without God’s people being set ablaze in prayer and fasting, the revival He longs to send cannot happen. Evil will continue to pervade the earth, and Christians will continue to watch weakly, wishing there was something they could do. We believe that fasting is part of God’s plan for His children. Ronnie Floyd says, “Unless we surrender completely to God’s plan, we are destined to drift in a sea of disappointment, disillusionment, and depression. We are in constant need of supernatural power.” Elmer Towns has said, “If every Christian fasted, the results could shake our society like a windstorm bending a sapling. Christians would demonstrate that they live differently, that their faith is imperative, that the Almighty works in their daily lives.” Reading about fasting is not enough. Seek God to know what He is saying to you personally about this vital spiritual discipline. How will you respond?

One of the problems most of us have with praying is that we instinctively know prayer isn’t about getting what we want from God. It’s about God’s will being accomplished. Yet, there are things we want God to do that are very important to us. How do we reconcile these things? The Bible demonstrates for us a fascinating way to pray that brings together our needs and the purposes of God. I call it “so that” praying. In many places throughout Scripture you will find someone making a request of the Lord for something that is very important to him or her. Then that person closes out his or her prayer by including a “so that” addition. Almost without exception, the “so that” portion takes the prayer and focuses it on God and His purposes. It often has to do with bringing additional honor and glory to God and expanding His kingdom. Though there are many examples, one of my favorite ones is found in Hezekiah’s great prayer in Isaiah 37. Surrounded by the Assyrian army, Hezekiah asks the Lord to deliver them. It is in verse 20 that we find the “so that” portion. “Now, Lord, our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God” (Isaiah 37:20). That powerful addition turns this prayer from being merely about Hezekiah and his people, to being about God’s honor and glory. It makes it a God-focused prayer! We can use this clearly biblical prayer style in many of our prayers. One of the most common prayer requests I receive has to do with physical healing. I always am delighted to pray for those who are sick and in need of the healing touch of the Lord. But it takes it to a whole new level when I include a “so that” prayer. It might go like this: “Lord, I ask that You bring healing to my friend, Bill. But I ask You to do this, Lord, so that You will receive honor and glory. Would you touch Bill’s family and the doctors and nurses and help them to see how you have stepped in and done a powerful thing in Bill’s life? Lord, draw people near to You as You answer this prayer for healing.” Whether you are praying for healing, or salvation, or for a family situation, or for our nation, you can turn the attention off of human needs and make it a God-focused prayer. This is not a “trick” to get things from God, but a heart-felt desire to see God move in such a way that His Kingdom is advanced. This is a biblical way to take human needs and submit them to the Lord in prayer with a desire to see God honored and worshiped. We must always remember that God is not compelled to answer prayer in the way we want or expect. Sometimes we just need to trust that He is at work even in answers we don’t especially want or like. We can have faith that He is working in every situation or life to bring about His purposes - which sometimes we don’t understand in the moment. Ultimately, all prayer should be about “His Kingdom come, His will be done” and the “so that” prayers of scripture can guide us in this way of intercession. Action Step: Choose one situation from your prayer list and apply a kingdom-focused “so that” prayer to it. Pray this way for a week and see what God does. Extra Help: A great resource to help you better understand how to pray “so that” prayers is the short devotional book, Praying Like Paul, by Jonathan Graf. The Apostle Paul used “so that” praying in many of his prayers in Scripture.