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New Testament Christians were praying Christians. The church was born at a prayer meeting on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples continued to pray as they went on their way proclaiming the good news of Jesus around the world. That really shouldn’t surprise us. The leaders of the church, the apostles, had gone to Jesus earlier and asked Him to teach them to pray. He did. Then He instructed them to teach others what He had taught them. From Jesus, to the apostles, to the first-century Christians, and down through the years to us, believers have taught and practiced prayer. As we focus on prayer in the book of Acts, we find that it was a core value of the early church. I doubt they used the term “core value” as we often do today, but the Scriptures indicate that prayer had a place in the key priorities of the church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). There we find the core values or priorities of the church: 1. Apostles’ doctrine 2. Fellowship 3. Breaking of bread 4. Prayer. Is prayer one of the core values of your church? Certainly we all give lip service to its value, but does prayer really find its way into the nuts and bolts of how you “do church”? In all too many congregations, prayer has become only a way of opening and closing meetings and a means of expressing concern for the sick and hurting. In the book of Acts, believers didn’t simply say that they were devoted to prayer; they demonstrated it by their actions. Corporate prayer was a major emphasis in the early church. The disciples understood the importance and power of praying together. From the day of Pentecost on, they met regularly for the purpose of prayer: Acts 1:14 – “They all joined together constantly in prayer.” Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves…to prayer.” Acts 3:1 – “…going up to the temple at the time of prayer…” Acts 4:24 – “…they raised their voices together in prayer…” Acts 12:12 – “…where many people had gathered and were praying.” Acts 13:3 – “…after they had fasted and prayed…” Acts 20:36 – “…he knelt down with all of them and prayed.” If New Testament Christians saw the importance of praying together, shouldn’t we do likewise? Most would agree that it’s a good thing for Christians to pray together, but we must move beyond mere intellectual assent and take specific action steps. We must provide good teaching from our pulpits and classrooms concerning the importance and value of corporate prayer. A wide variety of prayer opportunities need to be offered for the church, focusing on many needs and topics. We need to be less anxious about the numbers who attend these prayer meetings. A small gathering of three or four people praying can make a real difference. As we contrast New Testament praying with contemporary praying, it’s clear that prayer in the book of Acts was not for outward show. We don’t see New Testament Christian leaders coming together to make decisions and opening their discussion with a “word of prayer.” Instead, we see Christian leaders coming together who understood that their primary purpose in assembling was prayer. Sometimes out of that prayer time there emerged decisions that would refocus or otherwise impact the entire body of Christ. You see that clearly in the upper room as the disciples met to pray before Pentecost. Though their purpose was prayer, they stopped the prayer meeting long enough to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot. What a difference from many church “elections” today! Those early Christians would agree with Joy Dawson, who wrote, “Have we become so impressed by the world’s systems of strategizing that we fail to avail ourselves of the simple method of waiting on God, listening to His voice, praying out His thoughts, and obeying what the Master Strategist says?” We see a similar result of prayer in the church at Antioch where the leaders of the congregation met to fast, pray and worship. In the midst of their prayers, God initiated an outreach that would take the gospel where it had never been preached before (Acts 13:1-3). That prayer meeting in Antioch released the missionary team of Paul and Barnabas into the world. What impact could our prayer meetings have on reaching the lost? Let’s take a brief look at another prayer meeting in the book of Acts. Acts 4:24-31 gives us a thorough presentation of the events leading up to the prayer meeting, a transcription of what the disciples prayed, and then a description of the awesome results of their prayer. Peter and John had been arrested for preaching, held in jail, and then ordered by the Sanhedrin never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Upon their release, they returned to the believers and reported the threats made against them. The assembled believers responded by turning the matter over to their Lord in prayer. They began praying by acknowledging the power of God who created all things. They continued by affirming the truth of Scripture, especially as they saw it being fulfilled in their lives. They quoted the first two verses of Psalm 2 back to God in prayer, and applied those verses to the situation that Jesus faced when spiritual and governmental leaders opposed his ministry. “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” They also recognized the threats they currently faced as part of that same opposition. Until this point in the prayer, the disciples had asked for nothing. But in Acts 4:29 they asked for boldness from God to continue preaching the good news of Jesus in spite of the authorities’ threats. “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” The disciples used Psalm 2 as a beginning place for their prayer by quoting from it, then concluded their prayer request by asking God to fulfill that Psalm in their lives. There’s more to the second Psalm than the two verses quoted. In this great Messianic Psalm, God the Father speaks to the Son and says, in verse 8: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” In praying for boldness to continue to speak the Word of God, these early Christians were praying Scripture back to God in a powerful way, asking him to help fulfill that promise to the Son through them. Praying the Word of God is a powerful and effective way to make sure our prayers line up with God’s desires. The result of their prayer? The place where they were meeting was shaken as God showed his pleasure with their request. And that request was answered powerfully, for verse 31 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” The same God has the same purpose and desire today: that the ends of the earth might hear the good news of Jesus. And when we, the church today, line our prayers up with the heartbeat of God and ask him to grant us boldness to fulfill his purposes, we too will see his power poured out in awesome ways upon the church of Jesus Christ.

One of the greatest recorded revivals took place in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reign of Josiah. As we pray and long for revival today, looking back at this biblical revival can help us understand more of what it is we are seeking. This account is found in chapters 34 and 35 of 2 Chronicles. Josiah was just eight years old when he became king. As a teenager, something happened that caused him to begin to seek after the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:3 says, “In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” This 16-year-old king began to develop a hunger to know God. At an age when, at least today, we expect little in the way of spiritual depth, God was stirring in the heart of this young man. Many of us who are longing for revival today believe that it will be birthed in the hearts and lives of the younger generations among us. Josiah is a good model of such a “youth-driven” revival. Like his ancestor David, young Josiah had learned to focus his desire on that which was truly important. It was God Himself that Josiah sought. It is God alone who truly satisfies and who, in Himself, is the only reasonable desire of His people. You will never find yourself longing for revival until you first find yourself desiring God Himself. Perhaps the question that all of us must ask is: “What are we truly seeking in our lives at this moment?” What is it that drives us, motivates us, and gives us a reason to get up in the morning? As Christians, we can still find ourselves with an inadequate apologetic for our lives. We may have a Christian veneer, but inside, we may be seeking the same things as our non-religious neighbors. Does success drive us? Is it money or security that we are seeking? Perhaps it is happiness, personal peace, or a good family that becomes our desire. Josiah acted upon his seeking heart when he began a process of repentance and turning from sin that impacted him personally, as well as the entire nation of Judah. In verses 3-7 of 2 Chronicles 34, we see that Josiah led the nation in purging the land of its idols. In all true revival there must be a turning from sin. As the nation turned from idolatry, there became a natural turning toward God. The young king ordered his servants to begin to repair the abandoned temple, the place of worship for Judah. As the temple was cleaned and repaired, it was also restored as a place of worship. True worship will always be a mark of genuine revival. As the presence of the Lord is experienced by His people, worship will be the natural response of those whose hearts are set on God. Verses 14-19 tell of an exciting discovery that was made. As the temple was being repaired, the workmen discovered the lost scrolls of the Law. Judah had fallen away so completely from God that they had literally lost God’s Word. The rediscovery of the Word set the nation up to be blessed and to experience the presence of God in a powerful way. It is the “rediscovery” of God’s Word that is needed in our own culture today. In many lives, the Word has been lost. It has been unopened and unread. In many cases, even when it is read, it has not been revered, respected, believed or obeyed. One of the key marks of a genuine revival from God is the restoration of the authority of the Bible. What happened next in the story of Josiah is so important for the Church today to comprehend. When the Law was found, the king had a heart that was responsive to what God had said. Josiah led the nation in repentance over its failure to obey the Word. With that repentance came a recommitment to not merely read it, but to act upon it. With Josiah leading the way, the nation had now put itself under the authority of the Word of God. The role of leadership cannot be overstated here. As you read the following passage of Scripture, note that it was clearly the king who held the people accountable: “Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites – all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep His commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it: the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers” (2 Chron. 34:29-32). What a wonderful picture of the need for the Church today to respond to the authority of the Bible. It is not merely in reading or hearing the Word that we are changed. We are to be doers of the Word. God calls us to listen and obey. Revival breaks out where there is a radical obedience to the Bible. We cannot finish looking at Josiah’s revival without seeing the excitement brought about by a new awareness of the Lord’s presence with His people. The first nineteen verses of 2 Chronicles 35 deal with an awesome time of celebration during which Judah celebrated the greatest Passover feast in Israel’s history. Verse 18 records, “The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah.” Great rejoicing is the result of returning to the Lord and experiencing His reviving power. It is important for the Church today to notice that it was not celebration that ushered in revival, but repentance and radical obedience to the Word of God. Celebration was the result of God’s acceptance and forgiveness.As the Church continues to long for and to pray for revival, we would do well to look to this young man Josiah and his amazing leadership over the nation of Judah. May the Lord raise up many young men and women like Josiah who will earnestly seek the Lord, and in doing so, lead us into a still greater experience of the presence of Christ!

From time to time, many of us need a fresh shot of enthusiasm in many areas of our lives. Sometimes, we just need to do something different–to get ourselves out of a rut. Other times, we need to change our attitude, or to overcome feelings of inadequacy, depression, frustration, or anger. We all know that we have a Father in Heaven who is willing to listen, and to provide guidance in all of these circumstances. However, we often let ourselves be overcome or defeated by the circumstances–paralyzed. Many of us have been in situations when we know we ought to pray, but are unable to for a variety of different reasons. So what practical steps can we take to put new life into our prayer lives, to renew an intimate relationship with our first love–Jesus Christ? Here are a few suggestions to help you “recharge” your spiritual prayer battery: Find someone to make yourself accountable to!   If you tell a friend, members of your small group, or your spouse that you need help to get back into a prayer life that is fresh and exciting, and ask one or more of them to provide encouragement, and to check on your progress on a regular basis, you have already taken an important step. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Worship!  If you are not spending time with the Lord in worship, we encourage you to do whatever it takes to bring yourself into God’s presence on a daily basis. Use praise tapes to turn your focus to Him, and to draw yourself away from your problems and needs for a time. Sing along, or just close your eyes and be in agreement with the scriptures. Read the Psalms out loud to the Lord, and make each one a prayer of praise! “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Ask the Lord to reveal any sin in your life  which may be hindering your prayers, or which may even be the cause of a prayer life which is less than you would like it to be. Ask for His forgiveness and move on, knowing that the sin has been not only forgiven but forgotten. “Search me, 0 God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24). Along with a good concordance, dig into the Word of God  with expectation that He will fulfill His Word in you, and reveal His promises to you. Choose to study areas in which you need guidance, improvement, help. etc. For example if you need to be more joyful, look up scriptures about joy. If you need patience, study what God’s word has to say on that topic. Pray that the Lord will help you to grow in that area, and relinquish control of your life to Him. The burden can be lifted if you allow Christ to carry it for you. “When I called, You answered me; You made me bold and stouthearted . . . The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me” (Psalm 138:3,8). Don’t allow discouragement to sneak in.  Be on the alert! Don’t allow the enemy of our souls to rob you of your peace and joy! Rejoicing and giving thanks are two vital spiritual practices to help combat discouragement: “Rejoice always, pray constantly. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Take one step at a time and your prayer life can be renewed! Seek His Presence and ASK Him to walk with you on this journey so that spending time with Him becomes the longing of your heart!

As a minister of the Gospel, I have officiated at many weddings. There are so many details to be attended to for a wedding to take place: guests must be seated, candles lit, songs played, aisle runner in place. But the most important detail is the essential one…is the bride ready? Until she is ready and in place, the wedding cannot begin, no matter how many other details have been taken care of. The Lord has taught me so much about the preparation of the Bride of Christ for her wedding day. Scripture is clear in its presentation of the Church as the Bride of Christ. Revelation 19:7-8 is a beautiful picture of this couple and their wedding day: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Actually, the idea of the Lord being married to His people is not unique to the New Testament. The Old Testament writers often referred to Israel as a bride, pledged to be married to the Lord, the Bridegroom. Isaiah writes, “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). Jeremiah continues this imagery: “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown…Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number” (Jeremiah 2:2, 32). How could God express in any better way His desire for intimacy with His people than to use the illustration of a man and woman who court and then are betrothed to one another, finally resulting in a wedding and the consummation of their union? Throughout Scripture, this is God’s expressed desire and ultimate purpose for His people. As I have been studying the Scriptures that relate to this powerful picture of the Lord and His people, I’ve become increasingly aware of the need to prepare the Bride for her wedding day. As we move closer to the day of the Lord’s return, this becomes an increasingly urgent task. Referring again to Revelation19:7, two things are indicated about the preparation of the Bride. First, she will be ready for the wedding. Secondly, she herself is the one who will make the preparations for the wedding: “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” Without being critical, does it seem to you today that the Church, the Bride of Christ is ready for the wedding? If not, then it is time to bear down and concentrate on this preparatory work. It is time to prepare the Bride for her wedding day! What does it mean for the Bride to be prepared to meet the Bridegroom? It would probably take a book to answer that completely, but I believe we can make some movement toward understanding this by looking at just a couple of Scripture passages that teach us eternal truths about the Bride and the Bridegroom. The first truth that is a key to preparation is the issue of ownership or belonging. In John 3:29 we read, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” Most cultures today are not comfortable with the idea of the marriage relationship being one of ownership of one person by another. But we do understand what it means to belong to someone. There is not just a legal connection, but a passionate, emotional attachment. The Church, as the Bride of Christ, belongs to Jesus. It is not only a legal issue accomplished at Calvary, but it is also a matter of the heart. It is a love relationship in which no other love or desire may enter in to mar or damage the relationship. I remember singing the hymn  Now I belong to Jesus  many times as I was growing up. It is time for the Church to realize that we belong to Him and begin to nurture that love relationship. Another truth about preparation of the Bride of Christ is found in Peter’s Second Epistle as he teaches about the Second Coming of Christ. He writes, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Pet. 3:14). Peter gives us these very practical areas of preparation for the Wedding of Christ and His people. This passage is one of the reasons I believe a great revival is coming for the Church. A revived Church is one that is consciously turning from sin in repentance and longing to be found spotless and blameless. A revived Church has submitted to the Lordship and Authority of Christ and will be at peace with her Bridegroom. The Apostle John saw a vision of a prepared Bride: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Rev.21:2). Is that a passion of your life yet? Are you committed to seeing the Church prepared for the Coming of her Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus? As I prayed and studied over this topic, one particular day I was taught something hard by the Lord. In the midst of a prayer time, I pictured in my mind’s eye a bride standing by the altar, waiting for the bridegroom. But as I continued in prayer, there came one of those sacred moments in which the Lord placed a thought in my mind and made the simple statement: “The Bride is not at the altar yet.” A simple statement of fact, yet also a rebuke and an encouragement. The Church…the Bride is not at the altar waiting for the Bridegroom. The bride is off doing a multitude of things, but very little of it concerns waiting at the altar for her Beloved. The rebuke was clear…..but so was the encouragement. It is time to bring the Bride to the altar. It is time for the Church to become a House of Prayer. The kneeling Church becomes the Bride at the altar, prepared for the Bridegroom. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’” (Revelation 22:17)!

Author, Stormie O’Martian, in her book,  The Power of A Praying Parent , says, “The battle for our children’s lives is waged on our knees. When we don’t pray, it’s like sitting on the sidelines watching our children in a war zone getting shot at from every angle. When we do pray, we’re in the battle alongside them, appropriating God’s power on their behalf.” She also says, “Whenever you pray for your child, do it as if you are interceding for his or her life–because that’s exactly what you are doing. Remember that while God has a perfect plan for our children’s lives, Satan has a plan for them too.” We have an enemy who wishes to damage our children. He wants their hearts and their minds. We are in a battle for the lives of our children, and, as quoted above, the battle can only be waged on our knees in prayer. We can’t wish the enemy wouldn’t bother us, or hope he will go away. We can, however, defeat him by the power of the Word of the Living God. Read carefully and claim the mighty message of Ephesians 6:10-18: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” We can defeat the enemy because we are enabled to be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power. We can put on the full armor of God in order to take our stand against any scheme the devil might attempt to throw at us, at our children, and at our families. This armor will allow us to firmly stand our ground. It will allow us to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and it will allow us to defeat the enemy as we wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God! Have you noticed that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive piece of the armor? Every other part is used to defend against the enemy; however, the Word of God is used to defeat him–just as Jesus did when the enemy was tempting Him in the desert. Jesus defeated the enemy using the Word whenever Satan began to tempt or try to do Him physical harm. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:4-11) His example should be our own, because the enemy’s tactics are still at work today. Satan wishes to cause our children to fall morally and spiritually. He desires to poison the minds of our children so that they will be unable to be of service to the Living God. As parents, grandparents, teachers, youth workers–and others with children in our sphere of influence–we must stand firm against the enemy and declare that he cannot have the minds of our children. We must fight for them in faithful prayer and teach them to fight for themselves! It is foolish and dangerous to ignore the schemes of Satan, for he is powerful, and looking for every weakness. This is a lifelong battle, and we must never let down our guard. We must diligently pray and teach our children how to pray the Word of God as a sure defense against the one who continually seeks to destroy. Only through the powerful Word of the Lord can victory be won over our sinful natures. Teach children how to pray for protection by putting on the armor of God daily. Then, teach them to guard their minds with the Word of the Almighty God! Here are some specific ways to pray the Word of God into the lives of your children or grandchildren: Pray that your child’s mind will be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that he or she can be pleasing to God and filled with life and peace. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8). Sample Prayer:  Holy God, give my child the mind of the Spirit, set upon what the Spirit desires so that his life will be characterized by life and peace. Help him to fight against the sinful mind that the enemy would seek to place within him so that he will live a life submitted completely to You. Pray that your child will continually ask the Lord to examine his heart and mind so that he will be able to walk in truth and purity. “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth” (Psalm 26:2-3). “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2). “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Pray that your child will use his mind to understand and search out wisdom so that he can recognize the stupidity of wickedness. “So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly” (Ecclesiastes 7:25). Pray that his mind will be steadfast as he trusts in the Lord. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4). Pray that your child will keep the greatness of the Lord’s faithfulness always in his mind, so that he will have hope. “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23). Pray that your child will love the Lord with all of his heart, soul and mind. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37). Pray that your child will not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of his mind. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Pray that your child will always have the mind of Christ. “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b). “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Hebrews 3:1). “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Pray that your child’s mind will never be led astray, and that he will always have a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:14). Pray for your child to be made new in the attitude of his mind, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Pray that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard the heart and mind of your child in Christ Jesus. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Pray that your child’s mind will be set on things above–not on earthly things. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Pray that your child’s mind will always be prepared for action, so that he can live out a life of holiness. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:13-16). Pray that your child’s mind will always be aware of the enemy’s attempts to tempt him into sin. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:11-13). Now that you have the Lord’s perfect strategy for keeping the mind of your child protected from Satan, be diligent in your prayers. Be consistent in your teaching of the Word, and in your personal study and devotion. Most of all, be a godly example for your child to follow as he or she matures in Christ.

This prayer guide is easily adaptable for individuals, small groups or entire churches focused on confession, repentance and the forgiveness of God: Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 out loud:  “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Spend some time in prayer based on this passage: Father, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will humble ourselves before You!   Perhaps consider kneeling or lying prostrate on the floor before God. These are two very biblical postures of humility. Spend time repenting of your lack of humility before Him individually, as a church, and as a citizen of our nation. Lord Jesus, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will pray.   Take some time to confess prayerlessness and times when prayer has been your “last resort” instead of your first response. Confess the prayerlessness of the church you attend if corporate prayer has not been a consistent practice for your community of believers. Focus time upon the prayerlessness of the Church in our nation and confess the sins that have happened nationally on our watch. Holy Spirit, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will seek Your face.  Confess times when you have sought after other things for your wisdom and counsel before the Lord, and/or when you have placed your trust in people or government or ________. The Holy Spirit was given as a gift to teach us, comfort us and to intercede for us. If you have neglected or ignored the ministry of the Spirit by not seeking the face of God, take time to experience godly sorrow in whatever form that takes for you. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are Your people called by Your name and we will turn from our wicked ways. Right now we repent of these sins we have confessed before You: lack of humility, prayerlessness, and seeking other things, idols or gods before seeking Your face. We turn from our wicked ways and ask for Your forgiveness. We mean to turn towards You now, giving You our full attention. We will walk in humility. We will give ourselves to prayer. We will seek Your face and forsake lesser things in which we have placed our dependence. Lord God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we give You thanks for listening to our prayers…for hearing us from heaven……for the forgiveness that is now ours through Jesus Christ…and for your promise that You will heal our land. We thank you for the forgiveness that is now ours through Christ Jesus. And in faith, we trust in Your ability and stand upon Your promise to heal our land.

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent” (Exodus 33:11). It is always amazing and such a blessing to read over a passage of scripture and see something I have never observed previously. Meditating on the word gives God an opportunity to hit the pause button and make me take notice of something that challenges and encourages me. I have read the account of Moses and the Tent of Meeting in Exodus 33 countless times…but today when I read it, I gravitated toward the last part of verse 11: “When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.” It was as if I suddenly felt God urging me to pay attention to Joshua in the midst of a passage talking about the intimate relationship between God and Moses…which is the relationship I have always focused on in the past. So, I decided to sit with this verse for a season.  I found myself asking many hypothetical questions. Why did Moses take Joshua with him to the Tent? Did Joshua actually go  into  the tent, as implied in the wording of the Scripture, or was he sitting just outside as most servants would likely do?  Was Joshua able to hear the conversations between God and Moses? Certainly he would have, whether he was inside or just outside. Why would Joshua, who was the servant of Moses, not accompany Moses back to the camp? How long did he stay at the Tent of Meeting before returning to the service of Moses? And, why didn’t Moses seem to care that Joshua stayed behind? Did Moses instruct him to stay there? We don’t have the answers to those questions specifically, but recognizing that Joshua the servant was also the protégé, mentee and ultimate successor of Moses, his “extra” time in the Tent seems to have even greater significance. Not only did Joshua stay in the Tent, but scripture says he “would not depart” from it…in other words, he  refused  to leave. Was this time in the presence of God preparation and on the job training for Joshua’s soon to be leadership position, even though he didn’t really know all that God had in mind at the time? Perhaps Joshua was simply spending time in God’s presence to know Him better because the beauty and majesty of God was so compelling that this young leader couldn’t resist soaking and worshiping the One who had obviously captivated his heart. It seems to me that God has His eye upon Joshua because of the purity and sincerity of his devotion and his commitment to obedience. He had been one of the twelve spies charged with checking out the land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua had found favor with God and with Moses for having courage, along with Caleb, to speak out to the rebellious and fearful Israelites that if the Lord was pleased with them, He would make a way for them to enter the Promised Land. Even though the task seemed daunting because of the fierce tribes who lived there, Joshua believed God’s promise and that He would give His people what they needed to succeed. We see God’s plan unfold when Moses had, in a brief moment of prideful disobedience, forfeited his privilege of entering the Promised Land. As a result, in Numbers 27:18-20 the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hands on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.” It would be Joshua who would now lead the people into the Promised Land. Later, after the death of Moses, God reveals His specific plans to Joshua. We do not have any scriptural proof that God actually spoke to Joshua until after the death of Moses, when He commanded Joshua to cross the Jordan. However, it is my feeling that Joshua knew the Lord’s voice well, for he had spent time in the Tent of Meeting, soaking in the presence of God. When God gave Joshua his instructions, He also encouraged him: “No man will  be able to  stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.   Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.   This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:5-9). Here are my takeaways: A godly leader spends time in the Tent of Meeting, refusing to leave. If one remains in the place of prayer, intent on being in intimate fellowship with God, one will be better prepared to answer the call of God to step into His kingdom purposes when the time is right.  The place of prayer for Joshua was first and foremost the place of God’s presence…but it was also a place of preparation which ultimately led to greater things than Joshua ever could have imagined. A godly leader accepts that mantle as a humble, obedient servant. Joshua could have boasted about his position as Moses’ right hand man, yet he was more interested in spending time with God in the Tent of Meeting than touting his own influence and importance before others. He had leadership qualities, but placed his dependence upon God alone. A godly leader believes and trusts God wholeheartedly. Joshua trusted the promise of God and was not afraid to voice his confidence to the people of Israel when they expressed their fear and anxiety to Moses about the fierce tribes standing in their way. He was one of only two of the twelve spies who trusted that God could overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. A godly leader is chosen and equipped for God’s tasks. God was pleased to pour out His Spirit upon Joshua, His chosen successor to Moses. Joshua was specifically anointed and commissioned for his leadership role. A godly leader waits patiently for God’s timing and is fully prepared when the time comes. Joshua was being positioned by God to take the people of Israel into the Promised Land…something Moses had lost the privilege of doing due to his own disobedience. Joshua didn’t rush the process, but patiently waited for God’s plans to play out at the appointed time. Have you been lingering in the “tent” with God? Most of us would admit to being pulled in many different directions, even though we no longer have to go to a physical tent to meet with the Father. God has made it possible to meet with Him in any given moment because He has made His home with us. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are now the dwelling place of God. And just like Joshua, we do not need to be afraid because God will not fail us if we will be “strong and courageous.” So – after all of this I have one more takeaway: I need to spend more time in the Tent.

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries  Christy’s dilemma: “How do I maintain a disciplined devotional time with God when I work full time and care for an infant?” She was exhausted after several days of travel to a conference for her work and her struggle was palpable, even over the phone. Uttering the most simple of prayers was difficult for her weary spirit. I remembered when I, as a young parent, felt this same struggle. I wished that I had known then what I have now experienced to be true about prayer. I want to dedicate this blog to all of those for whom lack of time due to busyness, family obligations, work, serving others, and even church activities, have blocked or slowed their spiritual passion. In our everyday lives, there are seasons when prayer and practicing spiritual disciplines is more difficult, even seemingly impossible. Some simple spiritual “tweaks” in how we move through our days can make a huge difference in how we view and practice prayer in the midst of seasons when life is extraordinarily busy. Let me use Christy’s situation as an example. Infants are delightful, but time-consuming creations of God! Our hearts are set on caring for them, and our bodies are exhausted doing the same! When parenthood, jobs and other obligations are upon us, our spiritual health often suffers. But some uncomplicated adjustments to our mindsets can move us from prayerlessness to a continual state of prayerfulness: 1. Be continually aware of the presence of Christ in us. I firmly believe that the command to “pray without ceasing” is especially applicable to the busy seasons of our lives. But our connectivity with God is the first thing that often suffers in such times. Then, we feel guilty and sad about the loss of communion, even though we know guilt comes from the enemy. However, our loving Father has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Jesus is living within us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because He is the Living Word, His Word is also within us. Read John 1:1-5 from The Amplified Bible slowly and simply enjoy the truth of His Presence as this truth sinks into your weary spirit: In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. 2. Experience Him even in the routine and mundane. Because the Word is living in us, and because He is the Living Light and Life within our spirits, we can commune with Him even in the most mundane, routine tasks, or in the midst of the crazy busy times. God doesn’t disappear when we step out of our “quiet times.” As others have said, we may move away from God but He never moves away from us. He is always patiently waiting, always present, always the living, active Word within us. That is a spiritual reality for every believer. Even when His presence seems distant, Jesus is present with us as the Light who has overcome the world. He is the consolation to our desolation, yet He is present in both. It is possible to draw near even when we feel very far away because of His constant presence. Converse with Him as a friend and take time to listen in whatever moments your schedule allows–feeding or cuddling a baby, waiting at a signal or for a train to pass, while preparing a meal, as you have time between appointments, especially while driving (great place to converse with God). His word offers us great hope that the Father is always with us - no matter what we are doing, or what season of life we may be in:  “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).  “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you  wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). 3. Give your day as an offering. “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life–and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1, The Message). All of life is conversation with God, because He is present within you. The way to overcome having your spiritual life choked out or stifled by seasons of busyness is to set your heart on being more acutely aware of His continual presence. When you are speaking to others, Jesus is there. When you are completing a task, He is with you. When a deadline looms, He is actively at work within you. There is nowhere you can go to escape the relationship. You can choose, however, to allow that relationship to slip into a one-sided one by losing your awareness. So take your life and place it before God as an offering, even if it is not your best one at this moment. Take Jesus into your busyness. Allow Him to help you find the breathing spaces within which to speak His name, give Him thanks, seek His counsel, ask for help, or just to soak in the knowledge of His presence . . . even if just for a moment - and that will be enough. 4. Write down the distractions to deal with later. It is so easy when intending to be still, to be distracted by thoughts, ideas, issues that need to be dealt with, etc. As you are practicing silence, quickly write down whatever distracts you. You can deal with them at the appropriate time. By doing this you are better able to listen to the heart of God. Here you are practicing the truth of 2 Corinthians 10:5: “Taking every thought . . . captive to the obedience of Christ.” “In silence, you leave the many to be with the One.”–Mama Maggie Gobran

Death Valley is an expansive desert in California, known as the lowest, driest, and hottest location in all of North America. It is a barren, desolate place that holds the record for the highest recorded temperature in the Western Hemisphere—a mere 134 degrees Fahrenheit! Death is obviously a fitting description. Not much survives in Death Valley, whether vegetation or any human life exposed to the elements. But that doesn’t necessarily mean life is not possible. In 2005, a rare torrential downpour deposited six inches of rain into the cracks of the rock-hard valley floor. Suddenly this lifeless desert blossomed with abundant and gorgeous flowers that had not been seen in 20 years! Dormant seeds, sitting underneath the soil for years and barely hanging on to life, were suddenly awakened when saturated with life-giving rain. The desert was alive, much like the promise of Isaiah 44:3-4: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” This is a picture of revival—when the Spirit saturates a church with God’s Word about God’s Son so that God’s people come alive to His glory in whole new ways. Revival: A Look Back and Forward Revival, interestingly enough, was a shared experience by saints in both Old and New Testaments. There was a difference, however, between the two eras in how the experience played itself out. In the Old Testament, the reviving of Israel was usually characterized by a look back, as the nation sought to return to previous high-water marks in Israel’s religious pilgrimage. Note how Elijah on Mt. Carmel challenged Israel to return to days of spiritual faithfulness before Baal worship had taken over (1 Kings 18). Or recall how Hezekiah refurbished the time-worn temple and reinstituted the ancient Passover tradition, shaping the revival that emerged under his watch. In the New Testament, however, revival is characterized much more as a look forward. It is focused on fresh extensions of Christ’s reign among His people and into the world. Consider the prayer meeting of Acts 4: what they prayed, how God answered, and the aftermath in the succeeding stories of missionary advance—all forward-looking. In a Christ-dominated revival, the Holy Spirit increases vision for what’s ahead. He deepens our yearnings for greater approximations of the coming Kingdom. In New Testament-style revival, Christians are aroused to a reality of Christ’s presence and power already theirs, but currently overlooked. They are summoned not only to recapture their first love for Christ (Rev. 2), but also to discover a passion for Him that surpasses whatever they have known before (Eph. 3). Reawakening us to greater dimensions of His glory, New Testament revival is ultimately about recovering and enlarging hope in Christ. That’s why, as Jonathan Edwards (pastor/scholar of the 1700s) observed, revival is arguably the most dramatic display of Jesus’ Lordship in the present age. In no way depreciating God’s “ordinary” work with us on a daily basis, revival is an exceptional season of His “extraordinary” work among us. In other words, God infuses His Church with fresh hope, passion, prayer, and mission by refocusing us on Christ for all He really is. In revival a church is recaptivated with the supremacy of Christ by the Spirit of Christ. That’s why my favorite term for this phenomenon is a “Christ Awakening.” Revival is more than just an event in a church calendar. When God re-energizes a community of Christians, He intends Kingdom results that last many years. Scholars’ research verifies that, following each of the four so-called “Great Awakenings” in American history (early 1700s, late 1700s, mid 1800s, early 1900s), decades of documented transformations took place both in churches and in society. God gave His people “fresh winds,” not simply to fire up enthusiasm for spiritual things, but also to extend further the reign of His Son within communities and nations through His Church. When Christ Reigns through Revival Here’s one story to demonstrate how revival can impact a whole nation for Christ’s Kingdom. At the close of the 20th century a wonderful move of God came to the beleaguered nation of Uganda. Once known as the “jewel of Africa,” this beautiful land had become devastated physically and spiritually by multiple oppressive regimes headed by diabolical dictators. Economically, Africa’s breadbasket had become its worst “basket case.” Most distressing, tens of thousands of Christians were martyred for their faith, many by unspeakable tortures. As a result, in the late 1990s hundreds of thousands in the churches began to cry out to God for a spiritual awakening in their land. The believers grappled with the need for soul-searching repentance inside the Church. They confessed all the ways they were actually complicit in His judgments on Uganda as a whole. Broken in spirit, they pled for God’s mercy. Finally, God answered their cries. Joyous confidence about Christ’s Kingdom reignited their churches. Passion for the Promise-Giver once again marked thousands of congregations large and small. But this was just the beginning of revival. At the same time, ungodly strongmen were unexpectedly expelled. Corrupt structures of oppression were decisively dismantled. Political and religious prisoners were set free. Persecution of the Church came to an end. A devoutly righteous Christian leader became Uganda’s president. He made his first official act a public re-dedication of the entire nation to Jesus Christ as its Lord! Following that, to the amazement of all, significant economic recovery began. Far more importantly, a nationwide commitment to sexual abstinence turned back the plague of AIDS in this nation once known for the largest epidemic in Africa. It rendered Uganda the country with the least threat of AIDS—all in just one decade! Furthermore, some of the largest churches in Africa can now be found there, with one in Kampala growing from a few hundred to nearly 15,000 in five years. Fasting and prayer are a way of life for Ugandan Christians as they seek even deeper manifestations of Christ’s reign in their generation. The Arrival of Christ Steve Hawthorne suggests revival might be renamed arrival. It’s as if Christ “shows up” in His Church afresh to recapture us and reconquer us. Isaiah 60 suggests God’s glory was already breaking over Israel like a sunrise, exposing many dimensions of His Kingdom purposes to them. What they needed to do was “rise and shine” and seize the day. That’s why biblical texts frequently use the motif of encounter to describe spiritual renewal. We find this in Isaiah’s picture of a future when God would rend the heavens like a garment, visibly descending like a fire upon saints and nations alike (Isa. 64). The Puritans coined a great phrase to define the “arrival” experience. They called such seasons “the manifest presence of Christ.” Here is how they reasoned: First, they said, there is Christ’s essential presence. That is, Christ is everywhere present all the time. He is unavoidable. Second, they also talked about Christ’s cultivated presence. Christians can enrich their sense of fellowship with Him as they abide in Him day by day, faithfully obeying Him. We can cultivate a deeper knowledge of the Lord through Bible study and prayer, for example. As we do, Christ shows Himself to be much more present in our lives than we had realized. The manifest presence of Christ, however, was something else altogether. This was the Puritans’ third term for those times when God reveals His Son to a new generation of His people. He does so in such dramatic fashion that it almost seems as if Christ has been hiding from us until that moment. Then suddenly He reinserts Himself among us. He arrives, in other words. Or, as I define it, revival is a “Christawakening movement.” It is God’s people waking up to God’s Son for all He is, not only individually but also corporately; not only in a moment but for a season. Revival ultimately becomes a movement with wide-reaching impact on society as well as among the nations. Revival Is a Coronation One could almost say that revival is like a coronation. In other words, it leads believers to reaffirm their wholehearted devotion to the Lamb who sits on the Throne (Rev. 5). It reconnects them to His marching orders as their King. It serves as a powerful sign of the supremacy of Christ. The renewing reality of revival should be basically defined as this: Jesus expressing Himself more fully to His people as Lord. In fact, one cannot think rightly about revival at all if one does not think rightly about the glory of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He is the criterion by which we measure both revival’s legitimacy and its impact. The final revival will emerge from fresh in-breakings of Christ’s sovereign dominion before every creature in heaven and earth. But until that final consummation, our Redeemer intends to continue invading His Church, extending His Lordship among us, regaining the praise He rightfully deserves, and enlarging His mission through us among all earth’s peoples. Jonathan Edwards was on target. Revival is one of the most exciting expressions of Christ’s supremacy any Christian can experience until He comes again. It is prior and primary. It is the prelude to all other manifestations of Christ’s reign for, in, and through His people. Many believe a gracious “Christ Awakening” even now is bearing down on top of us, in answer to today’s unprecedented global prayer movement. May it be so! DAVID BRYANT directs Proclaim Hope, a ministry devoted to fostering and serving a nationwide Christ-awakening movement. This article is taken from “Fresh Fire: Hope for a Christ-Centered Revival,” in Prayer Connect Magazine.

Fasting might seem like a somewhat strange topic to introduce into the family setting. In many cultures today, the regular practice of fasting is virtually unheard of – even in the Christian community. However, if you carefully consider Scripture in light of its living and active message for our lives today, you will see how relevant fasting is as we mature in our walk with Christ. If your family will endeavor to learn about and begin to practice this vital spiritual discipline as the Holy Spirit leads you, the Lord will honor your obedience. Fasting can be defined as abstaining from food – doing without that which is essential for life in order to pray and draw closer to God. Fasting is also defined as the period of time during which one does without food. It is very important to note that the act of fasting, if not done in humility for the purpose of prayer and intimacy with God, serves no purpose. More time should be spent focusing on the Father. Fasting must be accompanied with the action of prayer. My husband likes to call fasting the STP of prayer. (STP is an additive to boost the performance of your car’s engine). Who wouldn’t like an extra boost to achieve a deeper level of communication with the Father? After sharing some of the main reasons why fasting is a scriptural practice for today, I will share some practical ways for your family to enter into this discipline together. Here are some of the reasons why Christians fast today based upon Scripture. I would suggest taking one at a time and teaching your family. Then, check below to find some practical applications to practice and learn together. Wouldn’t it be God honoring and powerful to raise up this next generation to seek His face with prayer and fasting? Can you imagine how His power will be poured out upon His people as they honor and obey Him in this way? We fast: 1. Because Jesus indicates that we should.  In Matthew 6:16-17, Jesus says,  “When you fast…”  He does not say, “If,” which would imply that we may decide for ourselves. He says, “When,” which clearly suggests that He intends for us to fast. Interestingly enough, in this same passage of Scripture (Matthew 6:1-18), He speaks of three acts of righteousness:  “When you give…when you pray… when you fast.”  A strong, clear connection between prayer, fasting and giving is made. We will speak more about this later on. 2. When we desire to humble ourselves before God in order to draw closer to Him.  Scripture says,  “Come near to God and he will come near to you”  (James 4:8). What is the best way to draw closer to Him? Prayer! Again, James says,  “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”  (James 4:10).   Doing without that which is essential for life to focus on prayer and intimacy with the Lord, will draw you into a powerful relationship with Him. It is basically saying to the Father, “I desire to know You more personally, and I am willing to give up what is essential in order to do it.” Daniel is a good example of fasting to humble himself before God:  “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). Sackcloth and ashes were customarily worn by the Jews as a visible symbol of fasting, mourning, repentance, etc. Jesus, however, said about fasting :  “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”  (Matthew 6:16-18). He also says ,  “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven”  (Matthew 6:1). 3. As an act of repentance.  There are several good examples in Scripture when God’s people recognized their sins and turned back to the Lord in confession and repentance.  “Then Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you.’ When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the LORD.’ And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah”  (1 Samuel 7:5-6). We have already visited Daniel 9:3 to see that Daniel was pleading with the Lord and fasting on behalf of the Israelites because they had sinned against God. Here is his prayer :  “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land’”   (Daniel 9:4-6). Nehemiah, upon hearing of the broken-down walls in Jerusalem and the condition of the people, said,  “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses’”  (Nehemiah 1:4-7). Of course we can confess and repent without fasting; however, Christians should always be open to the gentle urging of the Holy Spirit if He is directing us to fast as we prayerfully lay down our sins at the feet of Jesus for His cleansing and forgiveness. Remember that our forgiveness doesn’t depend upon our outward acts, but upon the blood of Jesus Christ. 4. When we are interceding on behalf of someone else.  David fasted and pleaded with God for the life of his son :  “David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground”  (2 Samuel 12:16). Esther, as she prepared to go to the king on behalf of the Jews, fasted for three days. She asked the Jews to fast and pray for her. She was not going to casually come into the presence of the king when the penalty for doing so could mean her death. Instead, she gathered as much prayer support as she could behind her (intercessors), and prayed for favor with the king.  “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish”  (Esther 4:16). Sometimes we are called to pray for others who are facing difficult or seemingly impossible circumstances. There may be times when the Holy Spirit prompts us to fast so that our prayer effort on their behalf is strengthened. 5. When we are seeking wisdom or direction.  The early Church spent much time in prayer and fasting as they sought the Lord’s direction. When the Lord revealed that Barnabas and Saul were to be set apart as missionaries, they obediently did so.  “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off”  (Acts 13:1-3). Sometimes, when facing a difficult decision, or an uncertainty in life, fasting and prayer will help us to focus more clearly so that we can more readily discern the will of the Father. 6. When serving God.  Many Christians are called by God to spend many hours each day interceding for others. A good biblical example is Anna:  “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying”  (Luke 2:36-37). Perhaps the very reason for her service was to pray for the coming of Jesus. Because of her faithful service, the Lord allowed her to proclaim the existence and presence of Jesus Christ in the temple where she had given so many years of her life:  “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”  (Luke 2:38). The All-Powerful God has chosen, to a certain extent, to limit the working of His power to the prayers of His people. We can serve Him as we respond to the urging of the Holy Spirit to intercede on behalf of people and situations. Sometimes the situation may call for us to fast for a period of time. If we desire to serve the Lord, we need to be good listeners, so that we can obediently do the work He has for us to do in prayer. If we have prepared our hearts and minds, and practiced the disciplines of prayer and fasting, we will be ready to serve. 7. When facing a crisis.  Many people have been fasting and praying lately for the United States. This nation is in moral and spiritual crisis. Therefore, large numbers of Christians have been led to fast and pray during various times – before elections, when Congress is voting on particular issues affecting morality, when major decisions are being considered by government leaders, for the Church to wake up and be revived, etc. There are many nations where this is the case, and the need for intercessors is great. As mentioned before, Esther faced a crisis when the Jews stood to be annihilated at the hands of King Xerxes. She determined to go to the king on behalf of the Jews, at the risk of death. Because she and the Jews had come before the Lord for three days of prayer and fasting, Esther was welcomed into the presence of the king to make her petition, and the Jews were saved. Perhaps your family, or people you know, are facing a crisis. Or, perhaps your nation is in a moral freefall. Christians all over the world are being martyred for their faith…this should grieve us into action. Is the Lord calling you to fasting and prayer? 8. When we need protection .  “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer”  (Ezra 8:21-23). These were the words of Ezra, who sought the Lord’s protection for a large group of people. A Word of Caution: Learn to Fast for the Right Reasons The act of fasting can often lend itself to the very thing it is intended to guard against – pride. If an individual is not careful, the act of fasting can be used with and/or for the wrong intentions: to be seen by others, or to inflate one’s own sense of “spirituality.” If a person fasts, but carries on a life that is not pleasing to God while he does so, the Lord is not under any obligation to honor his prayers. In fact, He has some serious things to say about fasting for the wrong reasons:  “For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?”  (Isaiah 58:2-5) Instead, God shares the fast that He prefers:  “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail”  (Isaiah 58:6-11). Joel called for a rending of hearts and not of garments, such as the sackcloth and ashes that many Jews would dress in while fasting .  “Even now, declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly”  (Joel 2:12-15). Wrong actions while fasting:  prideful heart and attitude, fasting only to be seen by others (sackcloth and ashes, tearing clothes), harming or oppressing others, quarreling and strife, being unkind…doing anything that is opposite of what is mentioned below. Right actions while fasting:  fasting in secret, fasting with a humble heart, desiring to draw closer to God, spending the time in prayer, giving to others, serving, satisfying the needs of the oppressed, sharing food with the hungry, providing the homeless with shelter, clothing the naked, taking care of family, doing away with malicious talk. Practical Ideas to Practice the Discipline of Fasting: It is, first of all, important to know that God is not so concerned with the kind of fast you undertake, or the length of your fast, or by what you fast from (if it is different from food). Some people are unable to fast from food due to health reasons. Or, you may have young children in your family, who don’t yet understand the purpose of fasting. The Lord is not a legalistic God – He is a loving Father. His only concern is that your heart is right before Him, and that your reasons for fasting are pure:     A. Drawing closer to God  – as you fast, ask Him to reveal Himself to you in fresh, new ways. Spend time being quiet before Him. Worship the Lord with singing and the reading of Psalms. Ask Him to develop the fruit of the Spirit in your life…and then watch carefully to see how He works over the next several days and weeks. For example, if you asked Him to teach you patience…watch to see how your patience is tried. Or gentleness…see if He doesn’t bring you opportunities to be more tender. After a time, come together as a family and talk about how you have come closer to God, and how He has drawn nearer to you.     B. Repentance  – as you fast, confess to the Lord those things which you have done that are not pleasing to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that you might not have thought about. As you seek His forgiveness, be prepared also to receive His forgiveness.     C. Interceding for someone else  – as you fast, bring before the Lord those people who have asked you to pray for them…or pray for the missionaries from your church…or for the children at school, or for a family who has lost their home due to a fire, etc. There are so many needs. Pray for a people group, for a nation, for your own nation, for your city, etc.     D. When you are seeking wisdom and direction  – if you have a decision to make, or you need wisdom to make a correct choice, etc., try seeking the Lord’s direction as you fast and pray.     E. Serving God  – Remember the right actions present in fasting? Maybe your family could help out a local ministry in some way. Volunteer together at a soup kitchen or food pantry to help feed the hungry. Write letters of encouragement or send cards to family members you haven’t communicated with in a long time. Purchase or give away good used clothing for a homeless shelter. The list of needs is endless.     F. Facing a crisis  – the next time there is a crisis in your family, or in someone else’s…could you fast and pray for God to resolve the crisis?     G. Needing protection  – from illness, from evil, from temptation? When one or more family members or someone else you know is in need of protection, are you willing to fast and pray? ADDITIONAL IDEAS: 1. How much time does it take to prepare, eat and clean up after an average meal in your home? For example – if your family spends a collective time of 90 minutes for an average meal, try spending that same amount of time praying instead of eating. You will only be fasting from one meal, but you will have given yourselves a wonderful opportunity to draw near to God. 2. First Friday Fasts – this movement is sweeping the world. Thousands of Christians are fasting on the first Friday of every month for specific purposes. Perhaps you could choose to pray for missionaries, unsaved family and friends, or an unreached people group. 3. Has someone asked you to pray for them? Are you willing to give up a meal to do so? 4. Write down things that are very important to you – things that could be “idols” in your lives. Could you do without those things for one day…one week…one month? Could you take the same amount of time you would have spent on television, or on golf, or on playing video games, etc. and spend that time in prayer? Fasting from “things” can be a very good spiritual discipline as well. This is also a good kind of “fast” for anyone in the family who has a medical condition which will not allow them to fast – or for very young children who have not yet grasped the significance of doing without food for spiritual reasons. 5. As a family, write down special foods or treats that you especially enjoy. Could you give them up for a period of time? For example – if your family enjoys pizza one night a week – could you give it up? Could you fast that meal instead? Or eat something else? Maybe bread and water? Could you donate the money you didn’t spend on the pizza to a soup kitchen, or buy some canned goods for the local food bank? 6. Try a 24 hour fast. Here is a good one for stretching your family in the area of fasting: Have a meal together on Friday night (or whatever night you choose). Then, fast until the next night’s meal. You will only miss the morning meal and the noon meal, but you will have fasted for 24 hours. Spend some time together devotionally several times during that 24-hour period. Or, give each family member a devotional assignment to do individually. 7. When you fast, consider giving: In the second century, Hemas said that the real fast is living a good life, pleasing to the Lord. He also spoke of a fast in which only bread and water are eaten and the money which otherwise would be spent is saved to be spent on charity. Try eating only bread and water for a meal, or even for a day. Then, donate the money you would have spent on food as a family to a missionary, local ministry, your church, or anything else God may lay upon your hearts. It is my prayer that your family will have a life-changing experience as you practice the discipline of fasting. Please do not succumb to guilt or legalism as you learn. The enemy will try to dissuade and confuse you. Stay firmly rooted and grounded in the Word .  “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”   (James 4:7-8, 10).