Category: Prayer

How do we pray on those days when our faith feels more like a smoldering wick than a fiery flame? During a recent period of extended sickness there were certainly days when my faith felt tested and was considerably more smoke than flame. On days like those, my prayers generally started with a petition for a day off from being sick; a twenty-four hour pass was about as much as I had faith to pray for. On reflection, however, I see now that I received a great deal more. Here are a few things I learned about prayer and the faithfulness of God on the days when smoke gets in our eyes.

First, if there is any fire in us at all, any inclination to pray (no matter how small we might think it is), it is God who put it there. In Mere Christianity, C.S Lewis observes the extraordinary ways that God takes us in all our weakness and breathes His prayer through us. He writes, “An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get in touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside of him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God – that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him…The man is being caught up into the higher kinds of life – what I called Zoe or spiritual life: he is being pulled into God, by God, while still remaining himself.”

Second, God is very good at picking out the good parts from the ash heap of my prayers and making sense of my caliginous thoughts. It was tempting to imagine that if I did a better job with my prayer life – if I was a bit more holy – then surely my prayers would please God more. The Apostle James will have absolutely none of this. He reminds us, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…” James continues, “and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” (James 5:17). Elijah may have been a righteous man, but he was just a man and he was certainly not faultless. A quick study of Elijah’s career as a prophet makes impressive reading but it was certainly not without its problems. Elijah’s prayer life, however, was not founded upon him being perfect but upon the grace of God given to those who, by faith, seek him out and are called righteous. They are the ones who call upon God in the day of trouble, and to whom God says, “I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15).

Finally, a seemingly insignificant spark always has the capacity to start a forest fire. A spark has the capacity to enlarge itself and grow higher and higher. In John Bunyan’s classic Christian allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, the hero sees water being poured onto a fire that is burning against a wall. He fears that the work of God’s grace is being extinguished by the devil. “But,” we are told, “his wonder grew when he saw how the flames burned higher and hotter. He was then shown the other side of the wall where he saw a man with a vessel of oil in his hand of which he did continually cast, but secretly into the fire. This, it was explained to him, is Jesus who continually with the oil of His grace maintains the work already begun in the heart.”

So how do we pray? At the end of my time of smoke-damaged, gray prayers (however weak and ineffectual I thought them to be), I always found myself, by the sheer grace of God, in a distinctly brighter place. God clearly has more patience with my smokey soul than I do. Writing in the early 1600s, theologian Richard Sibbes would concur. He concludes, from his own smoke-filled heart, “Pray as we are able, hear as we are able, according to the measure of grace received. God in Christ will cast a gracious eye upon that which is His own.”

This year, our church, the Anglican Diocese in New England, is participating in a 24/7 prayer initiative, where individuals and churches will join together to pray for the re-evangelization of New England. If it is on your heart to pray for New England, feel free to join us by signing up for a prayer time slot here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4AABA62BA4F85-adne

I’ve been thinking a lot about fasting lately. In the Church of New England, we are about to begin a period of fasting and prayer for ourselves and others who may not know Jesus. Historically in the Church, prayer and fasting went together and both were built into our common practice through discipline. The fathers of the Church taught us that it was essential to fast and pray, to practice denying ourselves and turning to God as we wait for the Bridegroom to return. Over time, especially in the western church, this discipline has become optional and even altogether absent. It is foreign to our practice of Christian spirituality, and to get it back again seems harder than if it had been an expected part of our life with Christ. What are we to do, especially when it was such an important part of the people of God?

The first thing is to learn what it is and what it isn’t, which I want to outline here for the sake of those who may want to incorporate this practice into their lives, especially as the seasons of Advent and then Lent come upon us. The central idea is that fasting is the voluntary denial of an otherwise normal activity for the sake of God, and though you can fast from just about anything, it is usually about abstaining from food, our most basic need. In the Church, the tradition has been to partner fasting (self-denial) with the practices of doing good (self-giving) such as praying for yourself and others and giving to the poor. This is especially due to the warning given in Isaiah 58 on fasting without seeking the good of others.

The New Testament assumption is that all Christian believers will fast. Jesus did not say ‘if’ but ‘when’ you fast in Matthew 6:16. Jesus prophesied that his own followers would fast: ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast.’ (Matthew 9:15). When you look at the Bible, you get the impression that fasting was almost a routine.

• Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights. 
• King David fasted; 
• Elijah fasted during his time of greatest trial. 
• Daniel fasted when he lacked God’s understanding. 
• The apostle Paul fasted. 
• Jesus famously fasted forty days and forty nights

The Old Testament frequently speaks of the people of God being called to prayer and fasting. 

• The people of Israel prayed and fasted on the Day of Atonement –Leviticus 23: 27, 29. 
• King Jehosaphat called for a time of fasting for Judah – (2 Chronicles 20:3)
• The King of Nineveh proclaimed a fast following Jonah’s warning. 
• Under the threat of the Philistines the people of Israel fasted under Samuel’s leadership (1 Samuel 7:6). 
• The prophet Joel called for a fast in the light of disaster. 
• Ezra made tremendous claims about God’s power before his enemies and then felt the need to call people to fast. (Ezra 8:22) 

In the book of Acts the early Church combined worship with fasting and the result was that God spoke and acted on behalf of his people as he had done in the Old Covenant. Paul and Barnabas saw prayer and fasting as the means by which God launched their strategic ministry: “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)

So why should we pray and fast?

1. Our motive of honoring God.

Following Jesus assumption that we would fast, the first thing that Jesus said about fasting was about motive – Matthew 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look sombre 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.’ Fasting needs to be because first and foremost we want to honor God, to earnestly seek Him.

2. To Express earnestness and urgency in our prayers. 

You don’t have to fast to express earnestness and urgency in your prayers, but it is a good Biblical option that we are encouraged to take. Fasting says to God, through what we do with our body (rather than saying it only with our mouths) that we really mean business; is to give God our complete attention, even to the point of denying ourselves basic needs for a season.

3. Showing God that we are sorry.

In terms of the earnestness of our prayers, fasting can also be the means by which we express to God our sorrow over sin and our repentance. This does not mean we fast every time we sin, but when we feel a weight of guilt and a separation from God, or when we have sinned gravely, we can fast to deny our flesh and draw closer to God.

4. To Increase in humility.

Our hunger and physical weakness will remind us how we are not really strong in ourselves but only in the Lord. David writes, Psalm 69:10 “I humbled my soul with fasting.” Prayer and fasting – reveals the things that control us. We can cover up what is inside through food and other distractions. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear – if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. 

The Christian writer Richard Foster says, ‘At first we will rationalise that our anger is due to our hunger; then we will realise that we are angry because our Spirit is angry within us. When we realise this we can then seek Jesus’ forgiveness and healing.’

5. To Recover a Godly balance in our lives.

Fasting can be the means by which we recover balance in life – it is all too easy for the non-essentials to take precedence in our lives. I have noticed that I have a higher desire for material things just after Christmas. I always spend more money on me just after Christmas; which is a disaster. It is almost like having received so much over the Christmas time that I have fired up an enduring habit of wanting more. We need the contrast to remind us of what we take for granted. A period of abstinence can break this habit.  Fasting can have the same spiritual effect.

6. To acknowledge our dependence upon God 

Fasting reminds us that we are sustained, ‘by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’ Matt 4:4. When the Disciples were concerned that Jesus had not eaten they said to him in John 4: 32-34: “Rabbi, eat something.” But he (Jesus) said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’’ This was not a clever metaphor but a genuine reality. Jesus was in fact being nourished and sustained by the power of God. 

It is the same for us – this is why Jesus says don’t be miserable when you fast because we will be nourished and sustained by the power of God.

7. To teach us discipline.

If we can refrain from eating food, which we would ordinarily desire, it strengthens our ability not to give into temptation and to say “No” to our body when it craves something it believes it needs right away. It practices self-control and puts off instant gratification through praying to God and seeking the Spirit when our body says it must be satisfied.

8. To Heighten our spiritual alertness to God’s will and God’s power.

We are instructed to know God’s will. Ephesians 5: 17, “Therefore,’ says Paul, ‘Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” We know that this is not always clear. Many Christians have found that a period of prayer and fasting helps them to clarify their understanding of God’s will. Fasting clears our minds of earthly desires and expresses to God our desire to be close to him and know His will for us.

In Daniel 9:3 it says: ‘So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.’ and 10:3  ‘I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.’

Fasting also helps connect us to God so that we may draw from His power, once we know His will. In Mark 9:29 the disciples wanted to know why they could not cast out a powerful demon:  ‘After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He (Jesus) replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”

In Church history some of the most faithful men and women of God have spent time in prayer and fasting when they have felt the need for more of God’s power. When our prayers seem unanswered, there is a Biblical precedent that shows us that God honors prayer and fasting by bringing us the clarity we seek and the power that we need.

Are there any cautions about fasting?

Yes. As written above, fasting while ignoring the good of others (fasting for the sake of fasting) doesn’t profit us anything and, in some cases when injustice is occurring through us without our concern or repentance, it can bring us judgment and discipline. Here are a few other more practical concerns:

1. Don’t fast if you have a health problem. God is not calling any of us to injure ourselves and we do and fast what we can when we can. He knows our conditions and our hearts: intent is what matters the most, over and above the spiritual benefits of the physical act. 
2. Keep yourself safe when you fast. Do not fast without drinking at least water, especially if it is for multiple days.
3. Pray when you can as you fast, replacing food with being in the presence of God. As the day goes on, however, and you feel weak and irritable, be sure to remain in a spirit of prayer even if you no longer have the energy to pray. Sit or lie down in God’s presence – make fasting about drawing close to God however it is you can do it in any given moment.
4. Do not expect spiritual revelations or immediate answers to prayer from fasting. The results of this kind of practice are more long term than immediate. Let your focus remain just “being” with God your Father.
5. Do not be tempted to self-righteousness. Jesus warned against those who made sure others knew they were fasting so that they could be praised. And in Luke 16:11-12, he spoke about the Pharisee who: stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ It is another good discipline to refrain from telling people you are fasting and keep it between you and God.

Even before I could walk, I was trained by my mom and dad to say “thank you”. As a Brit, saying thank you comes as naturally as introducing yourself by saying sorry! It is simply the right thing to do (even if you are not especially grateful). Indeed, almost every British conversation ends with the words, “Cheers, thanks, thanks so much, really thank you very, very much…bye…and thank you.” In the U.K., even ending an email with the word “thanks” is often a clear signal that one is perilously close to losing one’s temper!

But what if gratitude were more than just socially-warranted behavior? What if gratitude is the means by which the inner man or woman is strengthened? What if thankfulness is good for our spiritual well-being? Let’s imagine that New England was surrounded by enemy forces whose desire was to wreak havoc and destruction. Let’s also imagine that there are enemy sympathizers living and working in the region who have a view to undermining its defenses. Now what if you were to discover that there is a song that the enemy and their sympathizers cannot tolerate or approach? Whenever they hear it, they run the other direction. Isn’t it certain that you would want to learn this song? And after you learned it, you would sing it when you went to bed at night and when you got up in the morning. You would sing it on the way to the railway station, to the school doors, and to the coffee shop. And the more deeply embedded in your mind the song became, the more secure and fearless your life became. Biblically-speaking, that “song” is gratitude.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7, emphasis mine). Gratitude is an essential guardian of the soul. When we abandon it, we lay ourselves open to attack. In the absence of a thankful heart we are prone to drawing away from the love and faithfulness of God. Paul, writing to the church in Rome, argued that the absence of gratitude creates an on-ramp to the slippery slope of doubt and fear. He wrote, “For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21, emphasis mine). If ingratitude lays us open to confusion and doubt, gratitude positions us to take hold of God’s goodness, steadfast love, and faithfulness. Gratitude brings us into the truth that God is “on my side as my helper” (Psalm 118:7a).

Gratitude also plays a vital role in guarding our minds and hearts. To the church in Philippi, Paul wrote, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will GUARD your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, emphasis mine).

Gratitude also helps us better discern God’s presence and purposes. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41a). Personally, I don’t always find that easy. Sometimes, to sit down and pray is to battle a head full of distractions, anxieties, pressures, and thoughts. I am not alone in this dilemma. The missionary Hudson Taylor wrote, “The hardest part of the missionary career is to maintain regular, prayerful Bible study. Satan will always find you something to do when you ought to be occupied about that, if it is only arranging a window blind.” Paul gave us an important piece of advice on how to keep our eyes off the “window blind” and fixed on Jesus: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, emphasis mine).

Thankfulness is never about getting on God’s “good side.” Gratitude before God is truly for our benefit, and not His. In my own prayer life, I have recently attempted to give thanks to God for at least 10 things before I bring anything else to His attention. I am so struck by the profound difference that this simple practice has made. My part is just to be honest about the impact of the good things in my life — great or small. And as I compile my list, I find that two things happen. First, the list gets longer and longer. And second, my anxiety level decreases, while my faith and assurance in God’s goodness increases.

In just this way, the author Melody Beattie can write, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity….” The practice of thankfulness before God is much more than proprietary politeness or “liturgical correctness.” Gratitude is the titanium of spiritual armor. Maya Angelou would encourage us: “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”