You Actually Have to Pray Series: Click | View Series

Arguing and Inquiring are OK

One of the things we notice in the Bible, perhaps to our surprise, is that God doesn’t mind us arguing with him. In fact, he seems to welcome it if we do it humbly and on the basis of his revelation. God’s Word is ours to be wielded in prayer. This should be a further incentive to read, memorise, meditate upon, and study Scripture. Ransack the Bible for promises and take them to him in prayer. He invites us to do so.

Besides this, there may be things that God has spoken prophetically about your life, the church, your family, and the city. Such things are not simply to occupy journals from yesteryear. Don’t treat them like museum spectacles behind glass. Seek God with them. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” God does not reward passive fatalism, but aggressive faith. If this seems an overstatement, you need to read the Gospels again. Not to mention the prayers of Moses, Samuel, Elijah, and the apostles in Acts.

Strategic Petition

Nehemiah does not waste time being ‘spiritual.’ He expects things to get done. We need to be persuaded of this principle since there is no end of nonsense talked, and written, by people who seem to see prayer as an exercise in piety. This can especially be so when prayer is discussed in a purely devotional context.

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man” (Neh. 1:11).

There is a scatter-gun approach to praying which betrays a lack of any expectation. We talk but we give the impression that God is probably not listening and definitely not very interested. Such praying is close to what Jesus describes in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” It’s clear that certain praying gets nowhere near the ears of God since it is a mere religious exercise and is offered up to no one in particular.

Faith Grows With Exercise

Besides mere piety, the other thing Nehemiah avoids in his prayer found in Nehemiah 1 is vain unreality. It seems that true faith grows as it is exercised, like a muscle. We learn to ask for things from God as we learn his ways and get to know him. This is described in John 15, but also illustrated in Genesis 18 when Abraham’s prayers for Sodom and Gomorrah become progressively bolder. Additionally, P. T. Forsyth says, “Lose the importunity of prayer . . . lose the real conflict of will and will, lose the habit of wrestling and the hope of prevailing with God, make it mere walking with God in friendly talk; and precious as that is, yet you tend to lose the reality of prayer at last.”

Modest Prayers

Some will be dissatisfied with modest praying that is based on genuine faith and instead offer grand requests based on phony ‘faith.’ God calls us to consistent partnership with himself, so it is more likely that we will be called upon to pray for incremental, but consistent, growth in kingdom advance rather than the entire salvation of the city by this afternoon. The striking thing here is that Nehemiah does offer up prayer for 5 months, but the only request we know he makes is this one: “Lord give me favour with the King.” Nehemiah, where’s your faith!? Ask God for more! But Nehemiah is wiser. He knows he has a life calling. He is going to have to pray every victory in at a time. Each one is still a miracle.

Resurgence RSS Feed

Subscribe to the Resurgence syndicated feed and have all our content delivered straight to your feed reader. Find out more.

You Actually Have to Pray Series: Click | View Series

“And I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments…’” (Nehemiah 1:5).

Get Your Eyes Off Yourself

Some teaching on prayer suggests that we begin by confession of our sins to get it all out of the way. It is striking that Jesus’ teaching on prayer does the reverse: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matt. 6:9). He gets to confession of sin pretty late in the prayer. He would be frowned upon by some, but Jesus is right (oddly).

Jesus knows our frame. He knows we generally don’t need to see our sin as the first item on the agenda at every meeting with God. Better in fact to get our eyes altogether off of ourselves. That way we gain perspective and hope. D. Kidner says, “There is more than [flowery language] in this… opening. It deliberately postpones the cry for help, which could otherwise be faithless and self-pitying. It mounts immediately to heaven, where the perspective will be right, and it reflects on the character of God—not only for its loyalty and love, but first of all for the majesty which puts man, whether friend or foe, in his place.”

The great prayers of Scripture resound with this heavenly perspective. I love the way Peter and John (with their backs bleeding and the threat of execution over their heads) pray with the others, saying “Sovereign God… Now Lord…” (Acts 4). Start with God and his mission. Look to him. That way you get know him better too, and “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Dan. 11:32). Practically this means we shouldn’t complain too much if prayer meetings are occasionally overrun with worship! It also means that, like Nehemiah, we should plead our relationship.

Pray According To Scripture

Nehemiah prays, “Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your dispersed be under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there’” (Neh. 1:8-9). Nehemiah knows his God and knows the story his God is telling. He knows the way it should be going and the plan God has in getting it there. He knows about Israel’s heritage, Israel’s astounding calling, and Zion’s destiny as God’s great city—and this makes him persistent.

To be continued.

Rain City Hymnal

The first offering from Re:Sound is the Rain City Hymnal. Listen online and get the record from the Re:Sound website. Find out more.

Bible reading and prayer are the two most basic spiritual disciplines of Christian faith. Prayer in the simplest way is talking to God. It is sharing with your loving father your heart, thoughts, emotions, requests, needs, cares, anxieties, worries, praises, thanksgivings, hopes, and desires. The list could go on for days.  God speaks to you through his Word and you speak to him through prayer. 

Here are some simple tips for developing a discipline of prayer:

1. Set up “triggers” in your life.

Take things that you do every day and make them triggers for you to pray. Here are some ideas to help you get started: taking a shower, using the bathroom, getting in your car, making coffee, getting in bed, getting ready to read your Bible, finishing reading your Bible, driving to work, driving home, finishing lunch, eating eggs, sailing on a boat, scratching your nose, and buying a tambourine. You get the idea. Take things that you do every day and use them as a trigger to pray.

2. Have a plan.

If you don’t have a plan, you can easily become a random prayer. Whatever comes to your head at the time is what you will pray for. You will constantly be praying for the same things over and over. This isn’t necessarily bad, but there are a lot more things/people in your life that you could be praying for.  So have a standard place where you keep track of all the things that you want to pray about. Then review this list at least once a day. This way nothing gets left behind.

3. Talk to God.

This might sound dumb to some, but for others this will be an epiphany. I don’t know if you have noticed this or not, but some people like to use what could be called “prayer talk.”  This is where a person suddenly embodies the spirit of a TV evangelist and sees how many times they can say the words God, Father God, Lord, or Jesus (whichever is the person’s favorite) in a prayer.  

It comes as a surprise to most that you can actually just talk to God. You don’t have to use his name as the punctuation to every sentence. You don’t have to speak in old English. You can just talk to him. Just like you talk to your friends about your troubles and your successes, you can talk to him. You can tell him your struggles and failures. You can tell him jokes. You can even be angry and cry out to him (read a few Psalms and you’ll get the idea). Prayer is you simply talking to God. No flair. No technicalities. No special formulas. Just talking.

4. Write it down.

When you develop a habit of constantly praying, it becomes easy to forget what you’ve prayed about.  Therefore, you can lose track of whether or not God has answered your prayers. This is so you can look back and see how God has answered your prayers over time.  Keep it simple though.  Don’t set a limit. That means no minimum or maximum. It puts an unnecessary burden on you. Some days you will write pages worth of prayer to God. Other days it will be the simple phrase, “God help me.” The idea is to simply write it out.

5. Keep it simple.

During the time of Jesus, Jews would have standard prayers for everything that they would do. You would have a standard prayer for plowing a field, eating a meal, drinking wine, and even going to the bathroom (see Marvin R. Wilson’s book). The key was that most of these prayers were only a sentence long. The reality is that our prayers don’t have to be five minutes long for God to hear us. Sometimes the simplest prayers are the best prayers. If you can only think of a few things to say to God, then say them. God isn’t keeping a tally on how much you pray. He just wants to hear from you.

6. Keep it sweet.

Remember whom you are talking to. While God is the king of the universe, he is also the lover of your soul. One of the reasons that David was a man after God’s own heart was because he was passionate and honest with God. He was open and honest as you can only be with a closest friend. The worst prayer isn’t a long prayer or a prayer said in Old English but a prayer that has no heart. If you aren’t praying out of a love for God, then are you really praying?  The reality is that this is the core of all prayer—to seek the face of God and to seek after his heart. Prayer is one of the most intimate times we have with God. Treat it that way.

Acts 29 Network

A network of churches planting churches for the glory of Jesus. Get more info.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

What Jesus Said About Fasting

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a lesson about how and how not to fast:

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18).

We see that it is important to not brag or boast to others about fasting. The Jews of Jesus' day used fasting and giving to make everyone think that they were more spiritual than others. But Jesus tells us that fasting should be done in secret, so that it can't be used as a way of bringing glory to ourselves. Fasting should make us humble instead of proud. In the end, it is not our works but our hearts that matter to God. God promises to reward openly those who fast and pray in secret.

6 Practical Steps for Fasting

There are several useful steps that you should follow before you begin fasting.

1. Decide which fast is best for you. Due to health reasons, not everyone can do a total fast. Also, sometimes work schedules and other duties may prevent an individual from a certain type of fast. You may want to begin with a partial fast and work your way to a total fast. Ultimately, you should pray and ask God what his will would be for your fast.
2. Decide how long you want to fast. People in the Bible often chose to fast for a certain time period. To prepare their hearts for the seasons, the early church would fast for a number of days before Christmas or Easter. John Wesley chose Friday as a day of the week to fast. This was a day that he set aside for fasting and prayer to the Lord.
3. Consult a physician before you go on an extended fast. If you have any physical problems, then you will certainly want to follow this advice. Fasting can be healthy to the body when it is done right, but it can also be dangerous if you don't exercise wisdom.
4. Make sure that you have time to pray. Although some people fast for health reasons, it will not do you any spiritual good if don't allow yourself time to pray. Be sure to get the most out of your fast and spend plenty of time in prayer. Consider setting aside a few days for a retreat to do so. When was the last time you can remember spending an entire day with the Lord?
5. Slowly introduce soft food when your fast is over. If you have been on an extended fast from solid foods, it is a good idea to slowly reintroduce your system to solid food again. For instance, you may want to eat soup or salad for your first meal. Bananas or other soft fruit are also a great way to break a long fast.
6. Just do it! Many people never fast because they are afraid to or because they have never done it before. Don't let fear or inexperience stop you from experiencing one of God's greatest blessings. Possibly all the great heroes of the faith spent hours fasting and praying to the Lord.

Churches Helping Churches

Who will help local churches in the wake of catastrophes? You can. Learn more here.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

Types of Fasting

In the same way that God appointed times and seasons to fast, he also designated several types of fasts. Because of certain medical problems and physical needs, there are different types of fasting. Not everyone can go on an extended 5-7 day fast; similarly, not everyone can totally abstain from food and water.

A person should exercise wisdom and consult their physician if they have any medical concerns before they fast, otherwise it could actually be harmful to your health. However, there are at least three types of individual fasts: absolute fast, solid food fast, and partial fast.

1. Absolute Fast. An absolute fast is conducted by abstaining from all food and water for a certain period of time. This is also known as "total fast." There are several biblical examples for the total fast. Moses and Elijah both abstained from food and water for forty days and forty nights. (Deuteronomy 9:9, 10:10, 18:25-29; 1 Kings 19:8). Although the Bible says they fasted for forty days, many people usually only totally abstain from food and water for three days.
2. Solid Food Fast. A solid food fast is where an individual may drink juice and water, but chooses not to eat solid food. Certain scholars and theologians think that Jesus may have drank water while in the wilderness since the Bible doesn't say that he was thirsty after his forty day fast (see Matthew 4:2). Drinking water while fasting for several days can actually be therapeutic for your body. In any case, you should not fast for more than a week unless you consult a doctor.
3. Partial Fast. A partial fast is where you choose to abstain from certain foods and drinks instead of complete abstinence. The Bible tells us that Daniel abstained from bread, water, and wine for 21 days (Daniel 10:3). Others may choose to fast from television, computer, newspaper, and hobbies. This will help you free up some time to spend in prayer and reflection.

To be continued.

Resurgence Podcasts

Get all the latest audio sermons, interviews, and lectures delivered straight to you as soon as they are released. Find out more.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it." John Wesley

We live in a culture of fast food, instant gratification, and self-centeredness. One of the best ways to get our eyes off of ourselves and back onto the Lord is through fasting. However, fasting has practically been disregarded and forgotten in the comforts of the modern church. Fasting didn't end in biblical times; there have actually been proclaimed fasts in America.

Fasting is nothing new in American history. The pilgrims held three formal periods of fasting before leaving for the New World. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress proclaimed July 20, 1775 as a national day of fasting and prayer in preparation for the war on independence.

What Is Fasting?

What does it really mean to fast? According to the Oxford Dictionary, fasting means to "abstain from food, especially to eat sparingly or not at all, or abstain from certain foods in observance of a religious duty or a token of grief." Fasting and religious purposes cannot be separated because they are intricately intertwined. The Bible gives us numerous references to individual and corporate fasts. There were even days that were designated each year for fasting and prayer.

Fasting is a gift that God has given to the church in order to help us persevere in prayer. Fasting draws us closer to God and gives power to our prayers, so we will discuss the reasons to fast, different types of fasting, and how to fast.

Reasons for Fasting

People have been fasting since the ancient days of the Bible. The Bible records numerous accounts where people, cities, and nations have turned to God by fasting and praying: Hannah grieved over infertility and "wept and would not eat" (1 Samuel 1:7); and Anna, an elderly widow and prophetess, worshiped at the temple with "fasting and prayer night and day" (Luke 2:37).

Most people fast for religious and spiritual reasons, while others choose to fast for health reasons. There are several specific reasons that the Bible tells us to fast.

1. To be Christ like (Matthew 4:1-17; Luke 4:1-13).
2. To obtain spiritual purity (Isaiah 58:5-7).
3. To repent from sins (See Jonah 3:8; Nehemiah 1:4, 9:1-3; 1 Samuel 14:24).
4. To influence God (2 Samuel 12:16-23).
5. To morn for the dead (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12).
6. To request God's help in times of crisis and calamity (Ezra 8:21-23; Nehemiah 1:4-11).
7. To strengthen prayer (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:17-29; Acts 10:30; 1 Corinthians 7:5).

To be continued.

Grow E-Book

Winfield Bevins explains organic discipleship in his free e-book. Get it here.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace.
— Thomas à Kempis

Pray Always

Paul tells us to pray "at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). We must develop a lifestyle of prayer. Even when we aren't praying out loud, we can still be in a state of union and intimacy with the Lord.

Be Watchful

Paul goes on to say that we need to be watchful. This means that we must be aware of what is going on around us spiritually. God calls us to be watchmen and watchwomen who will guard against the devil. In the Bible, a watchman would stay awake at night to make sure that the enemy didn't attack while everyone was sleeping. It is our responsibility to be watchful in prayer.

Have Perseverance

Our prayers should be made with all perseverance. God doesn't like weak, powerless prayers; rather he desires for us to persevere in prayer. James tells us, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power" (James 5:16). We need to be fervent and energetic in our prayer life. Don't give up until your prayer is answered!

Pray in the Spirit

The only way that our prayers will ever have power is if they are in the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us and reveals the will of God to us (Rom. 8:26). The Holy Spirit gives fire to the incense of our prayer. Jude says that we should build ourselves in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit (Jude 1:20). The Spirit will build us up, guide us in truth, and give us the strength to pray as we should.

To be continued.

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears tackle some of the most serious redemptive aspects of Jesus' work in these twelve letters of counsel to individuals. Find out more.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For who He giveth us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in His grace."—Thomas à Kempis

One of the most important aspects of prayer is spiritual warfare. The Bible tells us that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking to destroy our lives. Paul says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Satan and his forces of darkness are trying to destroy your life and it is imperative that we learn to pray against these forces of darkness in order to gain victory in our lives. There are several things that the Bible tells us about spiritual warfare.

The Lowdown on Spiritual Warfare

• We are in a real spiritual battle (2 Corinthians. 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18)
• We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9)
• We are to take authority over powers of darkness (Matthew 16:19)
• We are to cast out demons (Mark 16:17)
• We are to use spiritual weapons to overcome darkness (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Bible tells us about great individuals who were victorious in spiritual warfare, all of which are lessons for us today. In Exodus 17, Israel fought against the Amalekites in Rephidim. Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for the people who were fighting the battle below. Whenever his hands were lifted up, Israel would prevail, but when his hands grew tired and dropped, the Amalekites would prevail. It is the same way in our lives: whenever we lift our hands in prayer we will prevail, but when we stop praying, we lose. Don't grow weary in prayer, but allow the Lord to help you pray for victory in every area of your life.

In 2 Chronicles 20, Moab and Amon came to battle against Judah, and King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast in the land. 2 Chronicles 20:4 says, "And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD." The first thing to do when you are in spiritual warfare is to ask help from the Lord. The Lord reminded them, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15). God wants to fight our battles for us. All we have to do is go to him in prayer and ask for his help.

To be continued.

A Book You'll Actually Read

Clear, biblical answers to some of the most common questions. Mark Driscoll boils down the big ideas into little books.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others."—Richard J. Foster

5 Areas for Intercessory Prayer

There are five major areas of intercession that we should pray for in our daily prayer life. Each one represents a circle of influence and authority that God gives us to pray for. When praying we should start with the first area and then work our way down to the last.

1. Our Families & Friends. In Acts 16:31 the word for household refers to our circle of influence. Begin to pray for your friends and families that God would move in their lives. Intercession is about our responsibility to pray for others and that begins with those closest to us.
2. Our Church. The next area that we should pray for is the church. Practically every one of Paul's letters opens with a personal prayer for the church. In Romans 1:9 Paul reminds the church, "God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you." We should pray daily for our churches, church workers, pastors and leaders. These people have a great burden to bear.



3. The City. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that we should, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). In other words, we will be blessed by praying for the blessing of our community or city. Don't give up on your city, but pray that Jesus would be glorified in your city.
4. Our Nation. Nehemiah was a man who had a great burden to bring revival and restoration to Israel. He prayed, "Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants" (Nehemiah 1:6). God heard his prayers and brought restoration to the land, and he promises to hear our prayers for your nation.
5. Our World. Lastly, we should pray for the people and governments of the world. Although you may never leave your country, you can still have an influence in the lives of others across the world by praying for them. Remember, it is God's desire to save the elect. Ask the Lord to speak to you about a certain country that you should pray for. God promises to listen when we pray.

Re:Train

We are launching The Resurgence Training Center (Re:Train) to prepare leaders for ministry locally and around the world. Additional details and downloadable application form here.

Prayer series: Click | View Series

"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others."—Richard J. Foster

Paul's Teaching on Intercessory Prayer

The apostle Paul is a great example of an intercessor. He was a man who lived and died by prayer. Even when living in a Roman prison and facing his certain death, he never ceased to pray for others. From the time of his Damascus experience and conversion, he was an intercessory prayer warrior. His letters were bathed with prayer for others. He prayed for his fellow Christian brothers and sisters, for kings and individuals in authority, and he even prayed for those who were trying to kill him.

His letters also contain some of the best biblical teaching on prayer. We should be "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18). Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

One of the best passages in Paul's letters about intercessory prayer says:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:1-4).

5 Essentials of Intercessory Prayer

There are several important things that we can learn from this passage about intercessory prayer.

1. Supplications. Supplications are specific requests to God for specific things. This means that when we pray we should be direct and specific. I suggest keeping a prayer list so that you will always know what to pray for and always remember when God answers your prayers.
2. Prayers. Prayers are general requests, offered to God at any time for anything and anyone. Sometimes we have to pray in generalities if we don't know specifics. Whether or not we know what to pray for, we can have the assurance that God already knows! I think the reason he wants us to pray specifically when we can is so we never forget that he is the answer.
3. Intercessions. Intercessions are coming to God with boldness and speaking with him about others. The heart of the biblical meaning of the word intercession is boldness. Don't forget that God is asking us to come to him with boldness! We can have the assurance that if he asks us to come boldly, he desires to answer our prayers.
4. Giving of thanks. Thanksgiving puts wings on our prayers and brings us into the presence of God. He loves to hear our thanksgiving. It opens his ears. We thank him in everything because we know that he's going to work out our situation for good!
5. Prayer for all people. Paul doesn't tell us just to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters, but to pray for all men and all those who are in authority. It makes a difference when we pray for both Christians and non-Christians.

To be continued.

Mars Hill Global

Serving the church and spreading the gospel. Help support this effort by giving to the Global Fund. More info at MarsHillGlobal.com.