Why don’t I pray more?

I asked myself this question as I sat in Matt’s sermon this past week. Am I blind to the reality of the war in which I am engaged? Am I arrogantly operating under the façade of independence and self-sufficiency? Am I complacent or apathetic toward the beauty and glory of the God Who has graciously rescued and redeemed me? Am I too lazy, too proud, too tired, too bored, too busy, too amused, too entertained or too comfortable?

These thoughts drifted through my mind as I began to think of the problem and peril of prayerlessness in my own life and in the life of The Village Church. I do not know how much you pray, but I assume you want more.

In light of this hunger to be more prayerful, I want to provide some encouraging resources on the subject. I hope that these are helpful to you as you engage the Lord.

Desiring God Resources on Prayer
The Resurgence Resources on Prayer

Sermons:
Be Devoted to Prayer – John Piper
Prayer: The Work of Missions – John Piper

In addition, J.R. Vassar is currently in the midst of a sermon series on prayer called “Teach Us to Pray.” I have only listened to the first few sermons, but they have proven to be edifying.

Recommended Books:

Theology of Prayer:

Prayer Guides:

Prayer for the Nations:

Praying for your Family

• Water of the Word – Andrew Case
• Prayers of an Excellent Wife – Andrew Case
• Setting Their Hope in God – Andrew Case

Also, note that the disciplines (prayer, fasting, study, etc.) are all interconnected. We pray while we fast and fast so that we might better pray. We read the Scriptures to know what to pray and how to pray, we pray the Scriptures back to God, and we pray for help in reading the Scriptures. Therefore, it is helpful to understand not only prayer in particular, but also the disciplines in general. Here are some blogs regarding a few of the disciplines. For further study of the disciplines, I would recommend Donald Whitney’s book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

Scriptures to Consider and/or Pray Through:

• Psalm 42:1–2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
• Psalm 63:1–4 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
• Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
• Psalm 27:4–5 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
• Ephesians 6:10–20 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 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, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
• Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
• Hebrews 4:14–16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
• Matthew 6:5–15 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7And 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. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

  “Our Father in heaven,
  hallowed be your name.
  10Your kingdom come,
  your will be done,
  on earth as it is in heaven.
  11Give us this day our daily bread,
  12and forgive us our debts,
  as we also have forgiven our debtors.
  13And lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from evil.

  14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• Matthew 7:7–11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines

Is there any reason to pray for something more than once?

The Bible states that indeed there is. Not because God forgets our requests or because we reach a magical limit, but rather because it forces us to humble ourselves before Him for an extended season in asking for the help which He delights to give His children. God could certainly (and sometimes does) answer our initial requests, but He also sometimes tarries to discipline or test us for our good.

Based upon the entirety of Scripture, we should conclude that God both requires persistent prayer and responds to persistent prayer.

God Requires Persistent Prayer:

• Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant[1] in prayer.
• Ephesians 6:18 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…

Many other passages commend constant prayer. While these passages do not explicitly teach that we should repeatedly pray for the same thing over and over, I would argue that the general theme of prayer in the Scriptures should lead us to conclude that God indeed has required persistent prayer in areas in which we feel as though He has not yet answered our prayer.

There are times in which I believe it is appropriate to discontinue praying for a particular request, as when Paul appears to have ceased praying regarding the thorn in his side (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). That said, I would be very careful lest I simply discontinued praying out of laziness, apathy, or unbelief, and not because I genuinely felt as though the Lord had clarified His will on the matter.

God Responds to Persistent Prayer:

We see God’s response to repeated requests in the ministry of Christ, particularly in His interaction with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matthew 15:22-28) and in His own repeated requests in the garden (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46).

As for His teaching on the subject, we could consider “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” of Luke 18:1-8 (Luke 11:5-13 contains some helpful direction as well).

Contextually, the parable is dealing with the petition of God’s children for justice (18:7-8) within the sphere of the tribulation of the coming kingdom (17:20-37). Therefore, there is a primary application of the text within the context of persecution, but the purpose of the parable appears to be wider in application than simply suffering. As the text says it was told in order to commend constant prayer and to encourage failing hearts (18:1).

By the way, parables are pictures intended to express truths, but not every aspect of a parable should be forced back onto God or His kingdom. “Parables only partially overlap the realities they seek to reveal.”[2] In the context of this parable, though the Father and judge are alike in some ways (both respond to repeated requests), they are also unlike. Our Father delights in our prayers and is not “beaten down” by them as the judge appeared to be (18:5). The character of God within this passage is actually contrasted with that of the unjust judge as He displays mercy, patience, and eagerness to help those “who cry to Him day and night.”

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[1] The word translated “constant” by the ESV is proskartereo which literally means “to attach oneself to, wait on, or persist at.”

[2] Klyne R. Snodgrass, “Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus.”

Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines

As a follow-up to the previous post on fasting, I wanted to formulate an answer to one of the comments on whether or not fasting is required for believers. This is my attempt at such a response.

The greatest good for a believer is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29) from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). By this, God is glorified in us and our souls should be satisfied in Him. Our ultimate desire should be for the glory of Christ to be reflected, especially through our growth in godliness.

…train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Paul commanded Timothy to train himself for godliness and surely this command should be extended to all believers today. The verb translated “train” is gymnazo and the noun translated “training” in verse 8 is the related gymnasia. As you can probably see, this is the etymology of our English word “gymnasium.”

This root in the Greek literature was often used in reference to the athletic competitions which were common in that culture. Training of this sort often involved exercising without clothes,[1] since clothes would have served as a hindrance to the competition (imagine trying to run a marathon in high heels for an extreme example). This same imagery serves as the basis for the admonition of Hebrews 12:1 let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Notice that it is not just sin that we lay aside, but anything which weighs us down, entangles us, etc. Like the ancient runners, in order to not be entangled, we are to run the race naked (figuratively speaking, please do not show up this weekend sans clothes). At times this reality calls us to lay down our appetites, our technology, our media, etc.

Spiritual disciplines are not intended to enslave, but rather to liberate. They are aimed at freeing us from our natural inclination to self-interest, habits, fear, complacency, comfort, ease, etc. The runner who loves running does not see the shedding of his coat and tie as bondage, but rather as freedom to pursue his passion. In the same way, the believer should see the disciplines as means of finding the liberty to run the race of faith with less constriction.

Training in godliness, discipline, and self-control: these are all commands of Scripture and are thus the duty (and should be the delight) of the believer. Fasting is merely one of many means to pursue obedience for God’s glory and our joy.

Why wouldn’t we want to do it?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…

Titus 2:12

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[1] “A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature” (BDAG)

Spiritual Disciplines

Of fasting I say this: it is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body…But one should not fast with a view to meriting something by it as by a good work.
Martin Luther

Holy and lawful fasting has three objectives. We use it either to weaken and subdue the flesh that it may not act wantonly, or that we may be better prepared for prayers and holy meditations, or that it may be a testimony of our self-abasement before God when we wish to confess our guilt before him.
John Calvin

I discipline my body and keep it under control…
The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:27

Fasting is voluntary abstinence from something for a period of time for the sake of maturing in self-discipline. As the Calvin quote referenced, it has at least three primary objectives: to beat down the demands of the flesh, to prepare ourselves to hear from the Lord, and to recognize and manifest our dependence upon Him. Time which was spent consuming food, technology, media, etc. is now devoted more fully to prayer and meditation upon God’s word.

One of the most basic biblical insights, is that whatever controls and shapes one’s life is in effect the god one worships.
J.I. Packer

Biblically, fasts technically refer to abstaining from food, but we can and should fast from anything that can dull our hunger for God. This could include: TV, movies, radio, internet, sports, caffeine, dessert, work, possibly even sex with your spouse (see 1 Corinthians 7:5). Fasting is intended to remove those things which we typically and often subconsciously use to numb our lives to the weight and reality of the surpassing worth and glory of our Lord.

Food can become a god. Just ask the Israelites who complained against their Redeemer for lack of food (Numbers 11), or the Philippians who were told about some who set their minds on earthly things and worship their bellies (3:19).

An iPhone can become a god. Just leave it at home on accident and listen to your inner response.

All good things have the potential to be bad things if we are not careful. This is why Paul beat down his body. Not because he was an ascetic masochist, but rather because he saw the greater joy of knowing Christ and thus was willing to trade all lesser pleasures.

Fasting is a way to slow down and listen. Sound travels best when there is not much to dampen it. This particular discipline is a way to clear the clutter of our consumption so that the echo of the gospel will reverberate with a little more clarity.

Tips:

• Start small. One meal a week. Later move to one day a week.
• Stay hydrated.
• Expect lower energy levels.
• Though the Bible speaks about fasting in private (Matthew 6:16-18), it does so in the context of guarding against pride. It might be wise to tell your wife, kids, friends that you are fasting, especially if you are doing so for an extended period of time.
• Guard against pride (see passage above).
• Consult a doctor before attempting a longer fast, or if you have a relevant medical condition.
• Avoid legalism. This does not earn you God’s favor or force Him to answer of act.
• Use the time you would have spent consuming food or something else with feasting upon God in prayer and meditation.
• Persevere in the pain. It is supposed to be uncomfortable. Comfort is one of those good things that can become a bad thing!

Recommended Resources:

A Hunger for God: John Piper (available for free download here)

Celebration of Discipline: Richard Foster[1]

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life: Donald Whitney

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[1] Every time we reference Foster we get people who complain due to some areas of his theology. We are aware of certain areas of concern, but this particular book of his remains a really good resource on the necessity of disciplining ourselves for the sake of godliness. We should not ignore everything someone says just because we do not like some things he or she says.

Spiritual Disciplines

Joshua 1:8 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 good success.

Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The Hebrew word often translated “meditate” is interesting. It is used of the cooing of a dove (Isaiah 38:14) and the growling of a lion (Isaiah 31:4); it is used to refer to moans, groans, and muttering. The author is conveying within Joshua 1 and Psalm 1 the image of one who is quietly and consistently speaking God’s word to him or herself in hushed tones.

The Scriptures say that we are to meditate on God’s law and that we will be blessed if we do. Granted meditation is not strictly synonymous with memorization, but what better way to meditate on the Scriptures day and night than by having hidden those Scriptures in your heart and mind?

Scripture memorization has not always been a steady part of my pursuit of the Lord. When I was first converted, I took a rather undisciplined and sporadic approach to memorization, but soon faded in the practice. In seminary I would occasionally have a memorization assignment in which I would “have to” (it really is a privilege, but I doubt I thought of it that way at the time) memorize 10 or 20 verses dealing with various subjects and from various books and chapters of the Bible. Though such memorization was not initially all that difficult for me, retaining the passages for more than a couple of days was much more complex.

One of the helps that I have found to the problem of forgetting that which I have memorized is the tackling of larger blocks of Scripture. By memorizing chapters or entire books, I have found that I can actually remember much more than if I try to memorize a particular verse from Ephesians, another from Colossians, one from Romans, etc. In addition, I am forced to take into account the context of the passage rather than just a select section and thus guard to some degree against the danger of misapplication and proof-texting.

The system that I use is somewhat adapted from a chapter in John Piper’s “When I Don’t Desire God.” I will link to a really helpful resource below with an extended treatment of a similar system, but the gist of my method is as follows:

Day 1: Read Colossians 1:1 at least 10 times. Close your eyes and attempt to recite the verse from memory. Open your eyes when necessary and check the Scripture where you have questions. When you can perfectly recite it 10 times in a row without looking, then you are finished for the day. You will probably want to recite it a couple of times throughout the day (in the shower, while driving, between e-mails, etc.) and that should only take a few seconds or so each time.

Day 2: Recite Colossians 1:1 from memory. Read Colossians 1:2 at least 10 times. Close your eyes and attempt to recite 1:2 from memory. Check when necessary until you can recite it 10 times from memory.

Day 3: Recite Colossians 1:1-2 from memory. Read Colossians 1:3 at least ten times.

Repeat process from previous days.

Helpful hints:

• Concentrate on each and every word as you are attempting to memorize. Think about how it fits into the flow of the passage and its force within the verse. Every word is important or else it would not be in there.
• Pray through the verse once you have it memorized.
• Say the verse out loud throughout the day (meditate/murmur on it).
• I typically try to do 5 verses a week on average. That gives me two days to recall or shore up on a verse or two where I am weaker.
• Vary your cadence from day to day. Our brains have a way of remembering sounds without really considering the words and thus any variation can be helpful for us. You may even want to purchase MP3s or visit a website which has verse audio. The ESV has this function: if you enter a verse into the upper left hand corner of the page, it will link to a page with the text and an option to listen to audio. I tried Romans 8:1 and the reader sounded like R.C. Sproul to me.
• This is for your growth and edification. Don’t condemn yourself if you have to move more slowly than another. (And don’t exalt yourself if you memorize the entire book of Romans in 3 hours).

Here is an excellent resource on the value of memorization and some tools (“tools not rules” as we say in “How to Study the Bible”) for memorization. I do not do everything that he recommends (for instance, I don’t memorize verse numbers and I didn’t write out a contract to complete a book by a particular date, though those may help you), but I do think it has a lot of good and helpful information for you to consider.

In the end, the goal is to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Experiment and find particular practice that works for you and encourages you in your thirst for the word of the Lord.

Scripture, Spiritual Disciplines