¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.  ²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.  ²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:18 – 22, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

We will continue to fan the flames of passion for prayer.  In pursuit of this objective, we can draw from our rich Christian heritage built over more than two millennia.  Last week, we considered thoughts on prayer from the Old and New Testaments.  This week we will consider thoughts from disciples of Jesus from the first century of Christianity to today.  We will hear from disciples of Jesus who have demonstrated a passion for prayer.    

Let’s start in the 4^th century AD and hear from Saint Augustine of Hippo.  Saint Augustine was a theologian born in North Africa in 354 AD (died in 430 AD).  He made many proclamations on the topic of prayer.  We will consider a small subset from one of Saint Augustine’s sermons (Sermon 65 on the New Testament) that addresses the important virtue of faith. Because it was written in a different era, the wording of the sermon may be a little strange but the message is powerful. Read the short passage below from St. Augustine a few times and let the message minister to you:

“The lesson of the Holy Gospel builds us up unto the duty of praying and believing, and of not putting our trust in ourselves, but in the Lord.. If faith fail, prayer perishes. For who prays for that which he does not believe?… So then that we may pray, let us believe; and that this same faith whereby we pray fail not, let us pray. Faith pours out prayer, and the pouring out of prayer obtains the strengthening of faith. Faith, I say, pours out prayer, the pouring out of prayer obtains strengthening even for faith itself.”

Bible Passage:

Please prayerfully read today’s Scripture passage and consider the questions below.      

Question:

• How would you summarize St. Augustine’s view on the relationship between faith and prayer?
• How does the relationship between faith and prayer impact your prayer life?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.  ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’  (Matthew 6:9 – 13, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Your one-word summaries of the four passages of Scripture yesterday serve as excellent reminders of how we should approach prayer.  Thanks for the thoughtful responses!

Today we turn to the prayer that has been called the “model prayer.”  A disciple of Jesus never tires of the Lord’s Prayer. It communicates something new each time you consider it deeply.  Take one more deep look today and focus on what the prayer tells us about Jesus’ priorities and agenda. 

Bible Passage:

Please prayerfully read today’s Scripture passage and use the words as the foundation for a conversation with God. After praying, consider the question below.   

Question:

If you were asked to list four things that the Lord’s prayer tells you Jesus really cares about, what four things would you list?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:5 – 7, New International Version)

²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:23 – 24, New International Version)

¹Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’  ⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”  ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1 – 8, New International Version)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

As was the case for the Old Testament, your comments about the New Testament were truly inspiring.  Thanks to all who shared!

As promised, we now turn our attention more specifically to Jesus.  Unquestionably, Jesus viewed prayer as essential for His disciples.  He lived a prayerful life (perfect example), He encouraged prayer, and He taught extensively about prayer.  One of Jesus’ key prescriptions for prayer is, of course, the Lord’s prayer, which we will consider tomorrow.  Today, we will reflect on a few other key instructions Jesus gave His disciples about prayer.  Our reflections are meant to encourage us to pray more.  As author and pastor, Jim Cymbala, once said, “The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray. And the more we sense a need to pray, the more we want to pray.” 

Bible Passages:

Today we have four Scripture passages in which Jesus provides prayer instructions.  Each of the passages require diligent study for full understanding.  However, even without detailed study, the primary focus of each passage should be readily discernible.  Please prayerfully read the Scripture passages above and consider the question below.     

Question:

We are going to play a word game.  For each of the passages above, you are allowed to pick one word which you believe best captures the primary sentiment of Jesus’ teaching in the passage.  What are your four words?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  ³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  (Luke 2:25 – 32, New International Version)

²³ On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  ²⁶ The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’  ²⁷ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸ They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  ³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.  (Acts 4:23 – 31, New International Version)

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  (Ephesians 3:14 – 19, New International Version)

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelations 4:10 – 11, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Your thoughts on the Old Testament passages yesterday were heartwarming. Thanks!

Today, we will perform the same task for the New Testament, but we will exclude prayers by Jesus, because we will deal with those later.  Just as we saw with the Old Testament, the New Testament is replete with passionate prayers. 

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes had the following tag line in some commercials: “Taste them again for the first time.”  The objective of the advertisers was to entice customers to become excited about a cereal that they had gotten so familiar with that they forgot how good it tasted.  Sometimes we are blasé about passages of Scripture that we have become familiar with.  As we consider the prayers in the New Testament today, may the Holy Spirit inspire us to “taste them again for the first time.” 

Bible Passages:

Our Scripture passages for today reflect prayers from Simeon, the Early Church, the Apostle Paul, and the twenty-four elders in Revelation.  This is just a small sample of the prayers from the Gospels through to Revelation that reflect a passion for God. 

Please prayerfully read the Scripture passages above and consider the questions below.     

Questions:

• What inspiration do you take from the above prayers?
• Apart from the passages above and prayers by Jesus, are there any New Testament prayers that inspire you to pray?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”  ¹² As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” (1 Samuels 1:10 – 14, New International Version)

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  ² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 135:1 – 2, New International Version)

³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” ³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. (1 Kings 18:36 – 38, New International Version)

¹⁷ “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9:17 – 19, New International Version)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the biblical evidence that supports the claim that Jesus loved prayer!  When we consider the love between Father and Son, the evidence you provided was convincing but not surprising. 

Before we consider prayer in the Old Testament today, a brief discussion about the definition of prayer is appropriate.  For 40 Days of Discipline, we have considered prayer the avenue for “ongoing communion with God” (from Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster).  While we recognize that there are many other definitions of prayer, we will continue to use the definition above and discuss other relevant definitions that emerge from our deliberations.

From Adam’s conversations with God in the Garden of Eden to the prayers of the prophets of Israel, all segments of the Old Testament include stories of men and women who were passionate about God and exhibited their passion in prayer.  We have selected a small subset of the many prayers in the Old Testament that serve as reminders of the rich heritage of passionate prayer that disciples of Jesus inherit. 

Bible Passages:

Our Scripture passages for today reflect prayers from Hannah, David, Elijah, and Daniel.  The respectful intimacy in these prayers is palpable.

Please prayerfully read the Scripture passages above and consider the questions below.     

Questions:

• What inspiration do you take from the above prayers?
• Apart from the passages above, are there any Old Testament prayers that inspire you to pray?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5 – 8, New International Version, emphasis added)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Over the next two weeks, we will turn our attention to the relationship between disciples of Jesus and the discipline of Prayer.   There are many avenues we can go down where this topic is concerned but we will focus on fanning the flames of passion for prayer, because disciples should be passionate about conversations with God.  Consistent with this focus, we will perform high-level reviews of prayer in the Old and New Testaments with our antennas tuned to lessons that strengthen our love for communicating with God.     

Today, we pause to reflect on our passion for prayer.    Unfortunately, passion for prayer is often lacking in Christians for a variety of reasons.  An extensive Pew Research Center survey conducted about a decade ago found that approximately 30 percent of Christians do not pray daily.   I suspect that the result hasn’t changed materially since then.  If loving to pray was a crime and we were charged, I wonder if we would be found guilty.

Bible Passage:

Matthew chapter 6 contains the model prayer for Jesus’ disciples, which we will get to later in the week. For now though, we will focus on a few verses earlier in the chapter that highlight the fact that Jesus assumes His disciples pray. We can proceed with confidence that Jesus’ disciples are expected to pray. In today’s passage, we also note that those who were chastised (the hypocrites and the pagans) appear passionate, but their passion is for themselves and their speech, not for God.

Please prayerfully read the Scripture passages above and consider the question below.     

Question:

As we explore the discipline of prayer, think about how Jesus related to prayer during His earthly ministry.  What evidence would you provide from the Bible in support of the fact that Jesus loved praying?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8 – 11, New International Version)

Theme:  The Local Church

Context:

It was really helpful to read the feedback on the passage yesterday.  Thanks! 

As we close out our consideration of the Discipline of Prayer in the local church we will reflect on the impact of corporate prayer as attested to by the Apostle Paul. 

Bible Passage:

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 1:8 – 11 (presented above).  Please take note of Paul’s strong link between the prayers of the church and the continued deliverance of those labouring in ministry.

Question:

There are many places around the world where God’s ministers are enduring tremendous pressure.  What strategies do you employ, or can you employ to ensure your local church is helping by praying?