[Tuesday's Devotional] - Resolving to pray (and fast)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

 

Prayer is fundamental to the life of the disciple – as it was to Jesus.  Prayer is communication with God.  Jesus prayed often, sometimes alone, sometimes with a few of the disciples.  Do you have a regular pattern of prayer in your daily life?  You might find it helpful to set aside a short time each day – perhaps first thing in the morning, or at 1pm if that suits your lunchtime routine, or in the evening as you go to bed.  It is good to have a routine that includes prayer – and if the time fits well into your life, it can become a habit which means it is more likely to happen regularly.  You could start with a modest goal of 5-10 minutes in prayer on a daily basis.  Many short prayers in the course of the day might be easier and more manageable to your daily routine than one hour-long session!

 

Is there something significant that you are praying for currently?  Perhaps you should consider adding fasting to your routine.  Your fast might mean giving up one meal or skipping food for 24 hours – it doesn’t have to last for 40 days.  In our culture of instant satisfaction, the experience of hunger might be something we are unfamiliar with.  When we are hungry, we are used to feeding the hunger instantly – not everyone is able to do the same, and hunger or self-denial can be used to help achieve a stronger edge to your prayers.

 

Our Small Group has been studying the Prayer Course which was produced by Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), the church that developed the Alpha Course.  If you are interested, you can register here: http://www.prayercourse.org/  to download the videos and the notes that help you to get the most from the material or lead the course in a group setting.  If you are not a member of a Small Group, perhaps 2015 might be the year to join one? 

 

Talk and listen to God in prayer today. Resolve to make prayer a regular part of your daily routine.  Why not also keep a prayer diary – where you record the things you have prayed for and look back to see how many have been answered?  The results can be very encouraging in building faith.

 

Oh Lord my Saviour, help me to develop a regular pattern of prayer so that I may draw closer to you each day this year.  Amen.

 

Dave MacLellan