Lesson 7: Prayer and Fasting

"What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer." [1]

► What error was E. M. Bounds trying to correct with the above statements?

The act of prayer makes a statement of dependence on God. A person who is too busy to pray thinks that his work is more important than the work God would do in response to his prayers.

Because we depend on the Holy Spirit, prayer is important for us. Paul asked people to pray for the spread of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 3:1, Colossians 4:3, Ephesians 6:19).

[1] E. M. Bounds, Power through Prayer, Accessed from https://ccel.org/ccel/bounds/power/power.I_1.html on January 13, 2023

► We know that prayer is important for the believer. What are some reasons it is especially important for a person who is an evangelist? [1]

rayer is important for the evangelist because:

1. The evangelist must be spiritually alive. Prayer is the breath of the soul. The evangelist leads others into a relationship with God that he already experiences.
2. The evangelist cannot sustain the right passion for ministry without spending time with God in prayer. Without prayer, a person trying to do evangelism will have the wrong motivations (maybe seeking personal success or enjoying argument).
3. The evangelist must depend on the Holy Spirit to convict the unbeliever and give him the desire to be forgiven. Evangelism is not a human effort alone. The evangelist relies on the power of the Holy Spirit. Human reasoning alone cannot cause a sinner to admit his guilt and desire to seek God (John 16:8, John 6:24).
4. The evangelist depends on God to anoint his use of the scripture (Romans 1:16, Isaiah 55:11).
5. The evangelist needs God’s guidance in his ministry (Acts 11:12).

[1] “If your desire for learning exceeds your desire for souls, stop and pray until your desire for souls exceeds your desire for learning.”
- William Smith

A Personal Prayer Life

Every believer should be faithful in daily prayer, and the importance is even greater for a person who wants to be effective in evangelism. [1]

He should have a special time each day that he spends alone with God. If possible, he should be in a private place. He may need to get up early so he can pray without distraction before the busyness of the day. If he cannot make his special prayer time early, he should still take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to talk to God.

He should read some scripture every day and meditate on it, praying for God to fulfill the truth of it in his life.

A Prayer List

It is good to list the things we should pray about. Otherwise, we probably are not remembering some of the important things. We should be praying for the worldwide spread of the gospel, especially into countries where followers of Christ are persecuted. We should be praying for the success of the gospel in our own country. We should pray that our own local church will accomplish God’s mission for our community. We should pray that God will help us personally to share the gospel effectively.

A list also helps a person pray at times when he has difficulty concentrating.

It is not necessary to use a prayer list every time you pray. Sometimes you feel the need to pray about certain things, and you can remember them without a list.

► What other things should be on a prayer list?

A List of Names for Prayer

Make a list of 10 people you know personally who need to be saved. These should be people that you are in contact with often. Commit to pray for them every day. Speak to them if God opens an opportunity; if there is no opportunity to speak to them, continue to pray. Many people who have done so have testified that within a year some of the people on their prayer list were saved.

Prayer Partners

It is good for a believer to have a friend to pray with regularly. They should share needs and victories together. They could meet every week, or more often.

A husband and wife may pray together this way; but it is good if the husband also has a man to pray with, and the wife has a woman to pray with as a prayer partner.

► What experiences do class members already have with prayer partners?

The Prayer Walk

A prayer walk may be done because a ministry feels a responsibility for the people of a neighborhood. A group or individual walks through the area praying for its needs. The prayer may be silent. They may talk to people they meet, but the primary purpose of the walk is prayer. A prayer walk may be done at the beginning of ministry in an area or later.

The Prayer Station

Some churches have set up a temporary prayer station in a public place where many people are passing. They put up a sign that says “Prayer Station,” and offer to pray with people who are passing. They ask, “Do you have a need that you would like for me to pray about?” They show concern for needs and do not start arguments. Often they have the opportunity to share the gospel.

► What would be a good place for a prayer station in your area?

Biblical Prayers

The prayers prayed by Jesus and the apostles show us things that we should pray, because we know that they prayed in the will of God. Here are three examples.

The Lord’s Prayer: In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gave a model prayer for his disciples. We should pray these words, but we should also pray in general with these priorities.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians: In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul prayed for the spiritual establishment of the believers. We should pray the same for ourselves and others.

The Harvest Prayer: In Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus wanted his disciples to share his compassion for the lost and pray that God would send workers into the spiritual harvest.

[1]“The men upon whose shoulders rested the initial responsibility of Christianizing the world came to Jesus with one supreme request. They did not say, ‘Lord, teach us to preach,’ ‘Lord, teach us to do miracles,’ or ‘Lord, teach us to be wise’ …but they said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’”
- Billy Graham

The prayers prayed by Jesus and the apostles show us things that we should pray, because we know that they prayed in the will of God. Here are three examples.

The Lord’s Prayer: In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gave a model prayer for his disciples. We should pray these words, but we should also pray in general with these priorities.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians: In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul prayed for the spiritual establishment of the believers. We should pray the same for ourselves and others.

The Harvest Prayer: In Matthew 9:36-38, Jesus wanted his disciples to share his compassion for the lost and pray that God would send workers into the spiritual harvest.

Fasting is a means of setting our focus on the spiritual and eternal, away from the physical and temporal. It demonstrates that spiritual and eternal things are more important to us than physical and temporal things. This is a means of strengthening our faith.

► How is fasting different from a person starving himself to manipulate God to do something?

These are examples recorded in scripture of times when someone was so serious about having God’s intervention in his life that he fasted. These examples are chosen out of the many references in scripture simply to show that the Bible usually speaks favorably of fasting. In scripture, it is often mentioned as part of the explanation of why God did intervene.

► A student should read one of the scriptures below about fasting and the class should discuss the situation described in the passage.

Jesus said that the disciples would fast when he was no longer physically with them (Matthew 9:15, Luke 5:33-35). He instructed them about the proper approach to fasting. He said that fasting was not to be a demonstration for other people to see.

"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)."

Some believers in the early church fasted a meal each Wednesday and Friday, besides scheduling annual fast days. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, and D. L. Moody all fasted much. John Wesley and the early Methodists were known for fasting. Every revival of lasting significance has begun with prayer and fasting.

► What people have you known who saw good results from fasting?

Jesus told the disciples that they had failed to help a demon-possessed man because of their unbelief. He then said, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:29). He implied that prayer and fasting are the means of achieving faith; and, therefore, the cure for unbelief. He did not mean that the disciples should begin fasting only when a crisis arises; he meant that regular prayer and fasting should be a part of their lives, so that they would have the needed faith to meet crises.

Reasoning from Jesus’ words and from the multitude of scriptural and historical examples of fasting, we could diagram the blessings that are available to us with a picture of a pyramid divided into several levels. The lower levels of blessings may be gained through the faith that we reach by prayer alone. The higher levels of blessings will be gained only by the faith that is reached through prayer and fasting together.

• Combine prayer and fasting so that fasting is not merely an outward act, but a renewal of spirituality and an extension of your faith.
• Fast with a motive of glorifying God and not for pride.
• As you pray and fast, seek for the will of God concerning your request.
• Do not substitute fasting for obedience.
• Do not harm your body.

► Discuss an activity of prayer and fasting to do together.

Fasting is not unhealthy if it is done properly. Actually, there are many benefits to health that come with regular fasting.

• Drink water during a fast. Do not fast from water.
• Begin by fasting one day. Gradually increase to longer periods. Have a week of normal diet between fasts of a day or more.

Periods of nausea or headaches are common for those who are not accustomed to fasting. If a person in good health fasts regularly, he will not usually have those symptoms after the first few times. A bad taste in the mouth and bad breath come because the body is ridding itself of toxic waste.

On a long fast, many of the uncomfortable symptoms stop after a few days.

• Break a long fast with juice, then light food.

(1) Consider what you will do to develop your own practice of prayer. Choose a time and an amount of time to reserve for prayer daily. Consider scheduling regular fasting.

(2) Read two of the passages about fasting. Write a good paragraph about each, explaining the situation and the result of fasting.