PRAYER RESPONDING WITH THE FAITHFUL

Prayer and Fasting Month, January 2015

Introduction “The best way to learn how to pray is to pray with people who know how to pray.” I do know know whether my friend originated this quote or passed it along, but I have not forgotten it since our weekly prayer meetings during college. We can read books about prayer, attend seminars on prayer, and talk with one another about prayer, but the primary way we nurture our prayer life is to pray. And the most effective way we grow in this area is to pray with those who already have deep, rich prayer lives. In his kindness, God has recorded numerous prayers of individuals and groups that model how we should interact with him. Of course, there is the book of Psalms that could simply be called a collection of prayers. Along with these there are, throughout the narrative of God’s people, examples of Godward pleas embedded in the messiness of life. This guide aims to explore the prayers of the returned exiles in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 9-10), Daniel (Daniel 9), Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), and Jesus (Matthew 6). The contexts in which these prayers are found are as diverse as the circumstances of our lives today. One involves a group of people recommitting themselves to walk in God’s ways after a season of disobedience. Another comes from a man confessing not only his own sins but also the sins of his people. In another, a sudden, unexpected event causes fear and alarm, driving God’s people to their knees. Yet, as distinct as these circumstances are from one another, the prayers that emerge from them are strikingly similar. It is no coincidence that this pattern is reinforced by Jesus when he teaches his disciples to pray. All four prayers have another common component. Not only do they share similar content, they are also accompanied by the common context of fasting. In all three Old Testament texts, the prayers emerge out of a season of fasting and seeking God’s face. Jesus’ teaching about prayer is immediately followed by his instructions about “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). Fasting is a clearing of the schedule, a removal of all distractions that would keep us from throwing ourselves wholly on God’s mercy. In Biblical times it primarily concerned abstinence from eating. In our day, many of us would gladly skip a meal or two before giving up other distracting factors in our lives, whether a hobby or, most likely, something to do with a screen or social media. So as this new year begins, ask God to direct you in the what and when of your fasting. It could be skipping breakfast and lunch every Tuesday, staying off of your devices after work each evening, or perhaps listening to Scripture instead of the radio in the car. Whatever it is, this is not abstinence for its own sake. Rather, this is creating space in which you can, without distraction, seek the Lord using the prayers from his word. My hope for this month of prayer and fasting is that it would set a trajectory for the rest of the year. If you are like me, your prayer life needs deepening and increased consistency. You need a break from the bustle– much of it self-induced–to be still before the Lord. You need to recommit yourself to walking faithfully with the God who is always faithful to his people. For these reasons and more, I ask you to join me in seeking God through prayer and fasting this January. Make space in your schedule. Strip down your distractions. Work slowly through the pages in this guide. Write down what God teaches you and chronicle your questions, doubts, and fears. Begin the year nurturing a heart that responds to both external events and indwelling sin by looking to God for help. Join these saints of old in all their imperfections and desperation. Pursue God with all your heart. Pastor Chris

Week 1: Prayer of Resolve to Walk in God’s Ways Returned exiles [Nehemiah 9-10] 1. Introduction The books of Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle the return of Judean exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. King Cyrus’ proclamation to not only send his captives home but also to fund the rebuilding of their temple was historically unprecedented and divinely inspired. Yet the return to life in the Promised Land was fraught with challenges and setbacks. While many of these involved local leaders whose power was threatened by this resettlement, one of the most significant hurdles was the commitment of God’s people to walk again in the ways of Yahweh. The prayer of the people recorded in Nehemiah 9-10 flowed from their response to God’s word. This grants us an enormous insight into the nature of prayer. Prayer is not us making the first contact Godward; prayer is our response to what God has already spoken. All of our prayers– whether confession, adoration, request for help, or thanksgiving–all flow from what God has first accomplished and said. Note the order in Nehemiah 9:3: “they…read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.” This informs the approach of this prayer guide. Each day we will meditate on a particular portion of Scripture then allow that word to inform our words to God. What to look for: This is a very long prayer that treks through Israel’s history. • Use today’s reading to get a sense of the overall picture of the prayer. • Especially pay attention to where the prayer lands in chapter 10 as a resolve to walk in God’s ways. • Read the accounts of God’s past faithfulness in light of this final emphasis, asking why they would articulate this summary of God and history on the way to expressing their commitment to faithful obedience. Text to read: Nehemiah 9:1-38, 10:28-39 Your prayer today: After reading such a long prayer, respond to God regarding the parts of the prayer that most impacted you. As you prepare to pause over individual portions of this prayer in the days to come, ask God to highlight areas of your life where you need to resolve to walk in his ways and observe his commandments more faithfully.

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2. Recounting God’s faithfulness throughout history What to look for: Beginning from before creation–“from everlasting to everlasting”–the people recite back to God his attributes (such as glory, exaltation, power, faithfulness) that have been on display throughout his engagement with his chosen people. As you read through the historical timeline, write down some of the attributes of God that stand out to you the most. Text for meditation: Nehemiah 9:5-25 Your prayer today: Using the people’s prayer as a model, pray through your own history from the time God called you to himself through the present. Use some of the attributes mentioned in this prayer to highlight his attributes that you have experienced in your spiritual journey.

3. Honest assessment of past rebellion What to look for: The people are brutally honest about Israel’s past rebellion against God. Look for the vivid language they use to describe this and consider your own story of rebelling against God. Which phrases apply to your history of rejecting God’s authority? Text for meditation: Nehemiah 9:16-17, 26-31 Your prayer today: Walk through your own seasons of rebellion against God and confess how you have disregarded his ways. Be honest about the consequences of your disobedience. Allow your heart to pause over these cycles of rebellion and rescue, mindful of the cross of Jesus that makes your restoration possible.

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4. Crying out to God for mercy What to look for: In spite of the cycles of rebellion in their past, the people of God cry out to God for mercy without making excuses for their sin. Observe the attributes of God that the people highlight at the beginning of this prayer and sprinkled throughout it. Note the current state of affairs the people bemoan at the end. Text for meditation: Nehemiah 9:32-37 Your prayer today: What relief do you need in your life, whether from besetting sins or difficult circumstances? Do you feel the freedom to cry out to God for mercy in spite of your past failures? If not, allow your attention to rest on the character of God spelled out in verse 32. Then ask him for help and for aid in trusting his good purposes for you.

5. Resolve to walk in God’s ways What to look for: This great prayer is ultimately a prayer of commitment to walk faithfully with God. • As you read through this final portion of the prayer (the reading skips the list of those who made this commitment), notice the steps of obedience that accompany their resolve at the beginning of the text. • Also note the action words in verse 29 that give the force of the commitment. • Then observe the particular outworking of that dedication throughout the remainder of the prayer. Text for meditation: Nehemiah 10:28-39 Your prayer today: As Gentile followers of Jesus, we are not bound to many of the specific details of the law that made up this commitment (see Acts 15). Yet our call to observe God’s commands is as crucial to our relationship with God as it was for Israel. Jesus commissioned his disciples to teach new disciples “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Pray that the Holy Spirit would show you which areas of obedience to Jesus need recommitment in your life. As you vocalize your resolve to God, take into account his great character of power, faithfulness, goodness, and mercy that have been highlighted throughout Nehemiah 9-10.

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Week 2: Personal and Corporate Confession of Sin Daniel [Daniel 9] 1. Introduction Daniel was part of the generation that was extracted from Jerusalem and exiled to Babylon during the Babylonian Captivity. The book of Daniel records how God blessed the obedience of faithful Israelites even in a foreign land. Each account of these blessings, whether over Daniel or his three friends, climaxes with a foreign king proclaiming the ultimate reign of Israel’s God over all the earth. From the time that God threatened exile to his disobedient people, he also promised that there would be a return from the exile. Prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah were instrumental in these pronouncements, and it is Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years of exile to which Daniel refers in 9:2. Daniel’s prayer of confession flows from the awareness not only of the promised return to Jerusalem but also to his people’s disobedience that led to their exile in the first place. Again we see prayer as a response to God’s word. As early as the Law of Moses–nearly 1,000 years earlier–God had threatened expulsion from the Promised Land if his people continued in disobedience. The prophets gave fresh reminders of God’s word, yet Daniel’s generation and their forebears ignored their warnings (Daniel 9:6). Because Daniel was rooted in God’s word, he had clarity regarding both God’s character and what he needed to confess on behalf of God’s people. What to look for: Broadly speaking, Daniel’s prayer has two large sections–confession of Israel’s sin and a plea for God’s forgiveness and favor. As you read through the prayer, observe how each of these is expressed. Text to read: Daniel 9:1-23 Your prayer today: Do you share Daniel’s burden for the sins of those around you? If so, express that sorrow and frustration in a prayer of confession to God. If not, pray that God would open your heart to the corporate sins you need to confess–whether of your family, the church, or our nation.

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2. Confession of sin in light of God’s character What to look for: Confession does not occur in a vacuum. Confession responds to the reality of God’s moral perfection with an admission of our moral imperfection. Take note of the attributes of God Daniel highlights and the contrasting sinfulness of God’s people. It may be helpful to mark these with different colored pens or to make two lists in the space below. Text for meditation: Daniel 9:3-15 Your prayer today: Pause over the list of God’s perfect attributes. In light of who he is, confess ways in which you “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). After you have spent some time doing this, look to Jesus for forgiveness and receive the right standing with God he offers, being “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:24–25).

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3. Prayer for forgiveness and favor What to look for: After focusing at length on God’s holiness and the people’s sin, Daniel makes a series of petitions. Mark or list out the requests he makes. Note the way Daniel closes the prayer and what that tells us about God’s motivation in answering prayer. Text for meditation: Daniel 9:16-19 Your prayer today: As you pray for forgiveness and favor in your life, allow Daniel’s boldness to influence your prayers. Basing your prayers on God’s character and his pursuit of his own glory (Daniel 9:18-19), boldly ask him to move in your life and in the lives of those around you.

4. God answers What to look for: God graciously records his unique and powerful answer to Daniel’s prayer. As you read this narrative, note the spiritual warfare and activity that Daniel’s prayer activates. Also note God’s heart of love for Daniel, as relayed by the angel. Text for meditation: Daniel 9:20-23, 10:1-21 Your prayer today: Spend some time soaking in the magnitude of what happens when God’s people cry out to him in repentance and petition. Thank God for how he responds to prayer, and ask him for patience when you find yourself in the “three weeks” between making your request and hearing an answer.

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Week 3: A Desperate Plea for Rescue King Jehoshaphat [2 Chronicles 20] 1. Introduction Reading the accounts of Israel’s kings can be discouraging. After Saul, David, and Solomon reigned over a unified people, the kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, Judah. Not one northern king is recorded to have walked faithfully with Yahweh. The story in the south was bleak as well, but a few kings shined with humble dependence and spiritual courage. Jehoshaphat was one of those kings. Though he was far from perfect, the events of 2 Chronicles 20 revealed his instinct to turn to God for aid before looking to his own military, economic, or diplomatic resources. In contrast, other kings who did not trust Yahweh made unholy alliances with other nations or tried to fight impossible battles out of a prideful refusal to seek God’s help. What to look for: As you take in the whole scope of this event, imagine this happening in modern times. Think of how foolish some would consider it to immediately go to the prayer room instead of the situation room. Note Jehoshaphat’s responses and imagine how you might respond in the same event. Text to read: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 Your prayer today: Jehoshaphat’s response of prayer and fasting and his obedience to the prophet’s words required tremendous trust in the power of God to save. Spend some time affirming your trust in God and asking him to deepen and strengthen your trust in his ability to accomplish his purposes.

2. Meditation on God’s character What to look for: As we have seen in the previous prayers, Jehoshaphat’s prayer begins with God. He focuses on his attributes, the history of his faithfulness to his people, and his promises. Take note of the unique way Jehoshaphat articulates each of these. Text for meditation: 2 Chronicles 20:5-9 Your prayer today: Dwell on God’s character and express your heart to him in adoration and worship. Do this with the prayer that looking to him will become more automatic for you as you face pressing needs.

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3. Assessing the situation What to look for: To a skeptic, Jehoshaphat’s initial focus on Yahweh and his history of faithfulness may come across as a disconnect from reality. Yet the following verses of the prayer display how the king is grounded both in the greater reality of God’s reign and in the specific reality of the moment. Note how the king assesses both the situation and his army’s capacity to address it. Text for meditation: 2 Chronicles 20:10-12 Your prayer today: Assess situations in your life that are pressing in on you. Speak truthfully about the pain, confusion, or fear they create. Now pan out to the greater reality of God’s power and promises and express your dependence on him for strength and deliverance.

4. God answers What to look for: Like we saw in Daniel 9-10, God answers his people’s prayer decisively and powerfully. As you read this account, note how much faith God’s answer required and the overwhelming blessings he bestowed on his faithful people. Text for meditation: 2 Chronicles 20:13-30 Your prayer today: Think of a situation in your life where you need to “Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf ” (2 Chronicles 20:17). Using the account you just read, allow God’s faithfulness to fuel your trust in him and give thanks to him for the way he will answer your prayers (v. 21).

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Week 4: The Model Prayer Jesus [Matthew 6] 1. Introduction For three weeks we have observed a pattern in the prayers of God’s people. The prayers always begin with God, focusing on attributes such as his power, faithfulness, righteousness, and mercy. From that reality of who God is flows the confession of sin, request for help, and adoration. While we certainly have biblical warrant to follow this pattern of praying, these examples are given as historical narrative, not biblical command. However, in Jesus’ model prayer we have both example and command. He prefaces his model prayer with the charge, “Pray then like this” (Matthew 6:9). Then he gives us a structure of prayer that reinforces all that we learned from Nehemiah and the returned exiles, Daniel, and Jehoshaphat. What to look for: We will spend the next three sections pausing over the prayer itself. For now, focus on the broader context in which Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. Most of the text is ultimately about our motivation–the competing motivations of being seen by others and being seen by God, of treasure on earth and treasure in heaven. Observe how Jesus presents these motivations and the rewards associated with them. Text to read: Matthew 6:1-21 Your prayer today: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you examine the motives of your heart when it comes to prayer and fasting. Whose praise drives you? Where does your treasure lie? How does this affect your practices of prayer and fasting? Allow this to move you into any necessary confession, repentance, and request for purified motives.

2. Meditation on our Father in heaven What to look for: We will dwell on only four words: “Our Father in heaven.” Pause over these words– “Our,” “Father,” “in heaven.” What does this mean for how we pray and to Whom we are praying? Text for meditation: “Our Father in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Your prayer today: Allow your heart to rest in the reality of God being your Father, his reign over all in heaven, and your identity as one of his many children. Confess ways you struggle to believe in his paternal care and almighty rule. Ask for his help to rest more deeply in these truths.

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3. Connecting with God’s purposes What to look for: The next three phrases of Jesus’ model prayer use different words to articulate the same request. Meditate on each phrase to get the sense of its specific request then use your own words to summarize what they are all asking God to do. Text for meditation: “…hallowed be your name [or may your name be regarded as holy]. ! ! !Your kingdom come, ! ! ! your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10). Your prayer today: Think of your life as a series of concentric circles–yourself, your family, church family, neighborhood, city, nation, and world. Using these structures, pray Jesus’ prayers for God to be regarded as holy, submitted to as king, and joyfully obeyed. Begin with yourself and work outward to all the earth.

4. Making our requests known What to look for: Once we have acknowledged God as Father and King and aligned our hearts with his desire to be glorified globally, Jesus invites us to make our needs known. Read over the phrases below multiple times and observe the categories of needs Jesus models. As you do, consider how the previous portions of the prayer (acknowledging God and his global purposes) affect the way you make these needs known. Text for meditation: “Give us this day our daily bread, ! ! ! and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ! ! ! And lead us not into temptation, ! ! ! but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:11–13) Your prayer today: Often the aim of our prayers for ourselves and others is comfort or ease. As you pour out the needs of your heart to your Father, do so with his reverence and honor being the ultimate aim. Express your physical, financial, relational, and spiritual needs to him. Strive to pray with the confidence that flows from knowing God as your Father who loves you and the almighty King who will be glorified in all the earth.

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