The Importance of Prayer and Fasting
Psalms 5:3: “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
The psalmist who penned Psalm 5:3 models the attitude we should have when we pray—that of eager expectation. We should believe God will answer our prayers and diligently watch for his hand at work. The psalmist also shows us that when we pray early in the day, we have the rest of the day to anticipate God’s answer.
As we anticipate Gods response we must monitor our communication that comes inward. It is often said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Holy Spirit in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again, the life of the Holy Spirit is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished on a continual basis. This fast is to encourage a deeper prayer and meditation life.
With all of the distractions in life, what are some ways I can nourish the Holy Spirit in my life so that i can wait in peace for Gods response?
A Morning Prayer
“Dear Lord, I give you my hands to do Your work; I give You my feet to go Your way; I give You my eyes to see as You see; I give You my tongue to speak Your words; I give You my mind that You may think in me; I give You my spirit that You may pray in me. Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me – love the Father and love all humankind. I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and prays in me. Amen.
Occasions of prayer and fasting in the Bible:
Praying for health
"David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground" (2 Samuel 12:16)
Praying for safety
"There, by the Ahava Canal, I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions" (Ezra 8:21).