How to Pray and Fast God's Way: Cultivating Intimacy with God
When it comes to our spiritual lives, many of us have "springs out of place" - areas where we're not following God's design. What we need today more than ever is to elevate God's Word, which serves as the owner's manual for our lives. In Matthew 6, Jesus provides clear instructions on how to pray and fast in a way that pleases God rather than impressing others.
Do You Have a Private Place of Prayer?
Jesus begins His teaching on prayer with a powerful contrast. He warns against praying like the hypocrites who love to be seen praying in public places. Instead, He instructs us to "go into your private room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret."
Jesus Himself modeled this behavior. Every morning, He would rise early and go to a desolate place to pray. Other biblical figures like Elisha and Daniel also had private places of prayer. This wasn't just a suggestion - it was their spiritual lifeline.
The promise attached to this practice is remarkable: "Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." God honors those who seek Him sincerely in private, not those who pray to impress others.
What Does "Our Father" Really Mean?
When Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father in heaven," He was introducing a revolutionary concept. Notice there are no singular pronouns in the Lord's Prayer - they're all plural. When we pray "Our Father," we're joining with believers throughout history and around the world today.
Jesus used the word "Father" ten times in the first 18 verses of Matthew 6, emphasizing this intimate relationship. For some, the concept of "Father" brings positive associations. For others, like those who experienced absent or abusive fathers, this concept needs healing.
The beautiful truth is that our heavenly Father is the safest person to be real with in the whole world. He knows us, loves us, and pursues us. Despite being the creator of the universe, He knows each of us intimately - even the number of hairs on our head.
When we pray, we're not addressing "the man upstairs" but the creator who knit us together and made us in His image. We can approach Him with both reverence ("hallowed be your name") and intimacy (Romans 8:15 tells us we can cry "Abba, Father" - essentially "Daddy").
What Does "Your Kingdom Come" Mean for Today?
When we pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we're asking for God's rule to be established here on earth. Imagine visualizing the entire planet, every inhabited continent being covered in the blood of Jesus, with every person submitting to His lordship.
As Robert Law wisely said, "Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man's will done in heaven, but for getting God's will done on earth."
Why Do We Pray for "Daily Bread"?
It's significant that Jesus taught us to pray for "daily bread," not weekly or monthly provisions. This teaches us dependence on God for our immediate needs. Jesus Himself is our living bread, our manna from heaven.
Many of us find ourselves in the "fourth quarter" of difficult situations, where if God doesn't come through, it's over. That's precisely why we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."
Why Is Forgiveness So Central to Prayer?
The cross has both a vertical beam (representing our relationship with God) and a horizontal beam (representing our relationships with others). Jesus makes it clear that these dimensions are connected: "If you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses." (Matthew 6:14-15)
This doesn't mean unforgiveness causes us to lose salvation. Rather, harboring unforgiveness inhibits the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and stifles our fellowship with God. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us to forgive "just as God also forgave you in Christ."
How Do We Resist Temptation Through Prayer?
When we pray "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one," we're acknowledging our three enemies: Satan, the world, and our flesh. As Adrian Rogers wisely noted, "In temptation, Satan seeks to get you to meet a legitimate need in an illegitimate way."
We're asking for God's protection as we navigate a broken world. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:15, "I'm not praying that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one."
The enemy is intensifying his attacks as his time grows short. But we don't walk in our own strength - we walk in the power of the empty tomb. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today.
How Can I Take My Prayer Life to the Next Level?
Here are three practical steps to elevate your prayer life:
- Embrace the gift of slow - Remove digital distractions, get into God's Word, and journal your journey. Allow silence and solitude to become part of your daily rhythm.
- Practice God's presence throughout the day - Don't treat your quiet time as a closed container. Leave the lid open and let what God shows you overflow into your day. Like Brother Lawrence, the 17th-century monk who practiced God's presence while washing dishes, maintain an ongoing conversation with God.
- Allow private prayer to sensitize your eyes - Living the Christian life without prayer is like watching a 3D movie without glasses. When you spend time in prayer, God gives you a lens through which to see His activity throughout the day.
What Does Biblical Fasting Look Like?
Jesus addresses fasting with the same principle as prayer - it should be done for God, not for show. "When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that your fasting isn't obvious to others, but to your Father, who is in secret."
Scripture mentions fasting about 30 times in the New Testament, primarily referring to abstaining from food. But you can also fast from:
- Sugar
- Technology
- Social media
- Your current pace
- Screens (as a family)
The purpose of fasting is to create space so that you hunger for God. It's not about obtaining the applause of others but cultivating intimacy with God.
Life Application
This week, commit to establishing or strengthening your private place of prayer. Choose a specific location and time where you can meet with God daily without distractions. Begin praying through the Lord's Prayer slowly and thoughtfully, pausing to reflect on each phrase.
Consider implementing a simple fast this week - perhaps from social media, desserts, or another area where abstaining would create more space for God in your life.
Ask yourself:
- Do I have a consistent private place where I meet with God?
- Am I praying to be seen by others or to cultivate intimacy with God?
- Is there someone I need to forgive to restore both my horizontal and vertical relationships?
- What one change could I make this week to deepen my prayer life?
Remember, the goal isn't religious performance but walking so closely with God that you can hear even the echo of His whisper.
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To watch the full message from Dr. Stephen Trammell from Sun, Sep 14 on Reading the Owner's Manual: Praying and Fasting God's Way, go here.