Text:Matthew 6
Today I would like to discuss the key to powerful prayer. So many Christians today like they pray and pray but nothing happens. First of all, God is not a monkey that responds to the music of our prayers. He is God and God alone. The greatest hinderance to prayer is pride and we are full of pride and arrogance.
In Matthew 6 we see the command to pray. Christ says when you pray do not be like the world or the hypocrites. Instead pray correctly and Christ even gives us an example. I challenge you to look into how to pray correctly. Christ commands prayer for many different reasons. First, prayer is important, James 5:16. Second, Christ knew that His disciples were going to face suffering, trials as they face their enemy in battle every day. Christ was equipping the believers and still commands us to pray today.
The key to powerful prayer may not be fun. It may not be popular. The key will be a test at times but it is so very vital and I believe the church has missed it for a long time now. The key to powerful prayer is fasting. John Wesley said, “The man who never fasts is no more in the way of heaven than the man who never prays.” He also wrote in his journals something to the point that he was persuaded that a christian who understands the practice of fasting and does not fast will backslide just assuredly as the christian who understands the practice of prayer and does not pray.
The purpose of fasting is simple and to the point, it humbles us and allows God to then use us to work His plan. Humility is a choice, I Pet. 5:5, 6. God only puts us in situations that we can choose humility. John Bunyan wrote, “He that is down needs fear no fall. He that is low, no pride; He that is humble, ever shall have God to be his guide.”
Fasting can be done as a nation as in the book of Esther, or as a church in the book of Acts 13, 14, or personally as in Matthew 6. May the leadership of God’s people lead the way through being the example, Joel 2:4-17. Do not fall into the trap of consumerism and selfishness. May we humble ourselves through fasting, pray, and seek God’s face with full and true faith!