Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the privilege of knowing You and experiencing Your presence. Teach us that You are greater than any blessing You can give. As we study Your Word, help us to pursue You through prayer and fasting, to hear Your voice, trust Your promises, and grow in intimacy with You. When problems come, teach us to turn our fear toward You and keep our eyes on You. May Your Spirit guide us and transform us to become more like Christ.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

EXODUS 33

14 And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.

Moses understood something very important: the greatest blessing is not the blessing of God—the greatest blessing is God Himself. Moses was saying, in effect, “Lord, if Your presence does not go with us, we do not want to go.” The presence of God is more valuable than anything God can give us. We can have success, possessions, health, position, and many other blessings, but none of these can compare with having God Himself. Once we have God, we have what matters most. If we have everything but do not have God, we ultimately have nothing. This is the heart of intimacy with God—not merely seeking His hand for what He can give, but seeking His face because He Himself is our greatest treasure.

There is a difference between knowing theologically that God is with us and becoming increasingly aware experientially of His presence. Theologically, God is always with His people. But intimacy means developing our relationship with Him so that we consciously seek Him, listen to Him, enjoy His presence, and depend upon Him. This requires discipline.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7 … discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

Paul gives us a command: discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. Discipline may sometimes feel like a duty. If we look at it merely as a duty, it can become boring and difficult. But when we understand the purpose, the duty can become a delight. The word translated “discipline” carries the idea of training, like an athlete exercising in a gymnasium. An athlete does not become strong simply by wishing to become strong. He trains. In the same way, Christianity is not automatic. Salvation is by grace, but spiritual maturity requires cooperation with God's work in our lives. Godliness means becoming more like Christ. Discipline is making yourself do what you do not naturally want to do so that you can become what God wants you to be.

PHILIPPIANS 2:12 …work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Paul tells believers to work out their salvation. He is not saying that we earn our salvation through works. Salvation is God's gracious gift. Rather, having been saved by Christ, we are to cooperate with the transforming work of God in our lives. Before coming to Christ, we developed sinful habits and patterns. When we come to Christ, God begins transforming our character, but we have a part to play. We need spiritual discipline.

Yet our discipline does not mean that we are doing everything by our own strength. Verse 13 gives us the balance: “It is God who is at work in you.” God gives us both the desire and the ability to pursue Him. Even our desire to pray, fast, read His Word, and know Him more deeply is evidence of God's work in us. Our role is to cooperate with Him. God invites us into intimacy, and spiritual disciplines are means by which we respond to that invitation.

THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is central because prayer brings us consciously into the presence of God. Prayer is not merely asking God to solve our problems. Prayer is coming before God Himself. When we pray, we turn our attention away from ourselves and toward Him. We worship Him, listen to Him, confess to Him, depend upon Him, and bring our concerns before Him.

THE DISCIPLINE OF FASTING

Fasting strengthens our focus on God by voluntarily setting aside something that competes for our attention. Andrew Bonar described fasting as abstaining from anything that hinders prayer. Richard Foster observed that fasting can reveal what controls us. Therefore, biblical fasting is not simply going without food. Its ultimate purpose is to seek God. If fasting becomes merely a way of getting what we want from God, we have missed its purpose. We do not fast primarily to obtain a blessing; we fast because we want God Himself.

2 CHRONICLES 20

1 Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

Jehoshaphat had done many things right. He had led reforms in Judah and sought to bring the people back to God. Yet trouble still came. This reminds us that following God does not mean that we will never experience problems. Sometimes problems come even when we are doing what is right. Some problems are the result of our own decisions, but many problems are not of our own doing.

The important question is not simply, “Why did this happen to me?” but “How can I use this situation as an opportunity to know God more?”

Jehoshaphat was afraid. Fear was real. But notice what he did with his fear: he turned his attention to seek the Lord. This is a powerful spiritual habit. We cannot always prevent fear from coming, but we can learn where to turn when fear comes. Instead of allowing fear to drive us into anxiety, we can allow fear to drive us toward God.

And notice that Jehoshaphat did not primarily seek a solution. He sought the Lord. This is the heart of prayer and fasting. We pursue God first, not merely the answer to our problem. The answer may eventually come, but God Himself remains our greatest need.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court, 6 and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

Jehoshaphat begins his prayer by focusing on God, not the enemy. He does not immediately describe the size of the army coming against him. He starts by declaring who God is. He is not reminding God who He is; he is reminding himself who God is.

When we face problems, our natural tendency is to focus on the problem. The more we focus on the problem, the more we worry. But prayer changes our focus. We begin with adoration. We remind ourselves that God is sovereign, powerful, and in control. Before we talk about the size of our problem, we remind ourselves of the greatness of our God.

7 Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 9 ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’

Jehoshaphat remembers what God has already done. He remembers God's faithfulness in the past and His promises concerning the future. When we pray, we should not only look at our circumstances; we should look at God's character, God's works, and God's promises.

Faith grows when we remember that the God who helped us before is still God today. We can bring God's promises back to Him—not because He needs to be reminded, but because remembering His Word strengthens our faith.

10 Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), 11 see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance.12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

Here Jehoshaphat finally brings his problem before God. His prayer is remarkably honest. He admits, “We are powerless.” He admits, “We do not know what to do.” But he does not stop there. He says, “Our eyes are on You.”

That is what prayer does. Prayer does not require us to pretend that everything is fine. We can tell God that we are afraid. We can tell Him that we are confused. We can tell Him that we are powerless. We can tell Him that we do not know what to do.

But after we have told God about our problem, we must keep our eyes on God.

MATTHEW 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about impressive or repetitive words. God is not impressed by eloquence without sincerity. Prayer is about the heart. We come before God honestly, humbly, and dependently. Jehoshaphat's prayer was not a performance. It was the cry of a man who knew that he could not save himself.

And when we pray and fast in this way, we should not only speak—we should also listen.

13 All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives and their children. 14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah…15 and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

The people gathered before the Lord, and God responded. The Holy Spirit came upon Jahaziel, and God's message was clear: “Do not fear.”

When we pray and fast, we should expect God to speak—not necessarily through an audible voice, but through His Word, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, through godly people, and through circumstances that He uses to direct us. Prayer is not simply our talking to God. It is also making ourselves available to hear Him.

Sometimes we are unable to hear because our lives are too busy and our minds are too noisy. Fasting helps us quiet the distractions so that we can give God our undivided attention.

ACTS 13:1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there… 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

The church at Antioch was ministering to the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit spoke. Their fasting was not merely about receiving something from God. They were ministering to the Lord. They were seeking Him.

This is the heart of fasting: God is the goal. We set aside time and distractions because we want to know His will, hear His voice, and become more attentive to Him. Sometimes the greatest answer to prayer is not a changed circumstance but a changed heart that has become more sensitive to God.

2 CHRONICLES 20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.

Before the battle was won, they worshiped. They had not yet seen the answer, but they had heard from God. Faith responds to God's Word before seeing the result.

2 CHRONICLES 20:17 You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”

God gave them a battle plan: stand, go out, and watch God work. They still had to obey, but the victory would come from God. There are times when God calls us to act, and there are times when He calls us to wait. In either case, the essential thing is trusting Him.

The battle was not theirs to control. The battle belonged to the Lord.

2 CHRONICLES 20:20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” 21 …he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Jehoshaphat tells the people to trust God and trust His Word. Then something remarkable happens: the worshipers go before the army. They praise God before they see the victory.

This is what faith looks like. They did not sing because everything was already resolved. They sang because they trusted the God who had spoken. Thanksgiving is not only something we offer after God answers. Sometimes we thank God beforehand because we trust His character even when we do not yet know what He will do.

2 CHRONICLES 20:22 When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

God acted when they began to sing and praise. The victory did not come from Judah's military strength. It came from God.

This teaches us something important: worship shifts our attention from the size of our enemy to the greatness of our God. Prayer turns worries into worship. Faith turns fear into confidence. And thanksgiving turns anxiety into anticipation.

2 CHRONICLES 20:24 When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

God did more than they expected. He not only delivered Judah from its enemies; He gave them an abundance of spoil. The important lesson, however, is not simply that fasting results in material blessings. We should never make blessings the ultimate purpose of fasting. God Himself remains the treasure.

The blessing is wonderful, but the Giver is greater than the gift. The victory is wonderful, but the Victor is greater than the victory. The answer to prayer is wonderful, but the God who answers is infinitely more valuable than the answer.

2 CHRONICLES 20:29 And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.

The deepest answer to our problems is not merely that God removes the problem. The deepest answer is God's presence with us in the middle of the problem. Jehoshaphat sought God, God revealed Himself, God gave direction, God fought the battle, and God ultimately gave His people rest.

Therefore, when problems come, we can develop a different response. Instead of allowing fear to control us, we turn our fear into an opportunity to seek God. Instead of allowing anxiety to consume us, we bring our anxiety into prayer. Instead of seeking the solution first, we seek God first. Instead of talking endlessly, we become quiet enough to listen. Instead of waiting for the answer before worshiping, we worship because we trust the One who holds the answer.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding us that Your presence is our greatest blessing. Help us to seek You first, especially when we face problems, fear, or uncertainty. Teach us to pray with sincere hearts, to fast with the right purpose, to listen to Your voice, and to trust Your Word.

When we do not know what to do, may we say, “Our eyes are on You.” Turn our worries into worship, our fear into faith, and our anxiety into anticipation. Give us the grace to trust You and rest in Your presence.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

Pursue Intimacy with God through Prayer and Fasting

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