31 Days of Prayer and Fasting: Focus on Prayer

 

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!" Matthew 6:5-8 NLT

Prayer is communicating with God. Prayer is talking to and listening to God. It really is that simple, but it is also incredibly essential for the Christian life. Martin Luther once said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” The gospels record numerous instances of Jesus praying, and if Jesus felt the need to pray and He was the Son of God, how much more do you and I need to pray?

I know you know this, but the truth is that the average Christian isn’t very satisfied with their prayer life. In a 2019 survey, 14,000 Christians were asked to rate their satisfaction with their prayer life. Only 1% indicated they were very satisfied with their prayer life, while 11% indicated they were very dissatisfied with their prayer life. The majority of the participants gave their prayer life a 3 out of 10 on the scale. Most of us acknowledge that our prayer life needs a boost. So let’s look at some very practical instructions Jesus gives about prayer: 

When you pray …

1. Don’t pray to get attention - Jesus says, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites” Who are the “hypocrites”? Religious people who want to draw attention to themselves.  They like to stand up in the synagogue and even on the street corners and pray loud prayers because they think other people will look at them and think they are super spiritual. But what is their reward? The applause and admiration of others, but not of God. Jesus said: Don’t do that. Don’t pray to get the attention of others. 

2. Eliminate distractions - go to your room and shut the door, pray in secret. He is teaching an important principle here. This isn’t just about not praying to get attention, this is also about eliminating distractions. How do you eliminate distractions? 

    a. Have a time - We are more consistent when you have a set time. Put it on your calendar or "to do" list as an appointment with God. 

    b. Have a place - Go where the distractions are minimal. Jesus says go to your room or "prayer closet" but it doesn't necessarily have to be inside; it might be a porch or quiet place in the woods.  Find a place where you feel peaceful and spend time in prayer. Also, remove technology - leave your phone in another room or turn it off while you pray. People lived thousands of years without the use of cell phones, you and I can live without it for a little while to focus on God. 

    c. Have a plan - Begin your prayer time meditating on Scripture. Use the 31 Day Prayer Guide for Scripture prompts, or any passage God has brought to your mind. Also have a pen and paper, and keep a list to pray over and write what you hear God saying. 

3. Pray briefly

    Not all prayer times have to be lengthy. Sometimes God may keep you longer in prayer, but don't feel like you have some time quota to meet. Also, avoid:

a. Vain repetitions - don’t use  “religious words” as magic formulas

b. Many words - don’t try to stretch it out for the sake of length. Say what you have to say and then listen

Prayer improves with practice. You don’t learn how to pray better from a sermon, or from a book. You learn how to pray better by praying. 

31 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2025: Focus on Scripture

 Spiritual growth doesn’t happen naturally, it requires an intentional practice of spiritual disciplines. So we are going to take the first month of the New Year and focus some really important spiritual disciplines that can help generate spiritual growth. 

The 31 Days of Prayer and Fasting guide (Click Here) will be a tool that will ignite passion in our church and our individual lives as well. This will be a spiritual growth emphasis that focuses on three spiritual disciplines, Scripture, prayer and fasting. Today lets talk about Scripture. 

Study upon study has shown that the factor that contributes most to spiritual growth is engaging with Scripture. "Engaging with" is more than simply or casually reading the Bible in order to check a box for "Daily Bible Reading." Engaging with Scripture means much more. Below are several components of engaging with the Bible: 

Best ways to engage the Bible
1. Read It

This is the beginning point for engaging the Bible. Have a plan for reading the Bible. You can numerous plans on the YouVersion Bible App (Click Here). We also have a couple of plans posted on our church website. Find one that works for you and get started. You can download a 52 Week Bible Reading Plan at our church website (Click Here).

2.Hear it  

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." God wired some people to be "audio learners" and hearing something is helpful to learning it. There are numerous audio versions on the internet (Just do a Google search). The cool thing about listening to the Bible is that you can do it while driving to work, or taking a walk, or even cleaning the house. 

3. Meditate on it

After the death of Moses, God gave Joshua, the new leader, these instructions: "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."  Joshua 1:8 NLT. The word for "meditate" in this verse primarily means  to ponder deeply. It conveys the idea of a thoughtful, reflective consideration. This is where you ask the Holy Spirit to speak and teach You what He wants you to learn from the verse or passage. This is where you may want to have a computer, notepad or journal to record the things you are receiving from God and His word. 

4. Study It

Once you've listened to the Holy Spirit through meditating on the word, feel free to look at what other people have gleaned from the verse or passage. Again, the internet is a great resources with a number of good commentaries and devotional articles. However, I would urge you to use caution when consulting internet resources, there is a lot incorrect and crazy things on the World Wide Web. Make sure to research your sources to ensure they are reputable. 

5. Memorize It

One of the best ways to engage in Scripture is to memorize it. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The word "hide" means to store up or treasure. Memorizing Scripture means to store it up in your heart/mind as a treasure for your life. Pick one or two verses a month and memorize them. 3x5 index cards are invaluable in this process. Or, if you are more of a digital person, you can use a Flashcard App or a Scripture memory app on your device. I use "Remember Me. Bible Memory" app.

 
6. Practice It

This is perhaps the most important part of engaging the Bible, put into practice what you are learning from the other steps. Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 ESV. And Paul writes, "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." Romans 2:13 ESV. God has not given us His word simply for knowledge, but for application that leads to transformation. That only happens when we obey the word and put it into practice.

Each day of our 31 Days of Prayer and Fasting there is a Scripture passage to read, listen to, meditate on, study, memorize and practice. As we engage God's word we will begin to see evidence of spiritual growth and transformation taking place. 

(P.S. Thanks for reading through this article!)