Spiritual Disciplines: Servant and Leadership Training Courses

Book
21
SALT
Servant and Leadership Training Courses
Spiritual
Disciplines
September 2004
S P I R I T U A L D I S C I P L I N E S
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 1......................................................................................................................................................... 5
THE WORD OF GOD .......................................................................................................................................... 5
REASONS FOR FEEDING UPON GOD’S WORD ....................................................................................................... 5
The “Components” of the Intake of God’s Word ............................................................................................................ 5

HEARING THE WORD OF GOD................................................................................................................................... 5
READING THE WORD OF GOD................................................................................................................................... 6
STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD ................................................................................................................................ 8
MEMORIZING THE WORD OF GOD........................................................................................................................... 9
MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD................................................................................................................... 10
APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD............................................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................................... 15
PRAYER ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
FOUR FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS ABOUT PRAYER .............................................................................................. 16
VARIOUS BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT PRAYER ...................................................................................................... 18
SEVEN OBSTACLES TO PRAYER AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM............................................................... 22
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS .......................................................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 3....................................................................................................................................................... 27
WORSHIP .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
TWO FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF TRUE WORSHIP...................................................................................... 27
TWO BIBLICAL TRUTHS RELATED TO WORSHIP ............................................................................................... 29
PRACTICAL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS................................................................................................................ 31
AN EXAMPLE OF A PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME.......................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER 4....................................................................................................................................................... 35
EVANGELISM ................................................................................................................................................... 35
SUCCESSFUL EVANGELISM .................................................................................................................................... 36
THE POWER OF EVANGELISM................................................................................................................................. 37
PRACTICAL IDEAS TO DEVELOP THE DISCIPLINE............................................................................................. 38
CHAPTER 5....................................................................................................................................................... 41
FASTING AND STEWARDSHIP ....................................................................................................................... 41
FASTING EXPLAINED ................................................................................................................................................ 41
VARIOUS TYPES OF BIBLICAL FASTS ................................................................................................................... 41
OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 43
NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 43
THE FUNDAMENTAL, BIBLICAL MEANING OF STEWARDSHIP ...................................................................... 45
THE DISCIPLINED USE OF TIME.............................................................................................................................. 46
THE DISCIPLINED USE OF MONEY......................................................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................................................................... 48
The fourth Pillar of Islam is the “Fast of Ramadan”................................................................................................... 48
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
Welcome to SALT’s Leadership Training Courses. In the coming months, as you regularly
study God’s Word and work through the courses in SALT, we hope that you will develop a
closer walk with the Master and Author of the Bible.
This manual is an interactive course inviting your personal involvement. This course has five
lessons, which will each require 2 hours for completion. If you spend this kind of time in God’s
Word, we assure you, He will change your life. While you are taking the course, ask God what
He wants to say to you personally.
This book on Spiritual Disciplines introduces five principle topics. Each topic comes from one
of the five lessons. Discussing the answers to these questions in a small group will help ensure
each person’s basic understanding of the material.
In addition to these five content-oriented topics, you will find personal discussion questions in
each lesson. These learning activities help group members personally apply the material to
their own lives. These are formatted for discussion.
No one will ever be expected to share personal experiences with the group. Sharing is strictly
voluntary and we hope no one will share anything causing himself/herself or others discomfort.
Please answer the questions in each lesson whether or not you choose to share them in the
small group. Any questions you skip will reduce the effectiveness of the study in your personal
life. We want you to get the very most out of this journey! God will do amazing things among us
if we grant Him full access to our minds, wills and emotions.
Each lesson will invite your full participation through Bible reading and various kinds of questions
and activities. These interactive exercises are designed for your sake.
Allow God to do a fresh work in your life in the course ahead. Let every journey through His
Word be a new experience, a new opportunity. Resist comparisons to other studies. Welcome
change. Invite Him to have His perfect way in your life in the days you study this course and His
Word.
P I C T U R E K E Y During each lesson, we ask you questions. With each question, consider
H Valuable information
how God wants you to respond to what He has showed you. Record what
God does and teaches you as you pursue this journey.
Test your knowledge
Discuss Pictures from the “Picture Key” will help you understand and locate
Read practical exercises throughout the manual.
Five Topics We Will Consider:
$ The Word of God

$ Prayer
$ Worship
$ Evangelism
$ Fasting/Stewardship
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The Psalmist said in Psalm 42:1 – 2:
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
We believers echo the Psalmist's words. We want to know God and live in fellowship with Him.
We want to follow His will for our lives and to become the person He intends us to be. At the
time of our salvation, God began the process of changing us into that kind of person. Notice that
God changes us. However, there are some spiritual disciplines on our part, which God can use
to make us into what He wants us to be.
What are spiritual disciplines? They are those personal and community disciplines that promote
spiritual growth in our lives. They are the habits that we develop and practice in order to
become more like the Messiah and to become the person that He wants us to be. This book is
about six of the most important spiritual disciplines of the believer’s life.
We can compare the disciplines to an example of a farmer planting seeds. The farmer cannot
make grain grow because only God can do that. However, the farmer makes the field ready and
puts the seed in the ground. He fertilizes and waters the field. Then God makes the grain grow.
We believers are like farmers. Galatians 6:8 tells us that "the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life." The spiritual disciplines are our way of "sowing to the Spirit."
We are also like seed. God provides the life and makes us grow.
The LORD intends that we keep on growing daily to be more like the Messiah. We are not to
wait for holiness but to pursue it. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). If that is true, then every believer
must ask the question – how can we be holy like Jesus, the Son of God? We find a clear
answer in 1 Timothy 4:7:
“Train yourself to be godly.”
Another way of interpreting this verse is “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
This verse is the theme for the book. We want to study and learn the practical ways that we
believers can discipline ourselves in obedience to this command. As we study the book,
remember that the goal of the disciplines is godliness, to be more like the Messiah.
The six particular spiritual disciplines we are going to study in this SALT book are the ones
mentioned on the previous page. As a reminder, they are the following:
The Word of God

Prayer
Worship
Evangelism
Fasting
Stewardship
May we develop these basic spiritual disciplines in our lives and thus become more
Spirit-controlled, obedient people to our LORD. May we help the members of our community of
believers to develop these disciplines in their personal lives. Remember the command….
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
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C H A P T E R 1
The Word of God

As we begin our study, let us think of the spiritual disciplines as spiritual exercises. The New
Testament writers wrote the Gospels and the Letters in Greek. The word translated “discipline”
in our Bibles today is from the Greek word “gumnasia.” From this same root word, we have
words like “gymnasium” and “gymnastics.” This word means “to exercise or discipline.”
Thus, we may think of the spiritual disciplines as exercises for the spirit. Just as with natural gifts
and abilities, we develop our spiritual gifts by discipline (by exercise) in order to bear spiritual
fruit. Therefore, first, in order to bear spiritual fruit, we must practice the spiritual discipline of
taking in the Word of God. This is the first discipline.
No spiritual discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute
for it. The believer simply cannot be spiritually healthy if he or she does not regularly have a diet
of the milk and meat of the Word of God.
REASONS FOR FEEDING UPON GOD’S WORD
The reasons for maintaining a regular diet of the Word of God are obvious. In the Bible, God
tells us about Himself. He tells us about Jesus the Messiah, the incarnation of Himself. The
Bible explains the Law of God to us. It tells us how we have broken the Law. In God’s Word, we
learn how the Messiah died upon the cross as a sinless substitute for those who have broken
God’s Law. The Bible explains to us how we must repent and believe in the Messiah in order to
be right with God.
In the Bible, we learn the ways and the will of God. We learn through the Word how to live a life
that pleases God. Therefore, if we want to know God and know how to live a godly life, we must
know His Word. Only through His Word are we going to learn all of these things.
Maintaining a regular diet of the Word of God involves more than just one thing. Thus, in order
to begin to develop this first discipline, we must consider several “components.” To say this in
another way, this first spiritual exercise is actually several different exercises.
The “Components” of the Intake of God’s Word
HEARING THE WORD OF GOD
The easiest of all the “components” related to the Word of God is simply hearing it. Why do we
consider this as a discipline? “Hearing” is not a difficult exercise, or is it? First, we should say
that to regularly hear God’s Word, we must discipline ourselves to be in regular attendance at a
believer’s group meeting where God’s Word is preached and taught. Remember Jesus’ words
to His followers:
“…Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28)
Merely listening to God’s Word is, of course, not enough. There must be obedience to His
commands in order to become more like the Messiah. However, hearing is a good starting point
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for us. Another passage that emphasizes hearing is Romans 10:17. This verse tells us “faith
comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of the Messiah.”
Much of the faith that we need for daily living comes from hearing the Bible’s message. The
LORD often gives gifts of faith to those who discipline themselves to hear the Word of God.
There are other ways to discipline ourselves to hear God’s Word, rather than through the most
normal way of hearing His Word through preaching and teaching. For example, there is radio
and cassette tape. In addition, we should consider one more Scripture verse on this subject of
hearing the Word of God. Paul instructed Timothy in this way:
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching”
(1 Timothy 4:13).
Thus, the apostle Paul obviously felt that it was quite important for the people of God to hear the
Word. In summary, we must discipline ourselves to regularly hear the Word of God. Hearing the
Word of God is not merely passive listening, it is a discipline to be cultivated.
Discuss in a small group why hearing the Word of God is an important “component.”
Can you quote the three key Scriptures from the previous section on hearing?
READING THE WORD OF GOD
Jesus often asked questions about how people understood the Scriptures. He sometimes
began with words such as these;
“Have you never read?” [For example, see Matthew 21:16 and Matthew 21:42]
He assumed that those claiming to be the people of God would read the Word of God. From
the Messiah’s very own words, it appears that He expected the people of God to know the
entire Word of God, not just a portion of it.
Since Jesus Himself said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, Jesus quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3), surely He at least
wanted us to read every word of the Holy Book. Can we, as His disciples, His servant leaders,
do any less than regularly read the entire Word of the Living God? Second Timothy 3:16 tells us
that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for …training in righteousness.”
God promises to bless those who read and obey His Word [see Revelation 1:3]. Only those
who discipline themselves to do so will receive those blessings. Let us not forget that the main
reason for disciplining ourselves is for the purpose of godliness. Thus, if you want the Lord to
change you, if you want to become more like the Messiah, discipline yourself to read His Word.
How often should we read the Bible? Every day! How often do we eat? Every day! We draw
upon the grace of God day-by-day, moment-by-moment. We do not store up grace for a future
day by reading His Word faithfully for one day, then neglecting it the next day. There should be a
continual taking in [hearing and reading] of the Word to insure that His grace is continually
flowing through our hearts.
Here are three practical suggestions for consistent disciplined success in reading God’s Word
that you may want to apply in your life as you practice this first “spiritual exercise”:
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First, find the time. Discipline yourself to find the time. Try to make it the same time
each day. Normally, 30 minutes of Bible reading each day will allow a person to read
the whole Bible in one year. In the same amount of time that you might sit and drink a
cup of tea with a friend, you can read a large portion of God’s Word. Please do not
read when you are tired and sleepy, because you will remember very little.
Second, find a good Bible – reading plan. If you do not have a plan, reading 3 – 4
chapters a day will take you through the whole Bible in one year. [Please refer to
Appendix A of SALT book # 15 – Bible Interpretation – for a sample plan.] If you read
three chapters from the Old Testament each day, as well as three chapters from the
New Testament each day, in one year you will read the Old Testament once and the
New Testament four times.
Third, find at least one word, phrase or verse to meditate upon each time you read.
We will study meditation more closely later, but if you do not meditate on what you
have read, you may close your Bible and forget everything that you have read. In
addition, you will find it very helpful to read your Bible aloud. This greatly helps to
remember what you have read.
The following are some other ideas and suggestions about daily Bible reading:
Begin each day by reading from the Psalms. Repeatedly reading the Psalms will teach
us to praise God. After reading a Psalm, read another chapter from the Old Testament
and a chapter from the New Testament each day.
Read books that go together. An example is to read Leviticus that gives many Jewish
worship regulations. Then read Hebrews. This explains how Jesus is superior to the
Jewish worship ceremonies. Another example is to read the books of history and at the
same time read the books of prophecy that were written at that time in history.
Choose a short book or portion of Scripture and read it repeatedly for a week or a month.
Each time you read it, look for teachings you did not see before. Each day try to apply its
teachings to your life.
Choose a particular subject and study what the Bible teaches about it. Prayer is one
example.
Choose a particular person in the Bible and study his or her life. Ask yourself questions
about the person's relationship with God, what they did, how their actions affected their
spiritual life, and how God worked through them.
Do not let your daily Bible reading time become a boring duty or chore. Instead, ask the LORD
to make it a continual discipline of joy. Your insight and understanding of God will deepen as
you read His Word daily and absorb it into your life. The more you practice this “component” of
reading the Word of God, the more you will become like the Messiah Himself.
Discuss in a small group how you would re-teach this section to your group, emphasizing the
importance of daily reading the Word of God.
What were the three practical suggestions for consistent success in reading God’s Word?
Do you presently follow a Bible reading plan? Tell your group about your plan.
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STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD
First, let us look at three examples of having a heart to study the Word of God. The first is the
Old Testament example of Ezra. The Scripture tells us that:
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to
teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
Notice three very important things about this verse. First, Ezra devoted himself. Second, he
determined to study. Third, he desired to obey and teach the law. Thus, before Ezra ever
taught the Word to the Jewish people, he obeyed and practiced it in his daily life. He practiced
what he had learned from his study. Before he studied, however, he first devoted himself to do
that very thing. He was determined to study the Word of God. Ezra disciplined himself to study
God’s Word [and obey it] before trying to teach it to the people.
A second example is from Acts 17:11. Paul and Silas had barely escaped with their lives from
Thessalonica after their evangelistic work had provoked some Jews to great jealousy. Upon
arriving in Berea, they began with the same evangelistic strategy. However, look at the
response of the Jews in Berea: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the
Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
A third example of a heart that truly desires to study the Word of God is found in 2 Timothy 4:13.
The apostle Paul is in prison and writing the last words of his last New Testament letter. He is
about to die and he knows it. Knowing that his young friend Timothy is coming, he writes:
“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the
parchments.” The scrolls and parchments that Paul requested were most likely copies of the
Old Testament Scriptures. While in a cold and miserable Roman dungeon, the godly apostle
asked for two things: a coat to wear to keep his body warm, and the Word of God to study to
keep his heart warm.
Paul had seen heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1 – 6) and the resurrected Messiah (Acts 9:5). He had
experienced the Holy Spirit’s power for miracles (Acts 14:10), and God used him to write Holy
Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). Nevertheless, Paul continued to study the Word of God until he died. If
Paul needed to continue studying, surely we need to discipline ourselves to do the same.
At this time, you may be asking the question, what is the difference between Bible reading and
Bible study? The basic difference is simply a PENCIL AND A PIECE OF PAPER! As you read
the Word, write down your observations about the text as you read. [Please refer to SALT book
#15, Bible Interpretation, for more information on an inductive study method called the
“Chapter Study Method,” or the “Ten Question Method.”] As you write down your thoughts about
the things you read, also write down the questions that come to your mind.
As you advance in your study of God’s Word, you will learn the value of in-depth Bible study
through word studies, character studies, topical studies and chapter and book studies. You will
discover a new richness in the Scripture as your understanding of God and His Word grows. Do
not let a feeling of inadequacy keep you from the delight of learning the Bible. Experience the
joy of discovering insights through your own personal Bible study. Now let us consider an
important application question.
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Discuss the following question of application in your small group: What is one thing that I can
do to improve my hearing, reading and studying of God’s Word?
Finally, whatever you choose to do, discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness by
committing to at least one way of improving your daily hearing, reading and study of the Word.
Do not expect to “master” your Bible in a short period. Rather, expect that often there will be
difficult questions for which you do not know the precise answers. However, keep on reading,
studying and praying. The Holy Spirit is your Teacher and Guide and He will counsel you as you
study His Word. Remember that even the apostle Peter said there are “some things that are
hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16).
As we continue to study these various “components” concerning the daily intake of God’s Word,
let us now consider the topic of:
MEMORIZING THE WORD OF GOD
Many believers do not try to memorize the Word. Many think back to their days in school and
the memory work that was required of them. They think that they simply cannot do an adequate
job of memorizing Scripture. Thus, they do not even try. Are you in this situation now?
In school days, memory work was often boring and seemed of little value. However, what if
some person offered us a large sum of money for every verse that we memorized? Would we
then be able to memorize? Any financial reward is actually small when compared to the great
treasure of God’s Word deposited within our hearts and minds.
When Scripture is stored in the mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to our
attention when we need it most. That is why we read in Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your
Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
For example, sometimes there is the temptation to watch or to think about something that is
sinful. There is extra power against the temptation when the Holy Spirit brings a memorized
verse to our mind, such as: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died,
and your life is now hidden with the Messiah in God” (Colossians 3:2 – 3).
When the Spirit brings a verse to mind like that, it is an example of what Ephesians 6:17 can
mean when it refers to the Word of God as the “sword of the Spirit.” The verse brought to our
mind by the Holy Spirit, at just the right moment, becomes the offensive weapon that we need
in our spiritual battle against the forces of evil.
The best illustration is Jesus’ confrontation with satan in the lonely wilderness of Judea. Each
time the evil one threw a temptation at Jesus, He quoted the Word. One way to experience
more spiritual victories in our lives is simply to do as the Lord did – memorize Scripture so that
when we need it, the Holy Spirit takes it and brings it from our heart and mind so we can use it.
Would you like to strengthen your faith? Then discipline yourself to memorize Scripture. Let us
study a key passage of Scripture, which will help us on this point – Proverbs 22:17 – 19. In
verse 17, to “pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise,” to “apply your heart to what I
teach,” and in verse 18 to “keep them in your heart” certainly must apply to memorizing the
Word of God. Then notice the reason we must keep the Word within us – “so that your trust may
be in the LORD” [verse 19]. Memorizing the Word strengthens our trust, our faith, and our
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confidence in the LORD God. Memorizing God’s Word will be a wonderful help to us in our
times of preaching, teaching, witnessing and counseling as the Holy Spirit will bring a key
passage to mind that will help us. However, remember that until we hide [memorize] the
verses in our hearts, they are not available for us to use with our mouths.
Finally, we all can memorize Scripture and effectively use the “sword of the Spirit” if we truly
desire to do so. If we can memorize our birthday, our house address, our telephone number, the
names of our friends and colleagues, then we most certainly can memorize Scripture. The key
question becomes whether we are willing to discipline ourselves to do it. The following are some
helpful hints as we seek to begin the discipline of Scripture memory:
Develop your own personal plan for memorizing Scripture.

Write out the verses on a piece of paper or card and carry them with you if this is
possible.
Draw a simple sketch or picture beside the verse if that helps your memory.
Make sure that you memorize the verse perfectly, word for word.
Find a method of accountability, with a family member or friend who will keep check
on your progress.
Review and meditate every day.
In closing this section on Scripture memory, let us make one point very clear. Remember, the
goal is not how many verses we can memorize. Rather, the goal is Godliness. Our goal is to
memorize God’s Word so that it can transform our minds and our lives. Let us not forget this.
Discuss with your small group your ideas about beginning a personal Scripture memory
program for yourself. Would you recommend this to your church? Why?
As we continue to study the different aspects of the “intake” of the Word of God in our lives, let
us now consider the important topic of:
MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD
When we read the Psalms, we discover that one of the disciplines is meditation. Sometimes
people think that meditation is part of some non-Christian religions, but not of Christianity. That
is not correct. From the time of the Old Testament to modern day believers, meditation has
been a discipline for God's people. First, let us look at some differences between most
non-Christian religious meditation and the believer’s meditation.
• Non-Christian meditation attempts to empty the mind. Christian meditation attempts

to fill the mind with what God says.
• Non-Christian meditation stresses the need to become detached from the world.
Christian meditation attempts to become detached from the confusion around us in
order to have a richer union with God and with other people.
• Non-Christian meditation emphasizes, “Losing one’s self.” Christian meditation results

in God transforming us to become the person He intends us to be.
• Non-Christian meditation stresses release from the burdens and pains of this life.
Christian meditation brings the spiritual discipline necessary to overcome them.
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• In non-Christian meditation there is no God to love or with whom to communicate.

Christian meditation is communication between God and a person whom He loves.
• Non-Christian meditation is based upon the hope that someday the person will be
swallowed up into, for example, “Nirvana.” Christian meditation is based upon our
relationship with a personal God who promises us individual eternal life.
After looking at these distinctions [or, differences] between true and pagan meditation, let us
define meditation as deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture
for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Many people do not consider
meditation as a practical discipline. Again, this is not correct. Often it results in very practical
insights and guidance in how to deal with ordinary human problems. The goal of meditation is to
focus on God Himself and His Word and to be open to anything He reveals to us.
Meditation goes beyond hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing the Word as a means of
taking in God’s Word into our lives. A simple analogy would be a cup of tea. You are the cup of
hot water and the “tea bag” could represent the taking in of Scripture. Hearing God’s Word is like
one dip of the bag into the cup. The more the tea bag enters the water, the more effect it has.
Meditation is as if we are immersing the bag completely and letting it remain there for a while
until the entire rich tea flavor has been taken out. Now the cup of hot water is thoroughly reddish
brown in color because of the tea bag’s immersion into it.
Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1 – 3 and the Promises of Success
There is a specific connection between “success” and the practice of meditation on God’s Word.
The Lord spoke to Joshua as He commissioned him to succeed Moses as the leader of His
people and said: [Joshua 1:8]
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that
you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Of course, we must remember that the prosperity and success that the Lord speaks of here is
prosperity and success in His eyes and not necessarily in the eyes of the world. We know from
the New Testament that the application of this promise would be mainly prosperity and success
of the spirit and soul. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that the Lord speaks of a definite
relationship between meditation on God’s Word and success.
The application would be as follows: true success is promised to those who meditate on God’s
Word, who think deeply on Scripture, not just once a day, but often throughout the day and
night. They meditate so much that Scripture saturates their conversation. They do what they find
written in Scripture. Therefore, God prospers their way and grants success to them. Likewise,
God’s promise in the first chapter of Psalms is similar to the promise of Joshua 1.8.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of
sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His Law
he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit
in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1 – 3).
Do you notice the similarities between the two passages? Meditation is continual, day and
night. Moreover, where is our delight? Of course, it is in the Word of God. We delight in His
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Word and we think about it day and night. The result of such meditation upon His Word is
stability, fruitfulness, perseverance, and prosperity. The “tree” of your spiritual life grows best
with meditation because it helps you absorb more of the water of God’s Word. The result will be
fruitfulness and spiritual prosperity in your life.
Finally, let us consider the question, how do we properly meditate upon the Word of God?
Focus your attention on the Word rather than things around you. Soon you will learn to
shut out distractions around you and meditate anywhere. Remember, the goal is not to
separate you from ordinary life. Rather, it is to focus on God and His Word.
Choose a verse of Scripture and ask God to speak to you through that verse. Think
about the verse. Ask God if the verse says that something in your life should be changed.
Ask Him if there is a truth in it that you have never seen before. Ask Him what the verse
should mean to you and how it should affect your life. Listen for His answer.
Reread the verse several times emphasizing different words. Think deeply upon the
verse each time you repeat it, and think about the different emphasis each time.
Rewrite the verse in your own words. Try to explain the verse by using different words
[synonyms] and restating the same inspired meaning.
Ask yourself, “How am I to respond to this text? What would God have me do as a result
of meditating upon this particular passage of Scripture?” How would you apply this verse
to your daily life?
Pray your way through the text. Personalize it for yourself and then pray it!
As we pray through the text, the Holy Spirit will bring to our heart and mind truths from His Word.
As we pray through a verse, we are inviting the Holy Spirit to show us what we cannot see
without His light shining. As we meditate upon the LORD and His Word, He will revive our souls
and comfort us. We must not rush but take the necessary time to be quiet before Him and let
Him speak to our hearts.
Discuss in your small group the importance of meditating upon the Word of God.
Write three differences between Christian and non-Christian meditation.
Discuss with your small group the similarity between Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1 – 3.
Finally, let us consider one more “component” of our intake of God’s Word, and that is:
APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD
Although we struggle sometimes to understand a particular passage of Scripture, most Scripture

is very clear to us. Usually our problem is not in understanding the passage of God’s Word, but
in knowing how to properly apply what we do understand to our everyday life. How does this
verse apply today to my family, my friends, my relationships, my job, my church, and me? We
frequently ask these kinds of questions. Or we may ask, how can I know the LORD better?
If this is your struggle, then perhaps it would be profitable to spend a few moments to consider
the urgency of learning the discipline of applying God’s Word.
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The Bible promises the blessing of God upon those who apply the Word of God to their lives.
First, let us consider James 1:22 – 25:
“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who
listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the
man who looks intently into the perfect Law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not
forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”
Moreover, Jesus said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them”
(John 13:17).
According to James, we can experience God’s truth so powerfully that what the LORD wants us
to do becomes as plain as our face in the mirror. However, if we do not apply the truth, we
deceive ourselves by thinking we have gained practical value. The one who “will be blessed in
what he does” is the one who does what Scripture says. This is the same as the promises of
blessing, success and prosperity given earlier in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1 – 3. That is because
meditation should lead ultimately to application.
Think back to the Joshua 1 passage for a moment. When God instructed Joshua to meditate
upon His Word day and night, He told him the purpose for meditating was “so that you may be
careful to do everything written in it.” Thus, the promise of blessings, prosperity and success
were not because of meditation only, but meditation and application.
God wills for us to be doers of His Word. Whenever we come to the Scriptures, He wants us to
find application of His Word. Thus, open your Bible expectantly. Expect the Holy Spirit to guide
you as you read, study and meditate upon the Word. In addition, expect the Spirit to lead you to
make the proper application of the things upon which you have meditated. Come to the Bible
with faith that God will lead you to the proper application of His Word.
Deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities of Scripture is the key to putting them
into practice. How does the Word that I have memorized become the Word that I have
applied? It happens through meditation. Most Biblical information flows through us like water
through a sieve. We retain very little. However, when we meditate, the truth remains. As it
settles within us, the insights begin to come. Thus, the way to determine how any Scripture
applies to us personally is to meditate on that Scripture.
Asking questions is one of the best ways to meditate. Here are some examples of questions we
can ask [as we meditate] that will help us to become doers of the Word:
Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?

Does this text reveal something for which I should praise, thank, or trust God?
Does this text reveal something I should pray about for others or myself?
Does this text reveal something about which I should have a new attitude?
Does this text reveal something about which I should make a decision?
Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of the Messiah, others or
myself?
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Then we do as the text reveals and we are blessed in what we do! Finally, as we conclude the
study of this first discipline – the intake of the Word of God – we must make one more statement
that is very important. This is as follows:
An encounter with God through His Word should result in at least one specific response.
In other words, after we have finished a time of hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, or
meditating upon the Word of God, we should be able to name at least one definite response that
we have made [or will make in the future] to what we have encountered. That response may be
an act of faith, worship, praise, thanksgiving, prayer, seeking forgiveness, giving a tithe,
speaking a word of encouragement, or anything else the LORD brings to our heart and mind.
The response might be an act of mercy or kindness. It might be the forsaking of some sin that
God has revealed to us.
How important is this response? If we respond to the Word daily as we take it into our lives,
then we will be growing increasingly like the Messiah. He will daily be transforming us into His
likeness. That is the goal of the disciplines – Godliness – to be more like the Messiah.
If we begin to discipline ourselves to determine at least one specific response to the Word
before walking away from it, we will much more rapidly grow in grace. Without this kind of
application, we are not doers of God’s Word. We are hearers only.
Are the promises of blessings and prosperity the result of meditation only?
Discuss in your small group the relationship between meditation and application.
Discuss in your small group the thought stated above – “an encounter with God through His
Word should result in at least one specific response.” Do you agree? Why or why do you
disagree?
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C H A P T E R 2
Prayer
Do you remember the goal of the spiritual disciplines? Of course – Godliness. Many years ago,
the great pioneer missionary to India, William Carey, wrote, "Prayer -- secret, fervent, believing
prayer -- lies at the root of all personal godliness." Prayer is the second discipline.
God uses prayer to transform us. Talent, ability, intelligence, sincerity, diligence, study, Biblical
knowledge, education, personality... these things will not make us into the people God wants us
to be if we neglect prayer. Because God uses prayer to transform us, we must be willing to
change if we are to develop deep prayer lives.
We all want to be effective servants of God. We look for ways to make our ministry better.
Sometimes we are looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men and women.
The church needs men and women of prayer.
When we look through Christian history, we see that the great men of God have seen prayer as
the main activity of their lives. They did not just pray occasionally or only at brief, regular times
each day. Their prayer life was so important that it shaped their character. We see the
importance these men gave prayer when we look at the amount of time they spent in prayer.
Martin Luther, who started the Protestant reformation in the 1500’s, said:
“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I
have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”
The LORD used John Wesley to bring a great spiritual awakening to two continents. He began
each day with at least two hours of prayer. William Carey withdrew at set times during both the
day and the night to pray. He often prayed six hours a day.
Prayer transformed the personal lives of these men. In addition, their prayers affected the lives
of the people around them. We believers hold to the truth that prayer changes things. Wesley
commented, "God does nothing but in answer to prayer." That gives 1 Corinthians 15:58
new meaning for us. We are "laborers together with God" through our prayers. We are to
change the world by prayer.
When we read prayers recorded in the Bible, we see that God's servants believed their prayers
would make a difference. Some believers have the idea that what is going to happen has
already been determined, so we can do nothing about it. That is the teaching of another world
religion [Islam], but it is not a Biblical teaching. We see a dramatic example of this in Moses' life.
God threatened to destroy the Israelites because of idolatry when they worshipped the golden
calf. In Exodus 32:11 – 13, Moses prayed for them. He asked God to change His mind:
"Turn from Your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on Your people” (Exodus 32:12).
In verse 14, we see that God did change His mind and did not send the disaster He had
threatened.
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Another example of someone who changed conditions around him by prayer was Elijah. In
James 5:17 – 18, we read that Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed that it would not rain and
it did not rain for three years and six months. Again, he prayed it would rain and it did.
Prayer moves God to action. This does not mean that prayer is an attempt to change God to
see things from our point of view. Prayer is not an attempt to get God to do what we want done.
We do not use the Lord God Almighty as a means to our own end. However, our prayers bring a
new dimension into situations on earth, which causes God to act. Through prayer, we can
discover God's point of view. We can also discover what He wants us to do.
Prayer changes us and it changes things around us. There is no greater work than prayer. For
most believers it is also the hardest work. Perhaps the statement that prayer is hard sounds
strange. Most of Jesus' 12 disciples had probably been raised in religious homes. They had
attended religious synagogue schools when they were boys. They lived in a country where
prayer to the true God was a part of their culture. They had grown up praying. However, when
they saw Jesus pray, they requested, "Lord, teach us to pray" [Luke 11:1]. Deep, effective,
Biblical prayer is something we must learn to do. There are at least four parts to this:
Studying four fundamental truths about prayer

Studying various Biblical facts about prayer
Studying some of the obstacles to prayer and how to overcome them
Studying the example of Jesus
In this SALT book, we are going to deal with these four parts. Then, it is up to each one of us to
learn to pray by applying these truths to our lives. We are under the authority of the Messiah and
His Word. Thus, we know that the will of God is for us to pray. Moreover, we also believe that
His will is good. Let us now study some fundamental truths about prayer, the second discipline.
FOUR FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS ABOUT PRAYER
The LORD expects us to pray
We should not think of prayer as some type of impersonal requirement given in the Bible. It is a
Person, Jesus the Messiah, who expects us to pray. Look at these words from Him:
“When you pray” (Matthew 6:5)

“Ask [keep asking] …seek [keep seeking]…knock [keep knocking]” (Luke 11:9)
“Jesus told His disciples… they should always pray” (Luke 18:1)
Suppose Jesus appeared to us personally and said, He expects us to pray. The words of Jesus
quoted above are His will for us just as if He spoke our name and said them to us face to face.
In addition to the words of Jesus, the clear expectation of God from the rest of the New
Testament is that we pray. Consider these two New Testament Scriptures concerning prayer:
Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer.” Everyone is devoted to something. To

what or to whom are you devoted? How do you spend your time?
1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray continually.”
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Praying continually reminds us that prayer is not only an activity but also a relationship. Prayer
is an expression of the believer’s unbroken relationship with the Father. We are continually
aware of His Presence at all times in the day. No one is exempt from the expectation to pray.
God expects His children to be devoted to prayer and to pray constantly.
The LORD invites us to pray
We must see the expectation to pray not only as a divine command from God but also as a
royal invitation from the King of Kings. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
God invites us to come to Him in prayer. He wants us to pray. He enjoys our fellowship with
Him. He is a gracious God who is waiting to show His mercy to us and to give us the help we
need in our lives here on earth. Thus, let us view the command to pray as an opportunity to
receive the mercy and grace of God. It is a gracious invitation from the One who loves us.
God expects us to “call” Him, but it is an expectation of love. His command to pray is a
command of love. In His love, He desires to communicate with us and bless us. Therefore, God
expects us to pray and He invites us to pray, simply because we need to pray and communicate
with our heavenly Father. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?
Nevertheless, how do we pray? We can very simply state the third fundamental truth as follows:
Prayer is learned
Are you sometimes discouraged about the command to pray because you feel like you do not
know how to pray well? If so, the fact that we learn to pray should encourage you. Thus, it is
normal that we begin the believer’s life without knowing how to pray. We must learn to pray just
as we learn His Word. Today, as a servant of the church, no matter how strong or weak your
prayer life is now, you can learn to grow even stronger in prayer.
The Bible says that we must pray for the glory of God, in His will, in faith, in the Name of Jesus,
with persistence, and more. A child of God gradually learns to pray like this in the same way that
a growing child learns to talk. Therefore, to pray as a maturing believer, and to pray effectively,
we must say, as the first disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
We only learn to pray by praying. As small children, we learned how to speak by speaking. Have
you ever seen a small child studying a book on “How to Talk?” Of course not – the child learns
to talk by beginning to speak a few words at a time. Remember that prayer is a spiritual
discipline. It is a spiritual exercise. We must learn to pray in order to have our “spiritual muscles”
stretched and grow stronger. Thus, we begin to strengthen our “prayer muscles” by praying.
The Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray. He is our Counselor, Guide and Teacher. We learn from
Him and from His Word. He teaches praying people how to pray better. Therefore, at whatever
point you are in your prayer life, rejoice that the Spirit of God will guide you into all the truth
concerning prayer (John 16:13). No matter how difficult prayer is for you now, if you will
persevere in learning how to pray you will always have the hope of an even stronger and more
fruitful prayer life ahead of you. If you simply ask, “Lord, teach me to pray” – He will!
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Prayer is answered
The fourth fundamental truth about prayer is simply, God answers prayer. Jesus said, “Ask and
it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). About this verse, a famous Bible scholar said:
“This is the fixed eternal law of the Kingdom. Hold on – let the Word and the Spirit teach you to
pray correctly, but do not let go the confidence He seeks to waken. Everyone who asks
receives. Let every learner in the school of the Messiah take the Master’s Word in all simplicity.
Let us beware of weakening the Word with our human wisdom.”
Therefore, if we do NOT receive when we pray, we must decide that there is the possibility that
there is something wrong with us or with our prayer [more on this topic later – see “Obstacles to
prayer and how to overcome them”]. It is also possible that our prayer is absolutely correct in
God’s eyes, yet He wants us to persevere in praying about the matter a while longer. Always
remember this principle of prayer – PRAYER IS ANSWERED.
God does not mock us or tease us with His promises to answer prayer. By the Scriptures about
prayer and by His Spirit, God does lead us to pray. He does not lead us to pray in order to
frustrate us. He does not slam Heaven’s door in our face. Let us discipline ourselves to pray. Let
us learn about prayer so we may be more like Jesus in experiencing the joy of answered prayer.
What are the four fundamental truths about prayer? Repeat them until you have them
memorized correctly.
Discuss in your small group the key verses mentioned in the above discussion of the four
fundamental truths about prayer.
VARIOUS BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT PRAYER
One reason that many believers pray so little is because they have not learned about prayer.
They do not know some of the basic Scriptural teaching concerning prayer. Do you remember
our third fundamental truth about prayer? We stated very simply that, prayer is learned. We
must learn to pray. Therefore, let us now study some of the basic Biblical facts and key
Scriptures about prayer. This will give more insight into the proper prayer life of the believer.
Fact # 1 – We are to pray persistently.
Persistence is different from the meaningless repetition of pagans who think they will be heard
because of their many words. Jesus warns us against that kind of prayer in Matthew 6:7. Why
should we continue to pray for something many times? There is value in bringing the same
petition repeatedly to the Lord. Persistent prayer increases our burden for the situation for which
we are praying. We become more open to see what God would have us to do. We become
more willing to obey Him. Moreover, it purifies our request. The Holy Spirit shows us how to
modify or even sometimes how to change our prayer request.
In the original Greek language, the word “ask” in Matthew 7:7 is more correctly translated as
“keep asking.” Likewise, “seek” and “knock” are more correctly translated “keep seeking” and
“keep knocking.” The verbs are in the present, continuous tense. This means that we often
must pray persistently before the answers come. We must “keep asking.” In Luke 18:1, Jesus
tells a parable to teach His disciples about the value of persistence in their prayer. In that verse,
we read:
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“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give
up.”
Sometimes a failure to persist in prayer proves that we were not serious about our request in the
first place. At other times, God wants us to persist in prayer in order to strengthen our faith in
Him. Our faith would never grow if God answered all prayers immediately. In addition,
persistent prayer tends to develop deeper gratitude as well. As we persist in praying, God also is
continuing to mold us and shape us into a person more like the Messiah. We develop patience,
which is a wonderful fruit of the Spirit to cultivate.
Few disciples persist in prayer. However, persistently pursuing God in prayer is worth it. Even
though sometimes you may become frustrated or discouraged, do not let satan tempt you to
doubt God’s willingness and ability to answer. May your love for the LORD cause you to persist
in prayer to Him who loves you, even when His ways are difficult to understand (Romans 11:33).
Fact # 2 – We are to pray in Jesus’ Name.
Let us consider carefully the words of Jesus recorded in John 16:23 – 24: “I tell you the truth, My
Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name. Until now you have not asked for anything in
My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
We are to pray in Jesus' name. Sometimes people only read the promise in this verse, and do
not pay attention to the condition. All God's promises have conditions. To pray in Jesus' name
does not just mean to end a prayer by saying, "In Jesus name, Amen." In Biblical usage, a
person's name refers to all that a person is. Praying in Jesus' name means that our prayer is
in harmony with who Jesus is. Praying in His name means our prayer is compatible with His
love, His purpose, His attitude, His righteousness, and His will. It is to pray as He would pray.
We cannot pray a prayer in Jesus' name that He would not pray.
Praying "in Jesus' name" also means that we are “in Him,” we are "in the Messiah." We are
coming to God based on what the Messiah has done in our lives, rather than because of our
own goodness. This same truth is found in other words in John 14:13 – 14 when Jesus says:
"And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You
may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it."
This promise directly connects the Father’s glory with our prayer. It is not a promise that God will
give us all of our selfish whims. That kind of selfish prayer would not glorify Him.
Fact # 3 – We are to pray in the Spirit.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray
for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”
(Romans 8:26). [For related verses, please look at Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25.]
Sometimes a believer feels that he cannot pray correctly because he does not know how Jesus
would pray. We do not need to worry, because the Holy Spirit helps us pray. Part of the Holy
Spirit's work in our lives is to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). That includes leading us to pray
as we should pray if we follow His leadership. When a particular prayer is beyond our
understanding or our ability to pray, the Spirit will pray for us.
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Finally, the Bible commands us to "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20). We truly
are praying in the Spirit when we are under His guidance, when we have His wisdom, and when
we pray in His power. The Holy Spirit alone enables us to pray according to the will of God.
Fact # 4 – We are to abide [remain] in Jesus as we pray.
"If you remain in Me and My Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given
you" (John 15:7).
This is one of the basic Scriptures for understanding prayer. In John 15, Jesus is talking about
Himself as the vine and us as the branches. If you cut off a branch from the vine (or from the
tree trunk), it withers and dies. Likewise, if there is anything in our life that hinders our
relationship with the Messiah, we spiritually wither. To pray effectively we must be abiding in
Jesus. Anything that blocks His Spirit from filling our life severely limits our prayer life.
Now, let us look carefully at the second phrase of John 15:7: “…and My words remain in you”
The Word of God must be a part of us. It is through His revealed, written Word that we
understand who God is and what kind of God He is. Through His Word, we understand what His
will is, and how we are to pray to Him. The richer and deeper our understanding of His Word is,
the richer and deeper and more effective our prayer life will be. Then, we will apply His Word
much more effectively in our lives.
One man often used as an example of great faith is George Muller. He was an Englishman who
founded orphanages during the 19th century. He recorded answers to tens of thousands of
prayers. He was very aware of the necessity of God's Word dwelling in him. In his
autobiography, he tells us his conviction that the most important thing he had to do was read the
Word of God. He did not read the Bible "so that it only passes through my mind just as water
runs through a pipe." Instead, he meditated about what he read and applied it to his life. [Do you
remember our discussion on meditation and application in the first chapter?]
Muller did this so that his "heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, and
instructed." Beginning early each morning he thoughtfully read from the New Testament. He
tried to get a blessing out of each verse. He considered this kind of reading necessary to prayer.
His reason was that "faithfulness in prayer is an exercise of the soul most effectively performed
after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God.”
Fact # 5 – We are to pray according to the will of God.
Someone once said that the primary purpose of praying is to discover God's will, commit
oneself to it, and receive the power to carry it out. Let us consider this very famous Bible verse:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done"
(Luke 22:42).
Of course, you recognize the Scripture as Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane. The Jewish people
used the term "cup" to mean suffering. Though He faced immense suffering, the commitment of
the Messiah was to do God's will, even if God's will meant great suffering. He got up from this
prayer to face betrayal and denial by His friends, wrongful arrest, unjust trials, beatings,
humiliation, mockery, torture, and finally crucifixion. Yet, above all, Jesus wanted God’s will.
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Sometimes when we pray we add the phrase "if it be Your will" as a convenient way to avoid
taking the time to seek God's will. That is not the way Jesus used the phrase. He desired first to
know and then to obey His Father’s will.
This means that the beginning point in prayer is listening for guidance. Before we intercede for
another person, first we must listen to God to hear and know His will for that person. Then we
pray for other people according to His will. Notice that Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets did
not end their prayers for other people by saying, "if it be Your will." They believed they knew the
will of God when they prayed for others, and they prayed in faith.
When we are praying for ourselves, we should be honest and tell God how we feel and what we
desire. We should continue to pray until the Lord reveals to us what He wants. When His will
and our desires conflict, then we must pray, "Not my will, but Yours, be done." He will always
give us the strength to know and to do His will if we are willing to listen and obey.
Fact # 6 – We are to pray in faith.
We must have faith in God and realize that He is the One who expects, commands, and invites
us to pray. In the Bible, many verses about prayer emphasize the need for faith. For example,
consider the strong promise that Jesus spoke of in Mark 11:24:
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will
be yours.”
Or, consider the words of the apostle John as he linked praying in faith with prayer according to
the will of God, in 1 John 5:14 – 15:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His
will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have
what we asked of Him.”
Moreover, according to Romans 10:17, the Word tells us that "faith comes from hearing the
message, and the message is heard through the Word of the Messiah."
Genuine faith then comes to us because of the revelation of God's will through His Word.
Therefore, it is vitally important to know God’s Word and have it in our hearts and minds. When
we know God's Word, we can know that certain things are His will. We also know that it is
useless to pray for other things that are contrary to His will.
Finally, faith about specific prayer requests is born in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. He gives us a
conviction that we should pray for a particular person or for a particular thing to happen. The
prayer request is in harmony with Scripture. Thus, we pray with faith. This conviction of God's
will, which enables us to pray in faith, often comes at times we are meditating on God's Word.
In summary, we should read and study these six Biblical facts about prayer until we completely
understand them. Take the time now to review these facts about prayer.
List the six Biblical facts about prayer. Write a key verse beside each fact.
Discuss in your small group how you would teach these Biblical facts about prayer in your
group meeting.
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SEVEN OBSTACLES TO PRAYER AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM
Many things in our daily life can hinder our relationship with the LORD. The evil world system in
which we live, our old sin nature, and the devil are continually attacking the individual believer.
The aim of this attack is to cause us to sin and disrupt our relationship with the Father. Our
prayer life is an important part of this relationship. We cannot separate our prayer life from our
daily life – they are as one. Therefore, if we sin in our daily lives, it naturally affects our prayer
life. The believer wants to keep his walk with the Lord pure and clean. If our daily life is “clean”
before the Lord, so our prayer life will be “clean” before Him.
Let us be aware of the obstacles that are before us each day. Remember that satan, the world
and the sin nature will try to hinder and disrupt our prayer life, thus disrupting our fellowship with
the Lord. We shall now look at seven particular obstacles to prayer. As we study, we shall learn
how the believer can overcome each particular obstacle.
Unconfessed sin
The way to overcome the obstacle of unconfessed sin is very simple. The Word of God tells us:
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).
Unconfessed sin is a great obstacle to prayer. Whose prayer is powerful? The prayer of the
righteous man or woman is powerful. The word "righteous" can have two meanings. The first
meaning is to be in right relationship with God and with our fellow humans. The second meaning
is to do what is right. Any habitual or unforgiven sin in our life means we are not in right
relationship with God, and we are not doing what is right.
In contrast to the prayer of the righteous man, our prayers are weak and ineffective when there
is unconfessed sin in our life. For our prayers to become powerful and effective, we must
confess and repent. If the sin is continual or habitual, we must stop the sinful habit or practice.
Wrong, impure motives
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend
what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3).
Praying from a wrong or impure motive is an obstacle to prayer. If we only pray that God will
fulfill our personal desire, without any regard for God's will or our own spiritual welfare, our
motive is wrong. If God changes our desires to His desires, we pray rightly. Thus, we must allow
God to do this in our hearts. In genuine prayer, we begin to think His thoughts, we love what He
loves, we want what He wants, and we see things from His point of view. His desires become
our desires. We replace wrong, impure, selfish motives for praying by a great desire that He
accomplish His own perfect will.
There is a delightful promise in Psalm 37:4 that God will give us the desires of our heart. What is
the condition to the promise? "Delight yourself in the Lord." When He is the delight of our lives,
He will cause us to want the things which please Him and which He wants to give us.
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An unforgiving spirit
Our Lord repeatedly taught that an unforgiving spirit or being in wrong relationship with other
people would hinder our prayers. An unforgiving heart is a primary obstacle to prayer.
In Matthew 5:23 – 24, Jesus tells us we must be reconciled to a brother who has anything
against us before we come to God's altar. In 1 Peter 3:7, we are told that a man's prayers are
hindered if he is not treating his wife properly. Mark writes in his Gospel:
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your
Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father
who is in heaven forgive your sins" (Mark 11: 25 – 26).
Forgiving people who have sinned against us is an absolute necessity for being in right
relationship with God. It is also a necessity for our spiritual growth and for effective prayer.
Forgiveness is not a feeling – it is an act of obedience. In addition, when we have wronged,
or sinned against, another person, we must ask his forgiveness.
Some of the ways in which people "ask forgiveness" are not correct because they are not
admitting their guilt. We must not shift the blame to the other person by saying, "I am sorry, but if
only you had not done this thing to cause me to sin." Neither are we to be so vague the other
person does not know about what we are talking. Nor should we express doubt by saying, "If I
was wrong, I'm sorry." The best way to ask forgiveness is to specifically name our sin and then
say – "I was wrong in this sin which I have committed. Will you forgive me?"
Disobedience
Disobedience is the next obstacle that will hinder our relationship with the Lord and our prayer
life. Do you remember Jesus' question in Luke 6:46: "Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do
not do what I say?" One simple cure for unanswered prayer is to do the things the Lord
asks us to do. We simply should obey the Lord and His commands. The Word says:
"…[we] receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what
pleases Him" (1 John 3:22). The apostle John also quotes Jesus and writes:
“If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s
commands and remain in His love” (John 15:10). Let us therefore keep the commands of our
Lord and walk in obedience to Him. In so doing, we remove this obstacle to prayer.
Doubt [Unbelief, lack of faith]
Unbelief, doubt, or lack of faith is the fifth obstacle that we shall consider. It is a major hindrance
to prayer. Often, our most appropriate prayer is the cry of the child's father who said, "I do
believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) Later, Mark also wrote: "...Whatever you
ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24).
Moreover, consider the words of James concerning this obstacle of doubt: "But when he asks,
he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord"
(James 1:6 – 7). The key to overcoming doubt is this: simply believe God and His Word.
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Sometimes we feel that we do not have the faith to pray for some request the Lord has put on
our heart. However, remember that God does miracles with faith the size of a tiny mustard
seed. Jesus speaks to us very clearly:
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Therefore, let us repeat the words of the early apostles “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
Remember that Jesus is the only legitimate object of our faith. He is the God of all hope. Hope is
the “parent” of faith. Biblically, hope is not just wishful thinking, but rather the present
assurance of some future good. We can always trust God. He never changes. He will never
change. As we pray consistently and continually, and as we read and meditate upon the Word
of God, our faith will grow and develop.
Finally, your faith is dependent upon the object of your faith. Thus, how much faith you have
depends upon how well you know the object of your faith. For example, if you know 7
promises from the Word of God, your faith is limited to those 7 promises. However, if you know
700 promises from the Word of God, your faith will be much larger. We grow in our faith as we
increase our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word (see again Romans 10:17). In
order to live a victorious believing life, we must know the Word of God and we must pray
continually. We pray to a faithful Father who keeps all His promises. Do we trust Him?
Satan and his demons
The sixth obstacle to prayer is the satanic warfare waged against us. We begin to understand
this warfare when we study the experience of Daniel in Daniel 10:7 – 14. Satan delayed the
answer to his prayer for 21 days. Scripture clearly reveals the evil opposition that we believers
face as we pray:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
Today, satan and his demons will do all they can to delay and resist us as we pray. However,
the LORD gives us clear instructions. We know what to do to overcome satan. Paul tells the
Ephesians (6:13 – 17) to resist the devil and his demons by putting on the whole armor of God.
Putting on the armor of God requires active participation on our part. We cannot simply
passively resist satan. Paul reminds us to “be strong,” to “stand firm,” and to “be alert.” It is our
responsibility to stand firm in the faith, put on the whole armor and resist the devil. As you do
this, “he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
This protective armor also makes our prayer life much more effective. Therefore, we can pray
with the assurance that the Messiah has defeated satan. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus
the Messiah on the basis of God's revealed will. We pray with the assurance that: "…the One
who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Do not fear the evil
opposition. Jesus is the Victor.
[For detailed instruction on this subject, please refer to SALT book # 9, “Spiritual Warfare.”]
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Spiritual laziness
The seventh and final obstacle to prayer that we will study is spiritual laziness. This is a
common hindrance. Godly prayer should never be half-hearted or a routine ritual. The Bible
says: "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will
seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12 – 13).
The book of Proverbs has several Scriptures about laziness. One proverb states, ”Lazy hands
make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4). We can make the same
comparison with our prayer life. If we are lazy in our prayer life, then we shall be spiritually poor.
However, if we diligently and regularly seek the LORD in prayer, with all of our heart, we will
become spiritually “wealthy.” Space will not permit us to study all of the proverbs that would
relate to spiritual laziness. [For further study, please see Proverbs 12:24,13:4, 19:15 and 21:5.]
Spiritual laziness causes us to excuse ourselves from praying. We say things such as "I am not
in the mood," or, “I do not feel like praying right now.” When we do not feel like praying, we
should remember that prayer is not a mood but an expectation. We probably need to pray
hardest when it is hardest to pray. Once there was a great man of God who was a very active
and busy man. He found it hard to take time to sit down and pray. He testified that he often did
not feel like praying. However, when he refused to give in to his feelings, God always blessed
him. Prayer is like other kinds of work. We may not feel like working, but once we begin to do
so, the difficulty disappears. Satan will especially try to keep you from starting to pray.
Spiritual laziness often shows up in the lack of time we give to prayer. Every public prayer of
Jesus that is recorded is very brief. However, we know that in His private prayer time, He
sometimes spent all night in prayer (Luke 6:12). He frequently got up very early in the morning
to have time alone with His Father.
Remember this about spending more time in prayer. All spiritual disciplines, including prayer,
take practice. These disciplines are our spiritual exercises. A person does not decide to
become a runner one week and win a long race the next week. He gradually builds up so he is
able to run for a long distance. It is the same with prayer. For example, few believers can spend
two hours in prayer when they first begin to be serious about prayer. However, as a person
lengthens the usual ten minutes he sets aside for prayer to fifteen minutes, he will begin to know
God better and his prayer life will grow stronger. As it does, he will have more things about
which to pray. He will find his fellowship with the Lord sweeter so he will gradually add time.
Unconfessed sin, wrong motives, an unforgiving spirit, disobedience, lack of faith, satanic
opposition and spiritual laziness are all obstacles to our prayers. Ask God to show you what
obstacle may be in your prayer life. Then ask Him to show you how to overcome that obstacle.
Obey what His Word tells you to do in that area of your life.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
We need to follow Jesus' example and sometimes spend long periods in private prayer. The
secret of getting to know God is to spend time with Him. In Hebrews 12:3, the Word tells us to
“consider” the Messiah. We have said very little in this chapter about the Lord being our
example in prayer. Jesus prayed early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and at night (Matthew 14:23).
He often prayed alone (John 6:15). He prayed with others present (Matthew 11:25 – 26). He
prayed in large public gatherings (Matthew 14:19). At times, He prayed all night. Sometimes, He
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prayed during His miracles (John 11:41 – 42). He blessed meals. He blessed the children that
people brought to Him (Matthew 19:13 – 15). He blessed the disciples when He ascended back
to heaven (Luke 24:50). He prayed before he made any major decisions (Luke 4:42 – 43 and
Luke 6:12 – 13). He prayed during the times of great personal crisis in His life, such as in
Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39 – 42). He prayed as He died (Luke 23:46). He is praying in
heaven right now for us (Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25). He is the great Example who invites
us to join with Him in this great work of prayer.
If the Messiah, the Son of God, spent so much time and energy in prayer, how much more do
we need to pray? Great servants of God through the centuries have always spent much time
and energy in prayer. Will you commit to becoming stronger in your personal prayer life and
spending more time in your “prayer closet?”
We have now studied four fundamental truths about prayer, six Biblical facts about prayer, and
seven obstacles to prayer and how to overcome them. Then we considered Jesus as our
Example. Now, what remains is for us to practice what we know... to pray.
Discuss with your small group some of the seven obstacles to prayer.
On a separate sheet of paper, for your own private use, write down the obstacle to prayer
that has given you personally the most difficulty.
By using the following Scriptures, make a list of the people for whom we should pray:
Romans 10:1, Galatians 6:1, Ephesians 6:18 – 20, Colossians 4:3, 1 Timothy 2:1 – 2,
Hebrews 13:3 and James 5:16
Carefully study the seven questions listed below and the Bible verses. Then ask yourself:
”Am I ready to pray?”
Are all my sins confessed? Isaiah 59:1 – 2 and 1 John 1:8 – 10

Are all my relationships with others right? Matthew 5:21 – 26, 6:14 – 15
Am I seeking His will in all things? John 6:38 and 1 John 5:14 – 15
Am I seeking to glorify God above all things? John 14:13 – 14
Am I depending on the Holy Spirit's guidance? Romans 8:26 – 27
Am I trusting God in spite of what the situation seems to be? Proverbs 3:5 – 6
Will I praise God no matter what happens? Romans 8:28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – 18
Discuss in your small group what you think is the most effective way to teach this chapter to
others. Write down some suggestions and ideas.
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C H A P T E R 3
Worship
Jesus tells us that the first commandment is to: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" (Luke 10:27). If we love Him
like that, there will be nothing in our lives more important than Him.
It is the duty and privilege of all people to worship their Creator. “Come, let us bow down in
worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (Psalm 95:6). God clearly expects us to
worship. It is our purpose. Godliness without the worship of God is unthinkable. Therefore, as
we begin to study this third discipline of worship, keep remembering that the purpose of the
disciplines is Godliness.
However, those who pursue Godliness must realize that it is possible to worship God in vain.
Please remember this important statement. If we are not careful, we may worship God in vain.
The Messiah quoted an Old Testament passage to warn us of worshipping God in vain: “These
people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their
teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matthew 15:8 – 9, quoted from Isaiah 29:13).
How can believers worship God without worshipping in vain? How can we worship the LORD
our Maker correctly? How can we practice this third discipline of worship? In order to accomplish
this, we must learn and understand the discipline of worship. To learn and understand this
discipline, first, we will study two fundamental elements of true worship. Then, we will study two
Biblical truths related to worship. Finally, we will consider some practical ideas and suggestions.
TWO FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF TRUE WORSHIP
Worship is…focusing on and responding to God
“Worship” is difficult to define. In John 20:28, when the resurrected Jesus appeared to Thomas
and showed him the scars in His hands and side, Thomas “worshiped.” Thomas said, “My Lord
and my God!” In Revelation 4:8, the four creatures around the throne worship God without
ceasing day and night. They continually say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who
was, and is, and is to come.” In Revelation 4:11, the 24 elders fall down before God and
“worship” Him, saying “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and
power.” In Revelation 5, thousands of angels, elders, and living creatures surround the throne
of the Lamb [verse 11] crying out with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to
receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Verse 12)
This fifth chapter of Revelation concludes with these words: “The four living creatures said,
‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
Now let us reflect upon the word “worship.” To worship God is to give the proper worth to
Him, to magnify the fact that He is worthy of praise. As the Holy and Almighty Lord God, the
Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Sovereign Judge to whom we must give an account,
He is worthy. He is worthy of all the worth and honor and praise we can give Him. He is worthy
of so many things that we cannot even imagine them with our human understanding. Truly,
“Worthy is the Lamb.” Now, re-read this last paragraph several times and think about your
own personal idea of “worship.”
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The more we focus on God, the more we understand and appreciate how worthy He is. As we
understand and appreciate this, we cannot help but respond to Him. Thus, when we fully
encounter the worthiness of God, our response will be to worship Him. This is our first
fundamental element of true worship – focusing upon and responding to God.
If we could see God at this very moment with our physical eyes, we would fall on our face and
worship Him. That is why we read in the book of Revelation that when the elders, angels, and
creatures surrounding the throne saw God, they could only do one thing – fall down and worship
Him. He alone is worthy of worship. Therefore, worship is focusing on and responding to God.
However, we are not yet in heaven to see the Lord with our own eyes. Thus, the question
becomes, how is God revealed to us here on this earth that we might focus on Him and worship
Him? Let us think of how He has revealed Himself to us, His children here on this earth.
He has revealed Himself through creation (Romans 1:20).
Therefore, when we see a beautiful sunset or a beautiful mountain peak, the proper response is
to worship the Creator who made these things and gave them to us for our enjoyment.
The Lord has revealed Himself through His Word, the holy Bible (2 Timothy 3:16 and
2 Peter 1:20 – 21), and His Word, Jesus the Messiah (John 1:1,14 and Hebrews 1:1 – 3).
Thus, our responsibility is to seek God by means of the Messiah and the Bible. As the Holy
Spirit opens the eyes of our understanding, we see God revealed in the Holy Scriptures and we
respond to Him. We worship Him. God is most clearly revealed in Jesus the Messiah, for Jesus
is God. If we meditate and focus on the Person and work of the Messiah as found in the Bible,
we will understand what God is like. And according to John 1:18, Jesus “has made Him known.”
When we truly comprehend what God is like, we will respond to Him in worship.
As you can understand from the above discussion, our worship of God should be based upon
the Bible. Worship should include the Bible. Bible reading, preaching, and teaching are central
elements in group worship. In our private worship, Bible reading and meditation are the heart of
the worship. We sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to express truth about God or as we
worshipfully respond to Him. Prayer is a response to God. Giving is a response to God.
Simply, worship is focusing on and responding to God. We are not worshiping God if our
hearts and minds are not thinking about Him. You may be listening to Bible teaching, but if you
are not thinking about how this word applies to your life or your relationship with the Lord, you
are not truly worshiping. You may be singing “Holy is the Lord,” but if you are not thinking about
the Lord as you sing, this is not worship. You may be listening to someone pray, but if you are
not thinking of God and praying with him or her, you are not worshiping.
Often our worship includes words and actions, but it goes beyond that. Worship concerns the
focus of our mind and heart. Worship is the God-centered focus and response of the inner
man. No matter where you are, no matter what your external circumstances may be, when you
focus your heart and mind upon God and think only of Him, you are truly worshiping. When you
focus on the matchless worth of God, you will indeed respond in true worship. Moreover, this
kind of worship is never in vain. Adoration and worship of this kind will truly bless and please the
LORD. Now, let us study the second fundamental element of true worship.
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Worship is…in spirit and truth
The key passage in the Bible on true worship is probably John 4:23 – 24. Jesus said:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and His
worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
First, before we can worship in spirit and in truth, we must have living within us the One whose
Name is the Holy Spirit. He is the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). He lives only within those who
have come to God in repentance and faith in Jesus, who have been born-again. Without the
indwelling Holy Spirit, true worship cannot happen. The Holy Spirit is the One who reveals God
to us. He is the One who draws us to the Messiah and fills our heart with love for Him. He
teaches us the truths of Scripture, and brings life to hearts that were dead toward God.
If the Holy Spirit lives within us, this does not mean that we will always worship God in spirit and
truth. However, it means that it is always possible to worship Him in this way. To worship in spirit
means that our “inner man” is worshiping God. It means that our acts of worship are sincere. No
matter how “spiritual” the song or prayer may sound, if it does not come from a sincere heart,
then it is not worship. Instead, that is hypocrisy.
To worship in truth means fundamentally that we worship according to the truths of God’s holy
Word. We must worship the LORD as He is revealed in the Bible, not simply as we want Him to
be. We worship the God of both mercy and justice, the God of love and wrath. We worship the
God who welcomes believers into heaven and allows sinners to go to hell. We must worship in
response to the entire truth of the Word. If we do not, our worship is in vain.
Now let us ask ourselves a basic question. Why do we worship God? Is it because it is our
duty? Or, is it because we truly love Him? If we say it is simply our duty, we dishonor the Lord.
However, if we worship Him because we love Him, we honor the Lord.
In addition, let us strive to maintain a good balance of spirit and truth in our worship. This means
that our worship is with both our hearts and minds, with both our emotions and thinking. Strong
emotions may not always be present in our worship of God, but we must persevere even during
times of “dryness” in our souls. All believers occasionally have to cross some “spiritual deserts.”
If this is a time of dryness in your life, ask the Lord to send you those “streams of living water”
(John 7:38). These streams will refresh your heart and soul. Persevere across the desert; never
stop worshiping the Lord in the middle of the desert!
Having studied the two fundamental elements of true worship, let us now pursue the study of…
TWO BIBLICAL TRUTHS RELATED TO WORSHIP
Worship is…expected both publicly and privately
The Lord expects believers to regularly worship together with other brothers and sisters. The
Bible commands us to do so. Hebrews 10:25 states this command clearly:
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
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The first primary exercise of the discipline of worship is to develop the habit of faithfully
assembling with other believers in meetings where the primary purpose is to worship the LORD.
The New Testament describes the Church with terms like body (1 Corinthians 12:12), building
(Ephesians 2:21), and household (Ephesians 2:19). These terms help us to understand the
relationship between the individual believer and the church. If our experience of Christianity is
usually private and individual, we will miss much of the blessings and power of God. The verse
quoted above (Hebrews 10:25) teaches that those who do not practice the disciplined habit of
assembling with other believers are practicing a kind of non-Biblical Christianity.
It is also true that even if we have a wonderful private devotional life, this does not exempt us
from publicly gathering and worshiping God. No matter how wonderful our personal worship
time is with the Lord, we need to worship together with the whole church. There are graces and
blessings that the Lord will give to His people only as they assemble and worship Him.
Conversely, no matter how wonderful and blessed our public worship is, there are experiences
with God that He will give us only as we privately and secretly worship Him. Let us look at
Jesus our Example. He faithfully participated in the public worship of God at the synagogue.
Each Sabbath He was there, as well as at the stated times for the festival assemblies at the
Temple in Jerusalem. However, Luke wrote in his gospel that, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely
places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). As one famous preacher once said, “Public worship will not
excuse us from secret worship.”
Ask yourself the following question: How is it possible to worship God publicly if we do not
worship Him privately? Usually, if our private worship of the Lord is poor and infrequent, we will
not want to assemble and worship publicly. Another famous preacher once said, “There is no
way that those who neglect secret worship can know communion with God in the public services
of the Lord’s Day.” God wants us to privately worship Him so that he can bless us. If we neglect
private daily worship, we miss daily blessings of joy, strength and guidance.
Worship is…a discipline to be cultivated
Do you remember the purpose of the disciplines? The goal, or purpose, is Godliness. The more
we truly worship God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the more we grow in
Godliness. Therefore, we become more like the Messiah. We become like the person [or thing]
that we focus upon. If we focus on the world, we will become worldlier. However, if we want to
be godly, we must focus on God. It is very simple. Godliness requires disciplined worship.
Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:10). This seems to be a simple command,
but in order to obey this command throughout our entire lifetime as a believer requires discipline.
Without discipline, our worship of God will be shallow and inconsistent. As we discussed earlier,
worship is the response of a heart in love with God. Yet, we must also think of worship as a
discipline that must be cultivated. How do we cultivate the discipline of worship?
First, it is very important that each believer set aside time every day to be alone with God. This
book refers to that time as a "personal worship time." Make your “personal worship time” your
top priority every day. If you had an appointment with the president or prime minister of your
country, you would certainly keep it. “Personal worship time” is time to meet with God Himself.
He created us for fellowship with Himself. Nothing is more important than taking time to get to
know Him, then to obey Him. Let us now consider some practical ideas and suggestions that
may help us to cultivate this discipline of worship in our daily lives.
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PRACTICAL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS
SET ASIDE A PARTICULAR TIME EACH DAY FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP
Many believers through the centuries have chosen morning for their personal worship times.
Beginning the day with the Lord has given them the sense of His presence and the strength
they need through the day. However, the important thing is to select a time that fits your life.
CHOOSE A QUIET PLACE FOR WORSHIP
It is very difficult for many people to find a place to be alone. Try to find a place where there are
no interruptions or distractions. Almost any quiet place will do. Peter was praying on the rooftop
at Simon the Tanner's house. Jesus frequently went to a garden on the Mount of Olives to pray.
MAKE PREPARATION FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP
Have your Bible and any other materials ready so you will not have to look for them. This is
especially important if you choose the early morning hours for your personal worship time. It is a
good idea to have a notebook in which you can write down the things that the Lord says to you
in your personal worship time. Many people keep a prayer notebook.
Make preparations so there will be no interruptions. However, you can expect interruptions.
Satan will try to prevent you from spending more time with God. So, do as much as you can to
stop the evil one by removing the easiest ways he has to interrupt you.
EXPECT TO MEET GOD IN OUR PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME
A personal worship time is not just a ritual we do. It is a time to meet with the Lord. Expect Him
to reveal Himself. Let us not separate this expectation from the way we live our daily lives. We
must be aware of His presence and obey Him in everything we do all day long.
PRESENT YOURSELF PROPERLY TO GOD IN TIME OF WORSHIP
In Hebrews 4:16, we read: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
We have the invitation to come boldly to God. However, often we hurry into His Presence
without thinking about who it is to whom we are speaking. We are not aware of His holiness and
His glory. We would present ourselves to any high-ranking person here on earth in a polite
manner. We should also present ourselves to the Almighty LORD God in a reverent manner.
Let us also present our bodies to God in worship (Romans 12:1). Our physical posture reflects
our inner spirit. Wholehearted worship involves all of our being. Our worship time may include
sitting to be able to concentrate on what He says to us, raising our faces and hands toward
heaven in praise, bowing our heads in confession, kneeling or lying prostrate before the Lord.
CONCENTRATE ON THE MESSIAH WHO IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITHIN US
We want our worship to be an encounter with the living God. Think of the LORD. He truly is alive
and with us and within us. Think of who this King of Kings and Lord of Lords really is. He is:
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- The Creator who made us

- The Redeemer who gave His life for us
- The Savior who saved us from the consequences and power of sin
- The Priest who intercedes for us daily at God's throne
- The Friend who understands every desire of our heart
- The Master Teacher who, by His Spirit, explains the truths of God to us
- The Companion who walks beside us in everything we do.
DEVELOP A BALANCED PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME
Our personal worship time should include the following types of prayer:
PRAISE and Among other things, we can praise God for His goodness, patience, love,
ADORATION to
grace, knowledge, power, holiness, wisdom, greatness and glory.
God for who He is
THANKSGIVING “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to
for all He does for us
Him and praise His Name” (Psalm 100:4).
CONFESSION of sin In Isaiah, we find one reason our prayer-life is sometimes dry and ineffective:
“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your
iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that
He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1 – 2).
However, we have the wonderful promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Let us ask the Lord to
reveal specific sins for which we need to request forgiveness. Let us confess those sins to Him
one by one. Let us ask Him for power to avoid repeating the sins in our lives today.
INTERCESSION for Each believer is a priest before God. That means each born-again believer
other people has the privilege and duty to pray for others.
Remember what Samuel said: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD
by failing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23).
PETITION to God One of the great promises in Scripture is: “If you remain in Me and My words
for personal needs remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7).
This verse describes the person who has such a close relationship with God that his desires
agree with God's will. One way to build this kind of relationship is to bring all our desires and
needs to God, and ask Him to help us understand which ones are in His perfect will for us.
MEDITATION Meditation is one way we listen to the Lord, concentrate upon His Word and
learn from Him. [Refer again to the discussion in chapter one on “meditation.”]
RECOMMITMENT If worship does not change us, it has not been worship. If worship does not
OF OURSELVES TO
cause us to be more obedient to the Lord, it has not truly been worship. Holy
HIM
obedience keeps worship from becoming an escape from the pressures of
modern life. Worship enables us to clearly hear the call to serve God so that we can willingly
respond, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)
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KEEP A PERSONAL WORSHIP NOTEBOOK
Many believers keep devotional notebooks. Perhaps you would like to keep one also. There are
many good reasons to keep a notebook. A devotional notebook may contain things such as:
PRAYER LISTS: This helps us to pray systematically for a wide variety of requests. Lists help us
to remember to pray for things for which we have promised to pray. If we mark the answers to
our prayers on the prayer list, it will increase our faith as we see how God has answered.
SPECIFIC SHORT PRAYERS that out we write out. For instance, perhaps we feel led to pray
something specific for another person. We may want to write the prayer down. Later we can
check to see the fulfillment of that prayer.
NOTES FROM OUR BIBLE READING: Most of us have had the experience of discovering a
beautiful truth in the Bible, then forgetting it. Writing helps us to remember. We can also reread
what we have written, which will bring the truth back to our memory.
LISTS OF PARTICULAR SCRIPTURES which lead us to praise God, or which can be repeated as
intercessory prayer for others, or which give us comfort and strength in difficult times. We may
be memorizing these Scriptures or meditating upon them.
THOUGHTS THE LORD PUTS ON OUR HEARTS: We not only forget things other people say to
us but we also forget things God says to us. Rereading what He has said to us at previous times
helps us to know Him better.
PROMISES AND COMMITMENTS WE MAKE TO GOD: The preacher in Ecclesiastes 5: 4 – 5 tells

us: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill
your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” We need to remember our
promises to God and fulfill them, no matter how difficult they may be.
We may want to close our personal worship time with the question, "Lord is there anything
specific You want me to do today?" When He gives us a word that there is something He
desires from us, we should write it down. Then, later we must check back to see if we have
obeyed Him.
In closing out this chapter on the third discipline of worship, let us consider:
AN EXAMPLE OF A PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME
Begin by PRAISING GOD. Sing Scripture choruses or hymns. We may make

up our own spontaneous songs of praise. This will focus our thoughts on the
Lord with whom we want to have fellowship.
Ask Him to reveal our sin. CONFESS any sin the Lord brings to mind. Then,
let us repent and “count yourselves dead to [that] sin” (Romans 6:6,11). Write
down whatever we need to do to make things right with the person against
whom we have sinned.
Continue in the spirit of prayer by GIVING THANKS to God for who He is and
for His many blessings.
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READ a Psalm. Choose one phrase or verse from that Psalm and MEDITATE
on it. We may choose another Scripture that we have read, and MEDITATE
upon it. Remember that meditation is deliberate concentration upon God and
His Word, with our hearts and minds open to His thoughts and insights.
Continue worship with INTERCESSORY PRAYER. We pray through our

various monthly, weekly, and daily prayer lists. At the end of this time, let us
ask the Lord to bring anyone else to our mind for prayer today.
PETITION God for the needs in our own lives and give Him the plans for the
day that lies ahead. ASK FOR HIS GUIDANCE during the day. Write down
prayer requests for the plans and activities we have scheduled for that day.
READ SCRIPTURE. We may read several chapters or an entire short book,

depending upon our reading plan. However, sometimes a few verses are so
deep and meaningful that it takes the whole time to read and think about them.
In closing, remember that satan will attack us at the point of our personal worship more than any
other place in our lives. Be prepared for his attempts to interrupt us, or to make us sleepy or
mentally dull. He will try to make us think that our personal worship is not important and that we
do not have time to worship. Resist his attacks. Sometimes praying aloud or reading aloud
helps our minds stay focused. However, the problem lies with us, never with God. He is worthy
of all the worship, the best and most wholehearted worship, which we can give Him. May we
persevere as we begin to practice this third discipline of worship.
Write down your own definition of the word “worship.”
Write down the key Scriptures and explain how God has revealed Himself to us?
In your small group, discuss the meaning of the phrase “Worship is focusing upon and
responding to God.” What are some key Scriptures related to this?
In your small group, discuss the question, “Why do we worship God?”
Write your answer to this question: “Which is more difficult for me personally, public or
private worship?” Later, discuss your answer with a brother or sister.
In your small group, take one idea from the “Practical Ideas and Suggestions” section and
discuss how you will begin this in your own personal worship time with the Lord.
With a friend or with the small group, explain how your own personal worship is [or, is not]
like the example given in the last section in this chapter.
Discuss with your small group how you would teach “the discipline of worship” to fellow
believers.
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C H A P T E R 4
Evangelism
It is indeed thrilling and wonderful to share with someone the Good News of the Messiah. This is
one of the most rewarding experiences that we believers have here on this earth. However,
many of us are shy and anxious about sharing our faith with non-believers. Few believers spend
the proper amount of time, or give forth a diligent effort, to share their faith with persons who do
not know Jesus. We simply practice very little “evangelism” in our daily lives. Why is this true? In
this chapter, we want to discuss the fourth discipline – the discipline of evangelism.
“Evangelism” is a broad and difficult subject. The main idea that we want to communicate in this
fourth chapter is that Godliness (the purpose of the disciplines) requires that we train ourselves
in the practice of evangelism. Among the many reasons that we do not speak of the Messiah
more often is fear. We shall discuss that later. However, many of us do not practice evangelism
simply because we do not train and discipline ourselves to do it.
As we begin to study this fourth discipline, all of us know very well that the Lord expects
evangelism from His followers. He does not expect us to use the same methods of evangelism,
but the Lord does expect all His followers to evangelize a lost and dying world. As we begin, let
us first define the word. What is “evangelism?” A very thorough definition would be as follows:
“Evangelism is to present Jesus the Messiah in the power of the Holy Spirit to sinful people, in
order that they may come to put their trust in God through Him, to receive Him as their Savior,
and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church.”
The Greek word euanggelistas, means “one who proclaims the good news.” One definition of
the gift of evangelism is “the gift of proclaiming the Good News of salvation effectively so that
people respond to the claims of Jesus in conversion and in discipleship.”
Notice that we have begun this discussion by defining the word “evangelism” and then
mentioning the “gift” of evangelism. Most of us studying this SALT book probably do NOT have
the gift of evangelism. However, the clear command from God is that we are to evangelize. In
the same way, most of us may not have the gift of teaching or of giving, but the Lord expects His
servants to teach the Word, and of course to give their tithes and offerings. Therefore, though
we may not have the gift of evangelism, we still must share the Good News of Jesus with our
lost neighbors and friends. Every child of God bears his or her own responsibility to develop this
discipline (2 Corinthians 5:18 – 20).
We should not make the task of evangelism seem too difficult. Simply put, New Testament
evangelism is communicating the Gospel. Anyone who faithfully tells the essential elements of
God’s salvation through Jesus is practicing evangelism. Then, we may ask the question, why
do we need to practice this discipline? The simple answer is, of course, the Lord Jesus Himself
has commanded us to witness, to evangelize, or, to share our faith in Him with others. Consider
these following New Testament passages of Scripture:
“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation’” (Mark 16:15).
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“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19 – 20).
“And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:47 – 48).
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you’”
(John 20:21).
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
In the early days of His ministry, the Messiah promised to make His followers “fishers of men”
(Matthew 4:19). Then, at the very close of His earthly ministry, we clearly see from the above
Scripture passages, that His primary concern was sharing the good news with a lost world.
Notice that each of the four Gospels has the same important message in the final chapter.
Jesus did not give these commands to the apostles only. For example, did these men come to
the area where you are now living? For the people of your area to hear the Good News, some
other believer must share with them. For the “Great Commission” [a name given to the
command of Matthew 28:19 – 20] to be fulfilled in your part of the earth, a believer like you must
do the work of sharing the Gospel. Peter, James and John are not coming to your village!
There are many reasons why most believers do not regularly share their faith with others.
Sometimes there is a fear of rejection, or a fear of people laughing at us or scorning us.
Sometimes there is a lack of confidence in our speaking ability. Sometimes we do not want to
say something that we think may drive the non-believer further away from the Lord, so we say
nothing. Sometimes there is the thought that we do not know enough Scripture. Or, perhaps we
do not have the proper training to do evangelism. There are many, many reasons that we do not
share our faith. Usually, our reasons relate to the simple fact that we are afraid of failure. The
fact is that Jesus has commanded us to evangelize and make disciples, and we disobey His
Word. Nevertheless, what can we say about this fear of failure? Let us discuss these ideas of
“success” and “failure” in our evangelism efforts.
SUCCESSFUL EVANGELISM
This simple question may be very helpful to many of us at this point:

• What is successful evangelism?
Consider this answer:
• When the person with whom we share the Gospel comes to the Messiah in faith.
Of course, this is the answer that we all want to see happen. We truly desire to see our
neighbors and friends and the people of our town come to genuine repentance and faith in
Jesus. However, if this is “success” when we share the Gospel, then are we “failures” when we
share the Good News and people refuse to believe? Was the Lord an “evangelistic failure” when
people such as the rich young man (Matthew 19:16 – 22) turned away from Him and His
message? Of course not! Jesus is always 100% successful – He is the Lord God. He cannot
and does not fail. Thus, our answer to the above question must be wrong.
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Then obviously we are not failures when we share the Gospel and someone refuses to believe.
We must learn the important fact that simply sharing the Gospel is successful evangelism.
We ought to be doing all we can to share our faith. However, the result is in God’s hands.
Consider the example of the postal service in our town or village. How do we measure success
for the postal service? When the “postman” [the man carrying the mail] carefully and accurately
delivers the letter, box, or package, then we say that he has been “successful.” We do not judge
his success by the response of the person receiving the letter. He may not even read the letter.
Likewise, whenever we carefully, accurately, and lovingly share the Good News of the Lord
Jesus, we are successful evangelists. We are obeying God’s command to evangelize. Thus,
do not fear. You are not a failure. Simply share your faith. Share the glorious Good News of
Jesus and God will consider you, in His eyes, very successful. Moreover, He will take care of the
results. Leave all the results of your evangelistic efforts in His hands. Next, let us look at…
THE POWER OF EVANGELISM
The power of evangelism is the Holy Spirit. From the very moment that the Holy Spirit comes to
live within us, from the very moment that we repent, believe, and are born again, He gives us
the power to witness. Naturally, the Messiah expects every one of His followers to evangelize
because He has empowered every one of us by His Spirit. However, this power is often
misunderstood. God has given all of us power, but we do not all evangelize the same way.
The evidence that we have the power to witness is a changed life. Thus, if God has changed
our lives by His Spirit, He has also given us the power to share our faith in His Son. This
essentially means that in ways and methods that are compatible with our personality, our
spiritual gifts, and our opportunities, the Lord gives us the power to share the Good News of the
Messiah. Often, though we may not sense or feel power, God empowers us to share the faith.
The Gospel that we share carries with it the power of the Holy Spirit of God. The apostle Paul
wrote to the believers in Rome and said:
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone
who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).
This is why people are saved when they hear the Gospel from a young boy, from an old woman,
from a trained evangelist, or from an untrained housewife or laborer. God blesses the Gospel
like no other words. God also gives faith (Ephesians 2:8 – 9) along with the hearing of the
Gospel, “…because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
Remember that it is through the Gospel that God gives the power to believe. This is the
meaning of Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message [Gospel],
and the message [the Gospel] is heard through the word of the Messiah.”
When we share the Gospel, we share “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes.” This is why we can know with confidence that some will believe. We must simply and
faithfully share the Good News of the Lord Jesus. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.
Our own strong and eloquent words will not lead people to salvation. The power for people to
become reconciled to God, the power for people to be made right with God, comes through the
message of the Son. That power does not come from our own human eloquence. If we will
share this message faithfully, we can be sure that some will believe. Some will respond “yes” to
the Lord Jesus the Messiah and put their faith in Him.
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There is also a power for evangelism in the one who lives a quiet, sincere life as a follower of
the Messiah. This person gives off a “fragrant aroma” from his or her life as a child of God. The
one who passes by this person can “smell” the sweetness and fragrance of the Lord in his or her
life. This is exactly what the apostle Paul meant as he wrote to the church in Corinth:
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in the Messiah and through
us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of
the Messiah among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are
the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life” (2 Corinthians 2:14 – 16).
In verse 17 of 2 Corinthians 2, Paul goes on to speak about the words of this faithful believer.
He writes, “We speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” Therefore, we clearly
see that the Lord empowers the life (verse 14 – 16) and the words (verse 17) of the faithful
follower of Jesus with a power of spiritual attraction. God uses this “fragrant aroma” in our lives
to attract people to the message about His Son Jesus. Thus, our strongest witness as His child
occurs when we sincerely live His Word and faithfully share His Word.
As we move forward in our study of evangelism, let us consider some …
PRACTICAL IDEAS TO DEVELOP THE DISCIPLINE
Evangelism should be a natural overflow of our lives as believers. We should be able to quickly
and easily talk about what the Lord has done for us. We can tell others how much He means to
us. However, evangelism is also a discipline. We must discipline ourselves to get our
conversations into the context of evangelism. We must not always wait for opportunities to
happen. Most likely, the main reason that we do not share the Gospel more frequently is that
we do not discipline ourselves to do so.
Unless we discipline ourselves for evangelism, it is very easy to excuse ourselves from ever
sharing the Good News with anyone. Let us consider for a moment the words of Paul to the
Colossian believers: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may
know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5 – 6).
We must think about evangelism whenever we talk with non-believers. The Word tells us to
“make the most of every opportunity.” We should prepare and discipline ourselves in order to
know how to properly respond to people. Let us look at some practical ways that may help us to
begin developing this discipline of evangelism in our everyday lives.
The first part of the discipline probably means that we must discipline
ourselves to be with non-believers. Perhaps we need to invite some friends
(who do not know the Lord as Savior) to come to our home for a meal. The key is
to have dialogue with them in such a way that their hearts and minds might be
open to the Good News of the Lord Jesus.
Individually, you may want to get together with a friend for a private meal or time
of tea – just the two of you. You can learn to ask questions about his personal life
and beliefs. Through conversation and good listening, you can discover his
needs. Possibly, you can explore with him his deepest need – for the Messiah.
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Turn conversations toward spiritual matters. For instance, ask the person with
whom you are speaking how you can pray for him or her. Most non-believers do
not know of any believers who are praying for them. Ask the person for any
specific prayer request that he or she may have. This often opens the door for
them to share more of their deep personal and family needs with you. One
believer went throughout his neighborhood and simply asked people how he and
the church could pray for them. This opened the hearts of many people to talk
about spiritual matters. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you…knock and
the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
Practice the art of “evangelistic serving.” In this practical way, first you must
look for a good opportunity to help your neighbor. Specifically, being a servant to
some family that is experiencing things such as an illness, loss of job, financial
difficulty, birth, death, etc., may give you the opportunity to share the Gospel with
them at a later time. You may cook a meal for them, clean their house, or watch
their children for a day while they attend to business matters. In whatever way you
can, serve them with a glad heart. This will help open the door of their heart to
hear about the things of the Lord. Serving may be the beginning of being able to
effectively share the Good News of the Lord with a lost neighbor or friend.
Form an “evangelistic team.” Perhaps your gift is evangelism but your friend’s
gift is serving. Together, the two of you could combine your gifts to serve tea,
coffee, or meals in your home and invite your non-believing neighbors and
friends. One person has the responsibility to cook the meal, while the other takes
the responsibility to speak and share from the Word about God’s plan of salvation.
Note: However, gifted speakers often need to serve so they can speak the Gospel.
Moreover, “evangelistic servers” must eventually speak the Good News. Regardless
of how shy or unskilled we may feel about evangelism, we must not convince
ourselves that we cannot or will not verbally share the Gospel. Even though we
realize that we do not have the gift of evangelism, we still remember the clear
commands of Jesus to share the Good News of His salvation.
At this point in our study of the discipline of evangelism, we should mention several
points concerning those individual believers who possess the gift of evangelism.
Read this section very carefully and ask yourself if perhaps God has given you this
particular gift in order to serve His Church (Ephesians 4:11).
Many things are involved in the gift of evangelism. A person with this gift usually will have the
following characteristics in his or her life:
• He will have a burden for the lost. The person having this gift has a great desire to see
the people around him saved. Do you remember Paul’s words to the Roman believers?
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be
saved” (Romans 10:1).
• He will have a longing within his heart to proclaim the Good News. The evangelist is
simply one who speaks the Good News. A person with this gift loves to share the
Gospel with unbelievers on a personal, one-to-one basis. Occasionally, he may share
the Gospel with a larger group. He brings Good News (Romans 10:14 – 15).
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• He has an ability to give a clear presentation of the Gospel. The evangelist has the ability
to present the gospel in a simple and clear manner. He proclaims the basic plan of
salvation: sin, repentance, faith, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the sacrificial death of
the Messiah. He presents the Good News in a way that unbelievers without a Biblical
background can easily understand (Colossians 4:4).
• He knows how to invite people to respond to the proclamation of the Gospel. The one
having the gift of evangelism is able to see a response to the presentation of the Gospel.
This is an indication he has the gift.
• He has a great delight in seeing people come to the Lord. Because it is his burden and
passion, the evangelist rejoices as men and women come to faith in Jesus the Messiah.
Again, we must remember that although only some people have this gift of evangelism, no
believer is exempt from proclaiming the good news. All believers are to do the work of
evangelism. As the apostle Paul clearly told his young disciple Timothy:
“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).
Finally, let us consider a well-known Scripture as we conclude this discussion on the discipline
of evangelism. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:21 that,
“…God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”
Often it is the message of the Cross, lived out in our lives, that God uses to open a heart to
the Gospel. However, it is the message of the Cross proclaimed (by word) through which the
power of God saves those who believe. No matter how well we live the Gospel, eventually we
must communicate the content of the Gospel. Then our friends and neighbors can become
disciples of the Lord Jesus. Since God expects this, will you obey Him and share your faith?
Study the definition of evangelism. Write it out in your own words. Prayerfully study and think
about this definition. Can you write a better one?
Discuss in your small group the commands that Jesus gave at the close of each Gospel to
go, witness, share our faith and make disciples. Which verse really speaks to your heart?
Discuss in your small group the idea of what is “Successful Evangelism.” Do you agree?
Write out Romans 1:16. Memorize this verse and meditate upon it. Write down any insights
that the Lord gives you about this Scripture.
Discuss in your small group the passage, 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 17.
Discuss in your small group at least one practical idea that you will try to begin in your own
home, life, work and ministry in order to develop the discipline of evangelism.
Study the characteristics of the person who has the gift of evangelism. Do you know
someone who has this particular gift?
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C H A P T E R 5
Fasting and Stewardship

In this fifth chapter, we shall discuss two spiritual disciplines. For most of the chapter, we shall
discuss the discipline of fasting. Then, in the latter part of the chapter, we shall discuss the
discipline of stewardship. Since we dedicate one entire SALT book (# 25) to the theme of
stewardship, this fifth chapter will only give a brief summary of that discipline. Nevertheless, it is
a very important discipline in the life of the follower of Jesus. Thus, it is necessary that part of
this book deal with the theme of stewardship. However, let us begin with the subject of fasting.
Fasting is the discipline of abstaining from food for Biblical reasons. Throughout the
Word of God, there are many lessons taught concerning fasting and how it has helped God’s
people. Many people have found that heavy burdens are relieved through fasting (Isaiah 58).
As Jesus is always our supreme Example, we see that the beginning of a great ministry may
follow a period of fasting (Matthew 4:1 – 17). As we begin this study, let us first consider a brief
explanation of this fifth discipline of fasting.
FASTING EXPLAINED
A good, concise, and Biblical definition of fasting would be as follows: It is the believer’s
voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. The three key words in this definition
are: believer, voluntary, and spiritual. Let us briefly discuss this definition.
First, fasting for the non-believer has no lasting, eternal benefits [please see Appendix A for a
brief description of the Islamic practice of fasting during “Ramadan”.] Therefore, we say that
fasting is a discipline that the born-again believer should develop. For the believer, fasting
according to the Word of God does have lasting, eternal benefits. Our motive and purpose as
we fast must be pure and God-centered. Second, fasting is voluntary. We cannot coerce or
force other people to fast. It is each believer’s own choice – to fast or not to fast. Third, fasting is
not some form of dieting – it is abstinence from food for spiritual reasons. Our whole purpose
for fasting should be spiritual, not physical nor mental. There may be physical blessings that
come because of fasting, but this is only a by-product of the discipline.
Now, let us consider the different kinds of fasts mentioned in the Bible.
VARIOUS TYPES OF BIBLICAL FASTS
The Bible distinguishes between several kinds of fasts. Although the Bible may not use the
exact same words that we use today to describe these types of fasts, nonetheless we can
observe these various types of fasts in God’s Word:
A normal fast involves abstaining from all food, but not from water. Matthew 4:2
says, “After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.” It says nothing
about Jesus becoming thirsty. Luke 4:2 says, “He ate nothing during those days.”
It does not say that He drank nothing. Since the body can normally function no
longer than three days without water, we assume that the Messiah drank water
during this time. To abstain from food but to drink water or perhaps juice is the
most common kind of fast.
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A partial fast is a limitation of the diet but not abstention from all food. For ten
days, Daniel and three other Jewish young men only had “vegetables to eat and
water to drink” (Daniel 1:12). Matthew 3:4 tells us that the prophet John the
Baptist only had “locusts and wild honey.” Historically, followers of the Lord Jesus
have observed partial fasts by eating much smaller portions of food than usual for
a certain time or eating only a few simple foods.
An absolute fast is the avoidance of all food and drink, even water. The Word
says that Ezra “…ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to
mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles” (Ezra 10:6). When Queen Esther
requested that the Jews fast and pray for her, she said, “Go, gather together all
the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days,
night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do” (Esther 4:16). After the apostle
Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:9 tells us, “For three days he
was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.”
The Bible also describes a supernatural fast. There are two instances of these in
God’s Word. When Moses wrote of his meeting with God on Mount Sinai, he said,
“I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no
water” (Deuteronomy 9:9). First Kings 19:8 may be saying that Elijah did the
same thing. The Word says, “So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by
that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the
mountain of God.” These two fasts required the supernatural intervention of God
into the normal processes of the human body. We should not attempt this kind of
fast unless the Lord specifically calls us and miraculously provides for us.
A private fast is what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:16 – 18. He clearly says that
we must fast in such a way that others will not notice us.
Congregational fasts are the type found in Joel 2:15 –16: “Blow the trumpet in
Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate
the assembly.” At least a part of the congregation of the church at Antioch was
fasting when Luke wrote, “they were worshiping the Lord and fasting” (Acts 13:2).
The Bible speaks of national fasts. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, called a
national fast when the surrounding nations threatened to invade. The Word says,
“He proclaimed a fast for all Judah“ (2 Chronicles 20:3). The Jews were called to
national fasts in Nehemiah 9:1 and Esther 4:16. The king of Nineveh proclaimed a
national fast in response to the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:5 – 8).
God commanded one regular fast in the Old Testament period. He commanded
every Jew to fast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29 – 31). Paul referred to
the Day of Atonement in Acts 27:9, calling it “the Fast.” [While they were living in
Babylon, the Jewish leaders instituted four other regular fasts (Zechariah 8:19).]
Finally, the Word of God mentions occasional fasts. These occur on special
occasions as the need arises. Esther and Jehoshaphat called for this kind of fast.
Jesus implied this kind of fast in Matthew 9:15.
We believers today usually practice normal, private and occasional times of fasting.
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Continuing our study of the discipline of fasting, let us now consider the Biblical background and
motives for fasting. First, we shall consider the…
OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND
In the Old Testament period, fasts usually lasted from sunrise to sunset. This, of course, is very
similar to the manner today in which devout Muslims practice fasting during the Ramadan
season. The Old Testament mentions at least five motives for fasting. These five particular
motives were as follows:
To express grief (1 Samuel 31:13 and 2 Samuel 1:11 – 12)

To show one’s seriousness when praying to God (Ezra 8:23)
To express the urgency of prayer to God in times of personal or national crisis or danger
(2 Samuel 12:16 and Jeremiah 36:1 – 10)
To express repentance (Joel 2:12 and Jonah 3:5 – 9) or to humbly express the sincerity
of repentance (1 Kings 21:27)
To honor the seriousness of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29 – 31), the only day
on which fasting was commanded by God. [Later generations of Jews added other
memorial days to their religious calendar and remembered them with times of fasting
(Zechariah 8:18 – 19).]
In the 8th century BC, the prophet Isaiah taught that fasting, as an expression of piety, was of far
less concern to God than a righteous life. Believers reveal their spirituality by the loving quality
of their personal relationships to God and man. God does not desire simply an outward show of
fasting (Isaiah 58:3). Isaiah preached about commitment to social justice and to helping people
who are poor and oppressed (Isaiah 58:6 – 7). Nevertheless, God desires that we live by faith in
Him. He does want us to fast secretly (Matthew 6:16 – 18). Then, He will bless our lives.
NEW TESTAMENT BACKGROUND
During New Testament times, the zealous Pharisees fasted two days each week (Luke 18:12).
This was usually Monday and Thursday. The Pharisees considered this their expression of
religious piety and devotion. Jesus condemned the practice of “dirtying” the face to show others
one was fasting, but He did not condemn fasting itself. He Himself fasted 40 days just before
beginning His public ministry (Luke 4:1 – 2). Though there are New Testament examples of
fasting (Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2 and 14:23), the Bible does not specifically command the practice.
However, the Lord Jesus firmly recommends it (Matthew 6:16 – 17).
Notice Jesus’ exact words recorded in Matthew 6:16 – 17: “when you fast.” Because He gave us
instructions on what to do and what not to do when we fast, Jesus assumes that we are going to
fast. Notice the same word “when” used in verses 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. The Lord certainly expected
His first century followers to give and to pray. Obviously, He also expected them to fast. There is
nothing in the New Testament to indicate that even though we still pray and give, we do not fast.
According to Matthew 9:15, Jesus knew that a “time will come” when His disciples “will fast.”
Jesus condemned those whose motives were to appear spiritual to others (Matthew 6:16 – 18).
He wants our times of fasting to be genuine times of humility and worship and sincerity before
the Lord God. Otherwise, it is a fruitless practice. However, if practiced correctly, the blessings
of fasting will be abundant in the life of the believer. We shall receive blessings of wisdom,
guidance, healing, protection, safety, meeting of needs, revival, solving of problems, and relief.
43
New Testament believers, like the faithful servants of God in the Old Testament period, fast
mainly to demonstrate the sincerity of their prayers. There are many Biblical reasons for fasting
today. Many of these reasons are similar to the reasons given on the previous page [see “five
motives” under OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND]. These reasons are as follows:
Fasting for safety and protection when facing a national crisis (Esther 4:16)
Fasting for the solving of individual needs and problems (Matthew 17:21)
Fasting for relief during periods of distress (2 Samuel 3:35 and Psalm 35:13)
Fasting for guidance when facing difficult decisions (Matthew 4:2 and Acts 13:2 – 3)
Fasting for wisdom (Daniel 10)
Fasting for renewal and revival to come (Isaiah 58:6)
Fasting for protection from danger (2 Chronicles 20:3 – 4 and Ezra 8:21)
Fasting and praying for the healing of the sick (Psalm 35:13 and Mark 9:29)
Fasting to express love for God and to worship Him (Luke 2:37)
Fasting simply to strengthen our prayer (Ezra 8:23, Nehemiah 1:4 and Daniel 9:3)
Fasting to express concern for the work of God (Nehemiah 1:3 – 4)
Fasting for the needs of others to be met (Isaiah 58:6 – 7)
Fasting to overcome temptation and to dedicate oneself to God (Matthew 4:1 – 11)
Therefore, as we clearly see from the Scriptures, fasting should occur with a purpose in our
hearts. Otherwise, it is simply a selfish and often miserable experience. Whenever we fast, we
should do so for at least one of the purposes that we have listed here in this chapter. Please
notice that none of the purposes mentioned in this book is to earn God’s merit. We cannot
use fasting as a method to try to impress God or earn His acceptance. We are made
acceptable to God only through the work of Jesus the Messiah on the cross. It is not through
our work. Fasting has no eternal benefit for us until we have come to God through repentance
and faith in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 2:1 – 10 and Titus 3:5 – 7).
When a believer first begins to fast, he or she should probably begin with a short fast — for one
meal, or perhaps for one day – from sundown to sundown. He should attempt to spend time
alone with God during the fast, devoting himself to prayer and the Word. Whatever we do, we
must ask ourselves, is this “for God” (that is, am I looking at it from God’s perspective, identifying
with His purposes, desires, and concerns) or am I doing this for myself? Am I fasting only for
some benefit for myself? If we are not fasting with a humble, sincere, prayerful and worshipful
attitude in our heart, it is better not to fast. We must always consider our heart and our attitude.
The only One who really needs to know that we are fasting is God Himself. Do not forget the
wonderful promise that Jesus mentioned about fasting: “Your Father, who sees what is done
in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:18). Jesus’ promise here is certain and sure. God will
bless us and reward our fast when we fast according to the instructions of His perfect Word.
It is interesting to note that the Messiah gave no instructions concerning how often we should
fast. He mentioned nothing about how long a period of time we should fast. Just like all the
other spiritual disciplines, fasting is not to be a legalistic routine. It is a privilege and an
opportunity to seek God’s grace as often as we desire. The Lord leaves the final decision to
each disciple. It is up to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our heart and to us.
44
Finally, let us ask ourselves, are we willing to obey God when He prompts us to fast? Because
Jesus expected His followers to fast, from time to time His Spirit will direct us to fast. Will we be
obedient to His voice as He speaks to us? He may prompt us through a need in our lives. We
may need stronger prayer about some matter. Perhaps we need guidance, protection, safety or
renewal in our lives. These, along with other things mentioned in these pages, may be
promptings from the Holy Spirit to fast.
Note: Seek medical advice if necessary. If you are planning an extended fast, or if you are
expecting a baby, nursing, diabetic or have some other chronic physical condition that depends
upon a regular diet, talk to your doctor before you begin. Please do not look for ways to escape
from fasting, but look for ways to experience God’s grace when you fast. Remember that God
thought it was good enough to command every Israelite to fast for one whole day each year on
the Day of Atonement. That included all people in all conditions and circumstances.
The final, and sixth, discipline that we shall consider is the discipline of stewardship.
Think of how many daily issues in your life involve these two basic things: time and money.
These two things play such an important role in our lives that any serious discussion of spiritual
discipline in our lives must include a discussion about time and money. Thus, as we close this
book, let us briefly consider the fundamental, Biblical meaning of stewardship. Then, let us focus
upon the disciplined use of our time and our money.
THE FUNDAMENTAL, BIBLICAL MEANING OF STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship is the management of another person’s property, finances, or household affairs.

Here on this earth, we are not “owners.” We are stewards, or managers, of what God has
given us. We belong to God, and everything we possess belongs to Him. Paul wrote to the
Corinthian believers, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove
faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Our lives and all that we possess have been entrusted to us, and
someday we will have to give an account of how well we have managed them.
There is no time that is ours. We do not own our talent or our money. It is not ours. It all belongs
to Him who made us. He made it all and simply entrusted it to us for His service. As the parable
of the talents (Matthew 25:14 – 30) shows, the Lord holds us believers accountable for the way
in which we manage God’s affairs as His stewards. These matters include:
Extending the church’s ministry by the preaching of the gospel (Colossians 1:24 – 29)
Helping and ministering to the needy (Acts 4:32 – 37)
Helping and ministering to the sick, the poor, the prisoner, the hungry and the thirsty
(Matthew 25:31 – 46)
Again let us say, we believers are accountable to God for the way in which we manage life’s
affairs. The care of the matters of “God’s house” (Hebrews 3:2) includes all the affairs of
personal responsibility, family, job, and our service to God.
As far as we believers are concerned, our stewardship also involves the responsibility of
managing God’s work through the body of the Messiah. The Lord has appointed all believers to
be His stewards here on this earth. Stewardship is not an option, as Paul points out about his
own call. Being a steward is a necessary part of believing the gospel, even if it means that we
must sacrifice personal rewards (1 Corinthians 9:17 – 18).
45
THE DISCIPLINED USE OF TIME
Godliness is the result of a disciplined spiritual life. At the heart of a disciplined spiritual life is the
discipline of time. If we are going to be like Jesus, we must see the use of our time as a spiritual
discipline. The Messiah perfectly ordered His days. At the close of His time on earth, He was
able to pray to the Father: “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave
Me to do” (John 17:4). He used His time here on this earth perfectly.
God gives to each of us the gift of time. He wants us to use our time perfectly, as did His Son
Jesus. With that thought in mind, study and reflect on each of these passages carefully:
James 4:14 – Time is short. We must use the time well.
Ephesians 5:15 – 16 – As the apostle Paul expressed in these verses, he

considered it foolish to waste time. In fact, he advocated, “redeeming,” or
buying back, every precious wasted minute, because evil days were near at
hand. Paul understood that God has made us stewards over a valuable
possession — time. We are to be good stewards of our time, using it wisely,
constructively, and in the worship and service of our Lord.
1 John 2:17 – Time is passing quickly. We must discipline our use of time
now, before it is too late, and do the will of God.
Proverbs 27:1 – The remaining time is uncertain. We do not know tomorrow.
John 9:4 – “Night is coming.” This is the time when no one can work. Once
time is gone on this earth, it is gone forever.
Romans 14:12 – We are accountable to God for all things, including our time.
Proverbs 24:33 – 34, 26:13 – 14 – The foolish person loses time very easily.
2 Corinthians 6:2 – Today is “the time of God’s favor…the day of

salvation” – Let us prepare before it is too late.
THE DISCIPLINED USE OF MONEY
The Bible relates not only the use of time to our spiritual condition, but also our use of money.
The disciplined use of money requires that we manage it in such a way that our needs and the
needs of our family are met. In First Timothy 5:8, we read that, “If anyone does not provide for
his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than
an un-believer.” Therefore, how we use money for ourselves, for others, and especially for the
sake of God’s Kingdom is a spiritual matter.
Why is the Biblical use of our money and resources so important to our growth in Godliness?
Simply, it is a matter of obedience. A large amount of Scripture deals with our use of wealth and
possessions. The use of money is a good indicator of our spiritual maturity and Godliness.
We exchange a great part of our lives for money. How we use money tells us who we really
are. It tells us what is in our hearts and what our priorities are. Our growth in Godliness will
express itself in a growing understanding of these ten principles of giving. They are as follows:
46
• God owns everything we own – Exodus 19:5, Psalm 24:1 and 1 Corinthians 10:26
• Giving is an act of worship – Deuteronomy 16:16 and Philippians 4:18
• Giving reflects faith in God’s provision – Mark 12:41 – 44
• Giving should be sacrificial and generous – 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 5
• Giving reflects spiritual trustworthiness – Luke 16:10 – 14
• Giving is done in love, not with a legalistic heart – 2 Corinthians 8:7
• We give willingly, thankfully, and cheerfully – 1 Chronicles 29:9 and 2 Corinthians 9:7
• Giving is an appropriate response to real needs – Acts 2:43 – 45, 4:32 – 37
• Giving should be planned and systematic – 1 Corinthians 16:1 – 2
• Generous giving results in great blessings – Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:6 – 11
Note: Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and tithing was definitely a part of the Law (Leviticus 27:30).
In His denunciation of the Pharisees [Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42], Jesus said that they
“should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness), without neglecting the former
(tithing).” In other words, Jesus endorsed the Old Testament practice of tithing.
Remember that tithing, as an Old Testament practice of giving the tenth part to the Lord, started
long before God gave the Law to Moses (Genesis 14:18 – 20). Now, we as New Testament
believers, practice grace giving. “Grace giving” goes beyond the tithe as we can see from the
ten principles stated above. Now we can give generously and far beyond the tenth. We can
joyfully do this since God has freely given us His grace because of Jesus’ work on the cross.
The use of our money and how we give it is one of the best ways of evaluating our relationship
with the Messiah and our spiritual trustworthiness. If we love Jesus with all of our heart, our
giving will reflect that. If we love the Messiah and the work of His Kingdom more than anything
else, our giving will show that. If we are willing to obey Him completely in every area of our lives,
our giving will reveal this. Think about this closing verse very carefully. Meditate upon it.
“You may say to yourself, ‘my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth
for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce
wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today”
(Deuteronomy 8:17 – 18).
God has given us time, talents and treasures here on this earth. They remain His
property, but we use them in order to bring Him glory and honor. May we become wise
and faithful stewards of His time and His wealth. Amen.
Write your own concise definition of “Biblical fasting.” Be prepared to share this with others.
Discuss with your small group your first experience with fasting. What did you learn?
Discuss with your small group the various motives and purposes for fasting. When you, or
your church, fasted, what usually was your purpose?
Write down at least three Biblical characters that were good stewards of God’s resources.
Discuss with your small group the relationship between “stewardship” and “accountability.”
Write down the most difficult aspect (for you) of the discipline of time.
Discuss with your small group how you would teach “the disciplined use of money” to your
group. Generally, how will you teach “Spiritual Disciplines?”
Discuss with your small group the concept of “grace giving.”
47
APPENDIX A
The fourth Pillar of Islam is the “Fast of Ramadan”
This time of fasting occurs once each year during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims say that Ramadan is the month in which the first
revelation of the Quran came to Muhammad. During this month-long fast, Muslims [whose
health permits] must abstain from sunrise to sunset from food, drink, and sexual activity.
Fasting is a practice common to many religions. In Islam, the discipline of the Ramadan fast is
to stimulate reflection on human weakness and dependence upon God. The fast focuses on
spiritual goals and values, and identification with and response to the less fortunate.
During the month of Ramadan, many people go to the mosque for the evening prayer, followed
by special prayers recited only during Ramadan. Some people will recite the entire Quran (one-
thirtieth each night of the month) as a special act of devotion. Near the end of Ramadan (the
twenty-seventh day), Muslims commemorate the “Night of Power.” On this night, they say
Muhammad first received God’s revelation. The great Feast of the Breaking of the Fast, called
“Eid al-Fitr,” resembles Christmas in its spirit of joyfulness, special celebrations, and gift giving.
48

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The “Components” of the Intake of God’s Word ............................................................................................................ 5

Five Topics We Will Consider:

$ The Word of God

The Psalmist said in Psalm 42:1 – 2:

“Train yourself to be godly.”

The Word of God

The Word of God

REASONS FOR FEEDING UPON GOD’S WORD

The “Components” of the Intake of God’s Word

HEARING THE WORD OF GOD

READING THE WORD OF GOD

STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD

MEMORIZING THE WORD OF GOD

 Develop your own personal plan for memorizing Scripture.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD

• Non-Christian meditation attempts to empty the mind. Christian meditation attempts

• Non-Christian meditation emphasizes, “Losing one’s self.” Christian meditation results

• In non-Christian meditation there is no God to love or with whom to communicate.

 Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1 – 3 and the Promises of Success

APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD

Although we struggle sometimes to understand a particular passage of Scripture, most Scripture

 Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?

 Studying four fundamental truths about prayer

FOUR FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS ABOUT PRAYER

 The LORD expects us to pray

“When you pray” (Matthew 6:5)

 Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer.” Everyone is devoted to something. To

 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray continually.”

 The LORD invites us to pray

VARIOUS BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT PRAYER

 Fact # 1 – We are to pray persistently.

 Fact # 2 – We are to pray in Jesus’ Name.

 Fact # 3 – We are to pray in the Spirit.

 Fact # 4 – We are to abide [remain] in Jesus as we pray.

 Fact # 5 – We are to pray according to the will of God.

 Fact # 6 – We are to pray in faith.

SEVEN OBSTACLES TO PRAYER AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

 Wrong, impure motives

 Doubt [Unbelief, lack of faith]

 Satan and his demons

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

Are all my sins confessed? Isaiah 59:1 – 2 and 1 John 1:8 – 10

TWO FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF TRUE WORSHIP

 Worship is…focusing on and responding to God

 He has revealed Himself through creation (Romans 1:20).

 Worship is…in spirit and truth

TWO BIBLICAL TRUTHS RELATED TO WORSHIP

 Worship is…expected both publicly and privately

 Worship is…a discipline to be cultivated

PRACTICAL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS

 SET ASIDE A PARTICULAR TIME EACH DAY FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP

 CHOOSE A QUIET PLACE FOR WORSHIP

 MAKE PREPARATION FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP

 EXPECT TO MEET GOD IN OUR PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME

 PRESENT YOURSELF PROPERLY TO GOD IN TIME OF WORSHIP

 CONCENTRATE ON THE MESSIAH WHO IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITHIN US

- The Creator who made us

 DEVELOP A BALANCED PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME

 KEEP A PERSONAL WORSHIP NOTEBOOK

PROMISES AND COMMITMENTS WE MAKE TO GOD: The preacher in Ecclesiastes 5: 4 – 5 tells

AN EXAMPLE OF A PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME

Develop your own personal plan for memorizing Scripture.

Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1 – 3 and the Promises of Success

Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?

Studying four fundamental truths about prayer

The LORD expects us to pray

Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer.” Everyone is devoted to something. To

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray continually.”

The LORD invites us to pray

Fact # 1 – We are to pray persistently.

Fact # 2 – We are to pray in Jesus’ Name.

Fact # 3 – We are to pray in the Spirit.

Fact # 4 – We are to abide [remain] in Jesus as we pray.

Fact # 5 – We are to pray according to the will of God.

Fact # 6 – We are to pray in faith.

Wrong, impure motives

Doubt [Unbelief, lack of faith]

Satan and his demons

Worship is…focusing on and responding to God

He has revealed Himself through creation (Romans 1:20).

Worship is…in spirit and truth

Worship is…expected both publicly and privately

Worship is…a discipline to be cultivated

SET ASIDE A PARTICULAR TIME EACH DAY FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP

CHOOSE A QUIET PLACE FOR WORSHIP

MAKE PREPARATION FOR PERSONAL WORSHIP

EXPECT TO MEET GOD IN OUR PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME

PRESENT YOURSELF PROPERLY TO GOD IN TIME OF WORSHIP

CONCENTRATE ON THE MESSIAH WHO IS ALIVE AND PRESENT WITHIN US

DEVELOP A BALANCED PERSONAL WORSHIP TIME

KEEP A PERSONAL WORSHIP NOTEBOOK

Begin by PRAISING GOD. Sing Scripture choruses or hymns. We may make

Continue worship with INTERCESSORY PRAYER. We pray through our

READ SCRIPTURE. We may read several chapters or an entire short book,

In your small group, discuss the question, “Why do we worship God?”

Discuss in your small group the passage, 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 17.

To express grief (1 Samuel 31:13 and 2 Samuel 1:11 – 12)

James 4:14 – Time is short. We must use the time well.

Ephesians 5:15 – 16 – As the apostle Paul expressed in these verses, he

Proverbs 27:1 – The remaining time is uncertain. We do not know tomorrow.

2 Corinthians 6:2 – Today is “the time of God’s favor…the day of