What Now?

By Brett D. Heintzman

We have just concluded a month of prayer and fasting that was initiated by our bishops. A few thousand people regularly participated in “Seeking Together” through the daily videos and prayer prompts. While that is a significant number, it represents only a fraction of all 65,000+ Free Methodists in the USA, not to mention our global family that participated as well.

I’d like to pose a question at the closing of this blessed event: What now? What do you and I do when the initiative is over? How do we maintain what spiritual fervor and dedication we attained during the month of September?

Because we in the West tend to be event-driven — moving from the high of one event to the next, we rarely seem to be discipline-driven. Especially when it pertains to spiritual things, we seem to move from one Sunday worship event to the next while neglecting spiritual disciplines in the interim between Sundays.

The answer to our question “What now?” is to become discipline-driven people rather than event-driven people. We understand disciplines in countless areas of our lives. We know to stop at red lights (well, at least I pray you all do) and we know to brush our teeth every day. We know the consequences of disregarding those types of disciplines — bad breath and car accidents — but do we know the consequences of a spiritually weak life? Is there such a thing?

David Thomas, an advisor and contributor to the Seedbed and New Room movements, says this: “The Bible is utterly unfamiliar with casual prayer.” My soul is stirred when I hear this comment. Was Jesus’ prayer life casual? How about that of the disciples? What about the early church or the prophets of old? I’m afraid David is right; the Bible truly is unfamiliar with casual prayer. So what are we to do?

“Prayer is the joyful privilege of every single child of God.”

The Privilege of Prayer

I have actually heard people say that prayer is not their gift. To be honest there is no mention in Scripture of a spiritual gift of prayer. Prayer is the joyful privilege of every single child of God.

Prayer is a means of grace — a pathway to access to the grace of God. It is throne room conversation — a way to de-burden our lives and to intercede for others. Prayer is a privilege and one that every believer should leverage regularly.

Then why do we have so much prayerlessness? In short, we’re overcrowded in our lives and schedules and make the conscious choice not to pray. We all want prayer when we’re in trouble, but we need to learn the way of praying into things, not just out of trouble.

“God will speak to you if you listen for His voice.”

Ways to Maintain + Elevate

Here, then, are some ways you and I can choose to maintain and elevate the spiritual temperature in our lives, becoming discipline-driven rather than event-driven Christians.

Set aside time. Allow your schedule to occupy a time for only prayer.
Fast once per week. Set aside something that distracts you or occupies your time once each week and pray.
Learn to intercede. Intercession is a specific form of prayer where you take up the burden or cause of another person, place, thing, institution, organization, etc. It’s like the four men who carried that mat of the paralytic and lowered him through the roof in front of Jesus. Whose mat are you carrying in prayer?
Pray Scripture. As you read Scripture, turn the words into prayer for others or yourself or your family.
Think about prayer as essential. Change your mind about prayer. Do you see it as a source of spiritual strength? Consider that your life is spiritually hindered or weakened without it. Then engage it regularly and watch your life be transformed!
Listen in prayer. Many of us wonder if God will speak to us but never quiet ourselves to listen. God will speak to you if you listen for His voice. Learn how He speaks to you and pay close attention to His direction. Be quick to listen and obey.
Be done with event-driven faith. Yes, events are inspirational, but so are spiritual disciplines. Prayer is life-giving.

When I encountered the deep and rich prayer life of a colleague, God challenged me. He said, “Brett, you are a man who prays, but you are not a man of prayer.” I was floored and humbled at the implications of that word from the Lord! I knew I needed to change.

Perhaps a few of us need to hear that word today. What will it take for you to be a man or woman of prayer rather than a person who casually prays? What will it take?

Remember, “The Bible is utterly unfamiliar with casual prayer.”

Brett D. Heintzman is the publisher of Light + Life and the communications director of the Free Methodist Church USA, which he also serves as the co-director of the National Prayer Ministry. Visit the Light + Life Bookstore to order his books “Becoming a Person of Prayer,” “Vital: Holy People,” “Jericho: Your Journey to Deliverance and Freedom” and “The Crossroads: Asking for the Ancient Paths.”