Fuel: Igniting Your Life with Passionate Prayer

Featuring powerful prayers from the book of Psalms, this guide to praying with intensity and authenticity covers worshipping God, praying for people who do us wrong, and being honest with God about our feelings. Original.

CHAPTER ONE:

A Word to the Whys “Does that make your food taste better?”

David looked up and saw the guy at the next table staring at him. “Huh?” David asked, not sure whether the guy was talking to him or to himself.

“You were just praying, weren’t you?” the guy asked.

“Yeah,” David said slowly.

“I was just wondering if praying, like, makes your hamburger taste like filet mignon or something.”

David took a bite of his burger, chewed it for a second, and said, “Nope, it’s still a hamburger.” Then he smiled at the guy and turned back toward his food, hoping that was the end of the conversation. It wasn’t.

“Then why do you pray?”

Aw, come on, dude, David thought, just let me eat my food. He couldn’t tell whether the guy was making fun of him or being serious, so finally he just said, “I was thanking God for my food.”

“And you probably do that before all meals, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I usually try to pray before I eat.” David could hear the defensiveness creeping into his own voice.

The guy seemed pleased by David’s answer. “Tell me this,” he said as he leaned forward in his chair, “do you pray every time you get in your car or every time you deposit money in the bank?”

“No.” David still couldn’t tell where the conversation was heading.

“Why do you pray for some things and not for others?” the guy asked. “Aren’t you thankful for your car and your money too?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Have you ever told God anything in prayer that He didn’t already know?” the guy continued.

“What do you mean?” David asked.

“I mean, have you ever asked Him for anything He didn’t already know you wanted?” the guy pressed. “Have you ever thanked Him for something that He didn’t already know you were grateful for? Have you ever surprised Him with anything you said in one of your prayers?”

“Well, since God knows everything there is to know, I guess my answer is no,” David admitted.

“Then why pray?” the guy repeated.

David looked down at his burger and fries, which were getting colder by the second. I guess this is what I get for praying, he sighed to himself.

It’s Like This

What if someone interrupted one of your prayers and asked, “Why are you doing that?” Would you have an answer? (And, no, you can’t count “Get out of my face” or “None of your business” as an answer.)

If you were to do a survey among the people you know who pray, you’d probably get at least a few reasons like these:

“I pray when I’m in trouble.”
“I pray when there’s something I really need.”
“I pray when I don’t know where else to turn.”

These can be legitimate reasons to pray, but they’re not the only reasons to pray. And if extreme prayer is your goal, then you need to discover why God wants us to come to Him in prayer.

And the psalmists are just the guys to show you.

Open to any psalm in the Bible and you’ll find a masterpiece of prayer. God thought so much of the psalms that He included them in His Word. You can’t get higher profile than that. These prayers were so meaningful that God wanted people to be able to read and learn from them thousands of years later.

These weren’t quickie requests tossed off whenever the psalmists had a spare moment. Look at the language and composition of a prayer like Psalm 119. The author of this psalm put some serious thought into what he wanted to say to God.

The Bible is crawling with such prayers—not just the 150 in the book of Psalms itself, but the dozens of others scattered throughout Scripture. It’s obvious that a lot of work went into all of them.

And the question we need to answer is why. Why did the authors of the biblical psalms put so much effort into their prayers? What did they hope to gain? What did they want from God? What was their motivation? Let’s take a closer look at why the psalmists prayed, drawing clues from their very prayers.

Word

Right now you may be thinking, Give me a break, dude. I’ve already got the motivation to pray. I don’t need to know why I should talk to God; I need to know how to make my prayer life as passionate as possible.

Here’s the thing, though. If you aren’t praying for the right reasons, you’re not even within spitting distance of an intense prayer life. In fact, you may be damaging your relationship with God without even realizing it. So before we move on to the hows and whats of prayer, let’s take care of the whys.

To keep this from becoming a five-hundred-page textbook on the dozens of motivations for prayer, we’re going to focus our attention on three of the most important reasons to pray. These three deserve special attention because they surface so frequently in the psalms:

1. Forgiveness
2. Guidance
3. Protection

1. Forgiveness

Nothing messes up a relationship with God like sin. Every time we give in to temptation, let our emotions get the better of us, put our own needs ahead of others’, choose not to obey the Bible, we drive a big, fat wedge between us and God.

That’s not to say God totally rejects us when we do something wrong. Remember, Jesus died to pay the price for our sins. If we believe in Him, God will never reject us.

But sin does cause problems in the relationship with God. You can’t turn your back on God’s will or ignore His Word and then expect everything to be cool in your conversations with Him. Your prayer life won’t be right again until you open up to Him about what you’ve done wrong and ask Him to forgive you.

Nothing is lonelier than being separated from God by sin. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out what David, the famous shepherd-psalmist-king, had to say after he screwed up big time in God’s eyes. (You’ll find the gory details of David’s sin in 2 Sam. 11:1–12:23.)

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. (Ps. 51)

Now that’s some serious repenting.

David wasn’t worried about his reputation—what other people were saying about him—or even about his conscience. He was worried about the effect his sin had on his relationship with God (“Against You, You only, have I sinned”). That’s why he poured his heart out to the Lord in prayer. He had to know that everything was okay with that friendship before he did anything else.

If you want an amazing prayer life, you need the same extreme attitude toward sin that David had. You can’t just say, “Oops, my bad,” and leave it at that. You can’t rationalize your actions or try to convince yourself that they’re not as bad as they seem. You’ve got to step up and take responsibility for them.

As an example of this, check out the following prayer, which comes from the journal of a youth pastor who committed a rather well-publicized (in his community) sin:

Father . . . Not only did I humiliate myself and my family, I damaged Your ministry . . . I failed those who look to me for leadership and direction. (Ironic: I can’t even warn people not to fall into the same trap, since no one would listen to me now.) . . . Everything I worked for is destroyed, or nearly [destroyed].

It’s also important to approach God with the same sense of wonder and unworthiness that David obviously had. Even though David had probably experienced God’s forgiveness dozens of times before, he didn’t take it for granted. He didn’t come to God with an attitude of “I’m here; this is what I did; now where’s my forgiveness?” It was more like “I can’t believe You would forgive someone who sins like I do.”

And that’s the same kind of attitude you need when you pray for forgiveness. You can’t really repent unless you understand and take responsibility for what you’ve done. The more you leave unspoken, the more obstacles you build into your relationship with God.

Notice, too, that David wasn’t after a quick fix. He didn’t treat prayer like a drive-through car wash where you get a quick soul cleaning and then head off down the road. David seriously wanted to change the way he acted and the decisions he made. In verse 10, he even asked God for a new heart! That same desire for change should be at the core of your prayers for forgiveness.

Oh, by the way, there’s one more thing you should know about praying for forgiveness, and it comes from 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If you really want forgiveness, you’ve got it.

2. Guidance

(If you’re the type of person who marks important passages in the books you read, then get your highlighter or red pen ready because you’re going to want to remember the next sentence.)

You don’t pray to change God’s will; you pray to become part of it.

You may convince yourself you know this principle, but really you don’t. Think about some of the things you’ve prayed for recently. Did they sound anything like these?

“God, please let Anna find a boyfriend so that she won’t be so depressed all the time.”
“Lord, please help my father find a job that pays more than the one he has now.”
“Heavenly Father, please don’t let our softball tournament get rained out tomorrow.”

On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much wrong with these requests. There’s certainly nothing in them that would get you booted from a Bible study or Sunday school class. But look at them a little more closely, and you’ll see that they don’t give God much room to work.

Isn’t it possible that

a boyfriend may not be what Anna really needs right now?
God placed your father at his current job for a reason?
the farmers in your area need rain more than you need good weather for a game?

Here’s the deal. If you go to the Lord with a list of specific things that you want Him to do in your life and in the lives of your loved ones, you’re really saying, “Why don’t You hop in the backseat for a while, God, and let me take the wheel? I know more about what’s best for me and my friends and family than You do.”

Heads Up

The more room you leave for God to work in your prayer life, the more amazed you’ll be at what He does. Here are three stories of Bible characters who received stunning answers to their prayers—solutions that they could not have imagined even on their best day.
—Abraham (Gen. 15:1–18:15; 21:1–21)

Abraham wanted a son, an heir to carry on his family line. Year after year he asked God for a son—until about the time of his eighty-sixth birthday. That’s when Abraham decided that he knew what was best for his family. To get the heir he wanted, he slept with his wife’s slave and got her pregnant. But years later, Abraham’s wife, Sarah—his ninety-year-old wife, Sarah—became pregnant.
—Moses (Ex. 13:17–14:31)

Moses wanted safety for the millions of Israelites who had followed him out of slavery in Egypt. When the enormous caravan reached the Red Sea, they had no place else to go. Pharaoh and his men were in hot pursuit, determined to recapture or kill their former slaves. Who knows what Moses expected God to do that day? It’s a good bet, though, that he didn’t expect the miracle he witnessed. God pulled back the waters on both sides of the Red Sea to form a path of dry ground right through the middle of it. Every Israelite made it safely across. And when the Egyptian army tried to follow, God closed the waters and drowned them all.
—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (Dan. 3)

The three young Israelites wanted to stand firm as they faced execution for not bowing down to an idol. They might have had a notion that God would save them at the last minute, just as they were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, but they were prepared to die for their beliefs just the same. What they probably didn’t expect was to be saved after they were thrown into the furnace. But that’s what God did. He allowed them to walk around inside the furnace without getting so much as a sunburn.

When you consider what God did for Abraham, Moses, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, do you really want to tell Him what to do with your prayer requests?

The psalmists knew that God’s will was always better than any solution they could think up by themselves. That’s why you’ll find prayers like these scattered throughout the book of Psalms:

You are my rock and my protection.
For the good of your name, lead me and guide me.
Set me free from the trap they set for me,
because you are my protection.
I give you my life.
Save me, Lord, God of truth. (Ps. 31:3–5 ncv)

Teach me to do what you want,
because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit
lead me on level ground. (Ps. 143:10 ncv)

The psalmists were saying, “You the Man, God.” They laid out their situation before Him and asked, “What do You want to do about this, Lord?” And then they asked, “How do You want to use me in this situation?”

That’s not to say the psalmists lacked personal preferences about what they wanted to happen. Of course, they had opinions about what should happen! When an enemy started messing with them, they probably fantasized about all kinds of divine punishment. They poured out their hearts to God and often asked Him to punish the wicked. However, they didn’t take matters into their own hands. They waited for God’s action in His timing. They didn’t let their personal preferences get in the way of their prayer lives. They were team players all the way, trusting God for the final decision.

You may think you have a pretty good idea about what’s best for you and for others. You don’t. You may be tempted to offer God some advice on what He should do in certain situations. You shouldn’t. God isn’t sitting around waiting for your suggestions. He has a plan in the works, whether you care to recognize it or not.

If you want to be part of God’s will, an instrument in His plan, then pray for His guidance. Give up your notions of what needs to happen and when, and go with God’s flow. If you’re not willing to be a team player, then at least get out of the way (spiritually speaking) so that others who are willing can get things done.

3. Protection

We’ll let the apostle Peter hammer home the third reason for prayer with his warning in 1 Peter 5:8: “The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat” (ncv).

If these words aren’t enough to freak you out at least a little, allow me to give you a more complete picture of what you’re up against. The devil is not just a roaring lion. He’s a roaring lion who knows exactly where and when you’re most vulnerable.

And did I mention that he has an unbelievable arsenal of weapons at his disposal? He can attack you through temptation. If that doesn’t work, he can use jealousy. If that doesn’t work, he can use anger or bitterness or fear—whatever it takes to beat you.

The only weapons you have to battle him are prayer and Scripture. And if that doesn’t seem like a fair fight to you, you’re right—it’s not. The devil doesn’t stand a chance.

You see, if you can develop an extreme prayer life, you’ll be equipped to take on the devil, any time and any place, no matter what weapon he’s packing.

Get a load of David’s words in this psalm:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path,
because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord! (Ps. 27)

Can’t you just picture the psalmist-king strutting confidently through ancient Israel, knowing that the Lord had his back?

Look at those verses again, and you’ll see that there’s no cockiness, ego, or showboating in them. David wasn’t a fool. He knew he wasn’t strong enough to deal with the evil in the world on his own. He knew that God was his only hope for defeating temptation and the rest of Satan’s weapons.

“The Lord will take care of me” (Ps. 27:10). What better reason is there to turn to Him in prayer as often as possible?

What’s it to you?

Where there are dos, you know there have to be some don’ts. We’ve already discussed three things that should motivate you to pray. Now let’s check out a couple of mistakes to avoid when it comes to your reasons for praying.

Don’t pray to get what you want

God doesn’t live in a genie bottle. He doesn’t pop out, ready to grant you three wishes whenever you ask for them. Here’s a tip: if your prayers resemble a Christmas wish list, you’re a long way from a passionate prayer life.

And we’re not just talking about material possessions, either. Here are a few more examples:

“God, please let me make a good impression on my girlfriend’s parents so that they won’t think I’m a jerk.”
“Lord, please help me find a way to make up the car payments I missed the past two months.”
“Heavenly Father, please don’t let me get stuck in this airport on Thanksgiving Day.”

Can you see the “me, me, me” at the heart of each of these requests? All of them have to do with making your life easier. The problem is, that may not be what God has in mind for you. He may have some big-time plans to stretch you and pull you out of your comfort zone. But you won’t be able to see that if you’re too busy checking your list of wants.

Earlier in this chapter I mentioned the importance of becoming a part of God’s will instead of trying to change it. Here’s what it comes down to: if you want God to use you in His plan—and if you want to become a passionate pray-er—one of the first things you need to do is to cut out your self-centered prayer requests.

God encourages us to cast all our cares on Him. He wants to hear our most personal thoughts, fears, and dreams. But if we can’t see past ourselves, then we can’t really become a dynamic part of God’s plan. We won’t see the needs of others, and we won’t notice God at work. One way to broaden your perspective is to pray for understanding. Ask the Lord to help you understand what your needs and the needs of others really are. Ask Him to help you see beyond your immediate circumstances to what He ultimately has in store.

Don’t pray out of superstition

Some people pray “just to be safe.” They’re not really convinced that prayer does much good, but they’re worried that something might happen if they don’t pray. So they throw up a few quick words of thanks, maybe speed through the Lord’s Prayer, and then get on with their day.

For them, prayer is like a good-luck charm. Say a prayer, and you’ll have a good day. Forget to pray, and watch out. With that attitude it doesn’t take long for the ritual of prayer to become more important than the prayer itself. Praying becomes about as spiritually rewarding as brushing your teeth or taking your vitamins.

This “superstitious” attitude not only underestimates the power of prayer, but it also makes God look bad. God isn’t motivated by vengeance. He’s not going to send a string of bad luck your way to get even with you for forgetting to pray. That’s not how He works at all.

Don’t forget, prayer is a privilege. If you choose not to take advantage of it, that’s your loss. Missing out on an opportunity to talk personally with the Creator of the universe is punishment enough. God’s not gonna put a curse on you to rub salt in the wound.

One Last Thing

Look, there are going to be times when you pray for no other reason than that you feel like it. Depending on the circumstances in your life, good or bad, you may get an overwhelming urge to talk to the One who can help you celebrate, make sense of life, or keep things in their proper perspective.

Go for it. But in your spontaneity, don’t lose sight of your motivation for praying.

Remember the One you’re talking to.

Taking It to Heart

Time to put the ol’ gray matter to work. Learning to pray for the right reasons is going to take some thought on your part. To help fire up your synapses, consider the following questions:

1. How might praying for the wrong reasons negatively affect your relationship with God?
2. When was the last time you prayed for what might have been the wrong reasons? What were the circumstances?
3. Have you ever prayed for something, knowing that it probably wasn’t God’s will? If so, why?
4. If someone asked you right now why you pray, what would you say?
5. How will you be able to tell if you start praying for the wrong reasons?
6. How are you going to adjust your prayer life to make sure that your motivation is right? Specifically how can you learn to pray for reasons that will bring you closer to God?

One from the Heart

Based on what you’ve learned about the different motivations for prayer and what you’ve read of the psalmists’ prayers in this chapter, write your own prayer to God. Be sure to share your thoughts and feelings about why you want to communicate with Him. And try to be as specific as possible throughout your prayer.