Understanding Prayer and Fasting

Prayerlessness is the state of not praying enough, according to some Christians. But how do we measure “enough” in terms of prayer? Is there a specific time or duration the Bible requires us to pray daily? Some believe that 10 percent of our time (tithe) should be devoted to God daily, equating to around two hours and twenty-four minutes of prayer and Bible reading. However, it’s essential to consider whether we are using Bible verses out of context to support our beliefs and theories. However, it’s worth noting that even unbelievers still engage in prayer, though less frequently than Christians.

Do not create laws in prayer because if you do, the devil will fight against them. If you start believing in “prayerlessness,” be aware that these demons will challenge you. You will practically never be able to pray as you wish for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. They need laws to fight against, so they look for such a mindset.

There is no law for prayer. If you are tired, pray for a few minutes and sleep. If you are strong today, pray for longer hours. Neither of these cases is an offense to God.

Even just thanking Him in your heart is prayer. Prayer must not be in a specific area. Pray without ceasing. As the human mind is always talking, restructure it to speak with God. If, in your mind, you can talk for some hours to God about your problems or pray in tongues, it is a prayer session.

Always pray in your mind. Remember that we are not under the Old Covenant; the temple is not the building but us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV), so we are walking temples. Anywhere we find ourselves, we have the right to pray, whether in our minds or in a quiet place. We are living temples, so we do not need to be on a mountain, riverbank, forest, temple, or altar. God is not found in a particular mountain, forest, or church building but within you, for the kingdom of heaven is within man. The only thing you will gain by going to a mountain or upper room to pray is “quietness,” nothing more. (John 4:21, 23 NIV) If I am alone in my house, why should I go to the bush?

There is nothing like prayerlessness. It is the laws you believe in that create the demonic force that prevents you from praying. I have been through it all, so I speak from experience. There are no laws in prayer, only free will. If you are tired, pray for a few minutes and sleep. You will pray more tomorrow. It is not a competition. But if you are strong, pray more.

If you have troubles, you will pray. Nobody will ask you to.

If you are busy during the day, pray like Christ often did, at night. He was occupied with evangelism and other missions during the day, but this does not mean that the devil is busier at night. If you are instead occupied at night, pray during the day.

Pray according to your problems and those of other people. If you have no trouble, then thank and praise Him.

The burden of prayer will create fervency, as written: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16 NKJV) The greater the burden, the greater the fervency. That burden is a measure of how deep your need is. King Jehoash was criticized for not having enough burden for the victory Israel needed at that time. (2 Kings 13:14–20 NIV)

God answers us because of our Faith, nothing else. Prayer is a conversation with God. We speak and listen; sometimes, unanswered prayers are very important messages we need to understand: We may have to pray more or consider a redirection.

There is no Christian who does not pray. Which child does not talk with their parents? Not praying means you have no trouble, no goal to achieve, need no counsel, etc. Even unbelievers pray when they have problems.

It is not an offense if you can’t pray at a particular time of day or in a certain way, as defined by the laws of prayerlessness. So, prayerlessness is not about not praying enough but the inability to honor specific laws of prayer set by some people.

You cannot honor those laws because they are burdens. Nobody can honor them: No Christian (new convert or leader) has ever battled the forces of prayerlessness. (We speak from experience. We grew up in one of the world’s leading prayer and fasting ministries, where prayer and fasting were life disciplines.)

Prayerlessness is just man-made laws. Whoever frees themselves from this concept of prayerlessness will pray even more than those who made those laws.

When the conscience is free, our daily prayer time can be three hours or more on average.  People with a free conscience pray in their minds everywhere they find themselves, at home or not. If they pray for thirty minutes today, they will pray for two hours or more tomorrow.

No Christian will pray less than one hour a day. The human mind is always talking. It talks for about sixteen hours or more every day. How is it possible that you were not talking to God about your problems or those of others or simply thanking or praising Him during all this talking? And you are supposed to be His Child.

So, use your mind wisely; it is a goldmine for prayers. Whenever you have the opportunity, you can pray in your mind and still pray at home with your family or alone (if you live alone).

Initially, it may not be easy, but your mind will soon adapt. You will talk to God in your mind at certain time intervals while still carrying on with your daily activities. You can even pray during your sports activities: walking, jogging, or at the gym. You can also pray at home. You can pray in your mind while working or create time for prayer. Do what best suits your personality.

Pray before sleeping and when you wake up in the morning. It is an act of reverence to God.