Making Sacrifice Your “Prayer Partner”

Question: How helpful has it been for you to have someone agree with you in prayer, especially when they do so repeatedly, through a long stretch of time?

If you’re like most Christians, you can appreciate the value of such a brother or sister in Christ being in full agreement with you about the things that you are earnestly seeking in prayer. They are often people who have proven themselves to not only be good friends, but prayer warriors - committed to uplifting you and your needs in circumstances in prayer, even when apart from you. They’ve got your back spiritually. You can depend on them. Well, I would like to suggest that there is a prayer partner of a sort that we might easily overlook, that can be readily available, though in a different way. That partner is named “sacrifice.”

When you call on sacrifice to partner with you on your prayer journey, you’re calling on a partner who will do their best to remind you in no uncertain terms about the importance of what you're asking of the Lord. This partner will work hard at continuously helping you to re-focus on crying out to God for your needs like no other. Helping you to not be distracted by nuisance prayer drainers like comfort, leisure and other selfish endeavors. And when you and your partner are done with your mutual prayer journey, sacrifice will be waiting to reward you for your diligence by simply walking away, allowing it’s often uncomfortable power and effects on you to rapidly fade. Rapidly, because you will then be able to experience the rich satisfaction of giving the Lord the sweet aroma from your offering that only comes from self-denial, for His sake.   

Ephesians 5:2 reads, “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  Sacrifice offers a variety of means to help you, as your partner, including through your time, your talents, and your treasures. But there’s another sacrificial means that has proven to be very helpful with prayer in particular, and that’s fasting.

If you’ve never fasted before, please prayerfully consider doing so, including referring to the church app or website about how and why it’s done. It’s particularly important for you to do so, as we are currently fasting and praying together as a church to start this new year off right. Remember, fasting was an important part of Jesus’ prayer life, as well as many other believers who followed His example. If you’re already familiar with fasting, then embrace this opportunity to go even deeper with the Lord than you have ever gone before.   As inspiration for the value of fasting, consider the following passage below about how David underscored the importance and necessity of sacrifice. In David’s case, he insisted on paying for land he desired to build an altar for the Lord, which he could have easily acquired for free. His prayer, partnered with sacrifice, resulted in his prayers being honored and answered by the Lord.

May the Lord richly bless you as we enter this new year, including His hearing your fervent prayers through fasting, with your prayer partner, “sacrifice!”
 
Read 2: Samuel 24:18-25 (NLT)
 
Prayer: Lord, help us to remember that any sacrifice we make in your name brings forth an opportunity for you to be glorified, for us to be blessed, and for us to be able to bless others. Help us to learn the simple lesson of dependence on you through prayer and the sacrifice and discomfort of fasting, with no distractions from anything that might take our focus off of you and our desire to serve you and seek your will. Help us to fast with the aim of denying our own needs and agendas, to completely abandon ourselves to your will.  Have your way with us in 2021 in a deeper, stronger, longer lasting way, as never before. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen!