Prayer & Fasting - 2 Minutes?
by Gary Johnson
Two minutes ...
That’s all it took for a few spoken words to impact people 160 years ago, and those words still impact people today. Abraham Lincoln was asked to dedicate the burial grounds at Gettysburg, where tens of thousands of soldiers were killed. At the ceremony, the Honorable Edward Everett spoke for two HOURS, and few (if anyone) remembers his comments. Yet, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address continues to have immeasurable impact on people still to this day – just two minutes. Hold that thought.
Throughout 2025, we are trying to “live like Jesus” (1 John 2:6). Looking in the Gospels, it is easy to see how Jesus lived, but it is not so easy to imitate Him. Only in the power of the indwelling Spirit of God can we be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. This month, our focus is on prayer and fasting. Just as His disciples asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), we ask the same of Him today. From His forty-day fast marking the beginning of His ministry (Mt 4:2, Luke 4:2) to His continual calling out to His Father in prayer, we long to live like Jesus by practicing these two vital spiritual disciplines.
When on a flight, it is easy to see landmarks while taking off or landing; we see coastlines, city skylines and highways when above them. In a similar way, when we take an overview of Scripture, four things stand out to me when it comes to prayer. (And for today’s insights on fasting, click here.)
P for PRACTICE
From the opening moments in measured time, we read in Genesis 4:26 that “people first began to worship the LORD by name.” The practice of communicating with God began early in the history of humankind and has continued throughout the millennia until now and will into the untold future. Moreover, Jesus observed the practice of prayer, as He got up before sunrise and went to a solitary place where He prayed (Mark 1:35). The first century church “devoted themselves to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Prayer is a spiritual discipline that is practiced.
R for RELATIONSHIP
Again, Jesus set for us an example to follow, and that being to pray, pray and then pray some more. Time and again, Jesus prayed to His Father, and did so even while on the cross with only hours or moments left to live (“Father, forgive them…” and “Father, into your hands” Lk 23:34, 46). From the opening pages of Scripture, God established relationships with us. He walked in the cool of the garden with Adam and Eve (Gen 3:8), and He even spoke with them. From patriarchs to prophets, from kings to commoners, God spoke with people. Why? He was – and still is – in a relationship with humankind. In Jeremiah 33:3, God said, “Call to me and I will answer you. I will show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” God invites people to speak with Him, and He promises to reply – and in remarkable ways.
A for ATTITUDE
In Gethsemane, Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mt 26:38) and He prayed with surrendered humility beyond our understanding. Throughout Scripture, many people prayed in much the same way, admitting that they needed God. The Israelites cried for God to rescue them from slavery in Egypt and from attack by enemy nations throughout the book of Judges. King David cried out for help when Saul attempted to kill him and Daniel cried out from a lions’ den. Paul reminded believers, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). Prayer is anchored in a humble, contrite attitude.
Y for YIELD
Jesus prayed three times that “if it be possible, may this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done” (Mt 26:39-43). Jesus yielded to the will of God. Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Mount with this choice: those who listen and yield (i.e., obey) are wise, and those who do not are fools (Matt 7:24-27). We are told in James 4:8 that if we “draw near to God, He will draw near to us.” Prayer draws us near to God, but will we then do what verse 8 states? “Wash your hands you sinners; purify your hearts, you double minded.” Yield.
Two Minutes
Abraham Lincoln’s address lasted all of two minutes. His speech is considered to be one of the finest, most powerful in American history. Can we experience the same, particularly when we talk with God? Can our words carry weight in the presence of the Lord? Yes, and yes.
By God’s grace, I’ve been on numerous international mission trips. Often, I’ve been in Muslim nations and I have heard, time and again, Islam’s call to prayer from high atop minarets. These spires announce the call to prayer five times every day. What IF we paused to pray throughout the day – even if only for two minutes at a time? Consider praying before stepping out of bed as soon as we wake up (#1). Once we are up and about and ready for the day, we pause to be in the Word and in prayer before leaving for work or engaging in our day (#2). Sometime during the day, we pause to pray, more intentionally than a perfunctory pre-lunch moment (#3), and then when we return home, we pray yet again (#4). Finally, after getting into bed and before falling to sleep, we pray once again as our day draws to a close (#5). When we make prayer a vital, desired part of our walk with God, two minutes will become twenty – and more.
No matter when or how we pray, we must pursue the practice of prayer, because it deepens our relationship with Jesus, particularly when we model an attitude of humbly needing Him, wishing to yield to His lordship in our lives.
The late John R.W. Stott once admitted, “The one thing I know will give me the deepest joy – namely, to be alone and unhurried in the presence of God, aware of His presence, my heart to worship Him – is often the thing I least want to do.”
Two minutes?
