Craig J. Hazen - Fearless Prayer: Why We Dont Ask and Why We Should

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover by Aesthetic Soup

Fearless Prayer

Copyright 2018 Craig Hazen

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-7379-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-7380-9 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

C ONTENTS

O ver a decade ago I was sitting in my comfy Bible-reading chair immersed in the Gospel of John. I have a large family and I get up earlier than everyone else, so I normally get a bit of solitude in the morning to read the Bible and pray. This particular morning I was in chapter 15 reading something I must have read a few dozen times before. For some reason, this time one of the verses came alive to me, but not in the typical way people report having a Bible verse speak to them. Oh, it spoke to me all right. But the message that came to me was: You dont really believe this.

The verse in question was John 15:7. It is a challenging statement that Jesus uttered in the middle of a talk to his disciples often called the vine and the branches discourse. The verse says this: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

I think the monologue in my mind that morning was not very profound. It went something like,

Huh, I wonder what thats all about?

That doesnt seem to be a real thing.

I dont treat it like its real.

And I dont think I know anybody

who treats it like its real.

If some do treat it like its real, theyre probably

part of that name it and claim it movement.

Maybe this is meant for the apostles themselves

or spiritual superstars like Billy Graham.

Ill bet you that people who do take it too

seriously are a little spiritually weird.

Hmm, it says we have to remain.

Were probably not doing that, whatever that is.

Looking back on it, this important verse was, in my mind, dying the death of a thousand qualifications. I simply wasnt going to take it seriously at that pointeven though these were words spoken by Jesus himself and recorded in the Bible that I deeply believe is the Word of God. My functional approach was, Hey, there is plenty in the Bible that makes more sense than this. So Ill just stick with that stuff. Movin on!

Well, the Holy Spirit had some different plans for me. He kept the issue about the true meaning of this verse alive in me to the point where I had to investigate it. And I couldnt be more grateful for his intervention. I really had no idea how committed God is to answering our prayers and how thrilled he is when we ask. Studying this verse, and many more like it, has been a tremendously rewarding and enlightening time for me. And I am eager to share some of my findings with you.

TO REKINDLE A SUPERNATURAL MINDSET

My hope for this book is that it might help to rekindle a supernatural mindset in believers of every stripe so that we can put this amazing promise to work in our lives for the kingdoms sake. Here is a truism: Life is difficult. Here is another truism: Life is doubly difficult when we seek to do important kingdom work. We need this promise to be fulfilled or we will be spinning our wheels far more than we should be. In verse 5 of the same passage, Jesus said, Apart from me you can do nothing. Of course that we can believe. But I want to see if we cant come to terms with the flip side of verse 5, that is, with him we can do anythingwhich is a solid biblical teaching.

So, lets take the plunge and find out what the rest of Gods Word, thoughtful scholars, and solid spiritual understanding say about the true meaning of John 15:7. Lets see if we cant sort out what gives us such deep hesitation in embracing this amazing promise. Lets see if we cant set aside the ideas, interpretations, and behaviors that keep us from fearless prayer and realizing the Lords astonishing promise to us.

I had the rare opportunity to study some of the great world religious traditions in some depth when I did a PhD in religious studies at the University of California. Comparing my Christianity to the other major religions was an eye-opening experience. Some features of Christianity set it apart in rather dramatic fashion from other faiths.

One feature that made Christianity unique was the sheer volume of legitimate, documentable testimonies and traditions of answered prayer. In fact, Im sure that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you can add to the unending collection of firsthand accounts.

I start off with four examples of answered prayer that all have something very important in common. As you read them, I dont know that you will see the common thread immediatelygood job if you do. But what these accounts have in common has the potential to revolutionize not just your prayer life, but also your ministry and your relationship with God as well.

The Lord himself encourages us to offer up fearless prayers. We worship and pray to a God who loves us very much and longs for us to bear wonderful spiritual fruit through him. In order to do that, he has promised to meet us and to provide for us in remarkable ways. And he has promised that if we abide in him and his words abide in us, that we can ask for anything and we shall have it.

CRYPTIC CONNECTION

I was finished giving my guest lectures at a university in the Midwest. They really kept me busy morning, noon, and night with speaking, meetings, and meals. I gave my final talk at noon and then headed for a small airport. I needed everything on the trip home to go well because I had a lecture scheduled for that night in Southern California, and then very important ministry meetings the next morning. A serious delay would really wreak havoc.

My first flight was to Atlanta on a small commuter jet. I was going to connect in Atlanta and then on to Los Angeles. It was going to be a long day of travel. But it looked like it was going to be even longer because my first flight was late. We werent going to board until over an hour beyond our scheduled departure time, which could cause me to miss my second, longer flight. (None of this is news to those of you who travel frequently.)

So we finally boarded the small jet. It was full and the seats were small and it was going to be a couple of hours of less-than-comfortable travel. I distinctly remember settling into my seat and praying that I would make the connection. Sometimes in prayer I make my case with Godas if he needs to hear my reasoning on the matter. But hey, thats what some of the key players in the Bible did too, so Im in good company. I never pray with a lot of words, so my entire petition was something like, God I really think you were instrumental in setting up what is happening in LA tonight and tomorrow. And I think it has potential to bear fruit for the kingdom. Hear this humble request: Get me there on time. Oh, and I also pray for a more comfortable seat for the next flight. Amen. I dont hesitate to throw in those extras because I know God loves me and likes to give me encouraging gifts once in a while.