Luke 6:12

[DHF]

Greetings Fellow Christians,

I intend on starting a Daniel Fast this coming Monday (3 weeks) and before I would like to do a night of prayer prior to starting it. Based on the above verse, Christ prayed all night before chosing His Apostles, He also fasted 40 days prior to starting His 3 years Ministry. I am about to start some serious reviewing/cleaning in my life, this is what this fast is for, and I believe this ALL-NIGHT prayer would show Christ I am not kidding. My question and help request is How would any of you go about filling A night with prayers? I have a little collection of prayers but it's hardly enough to take up the night. I really need your help please. I've gone to an all night prayer once in a church, I remember I had an absolutely fantastic experience, we had praise songs, bible reading and prayers, it was simply beauuuutiful but it's been a while I didn't record anything at the time.

Any help and suggestions will be sincerely appreciated. Thank you so very much.

"Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God."
-Luke 6:12-

[Sam]

Don't force yourself to pray "all night" just for the sake of saying to yourself (and maybe to others) that you have prayed all night.

Right after I first got saved, I prayed one hour each night. I was a teenager and had my own bedroom so I had privacy. While others were watching tv in the living room I was upstairs in my room reading the Bible and faithfully doing my one hour of prayer. Some nights the hour went quickly. Some nights the hour dragged by and seemed like it would never end. I later left home, went to Bible School, and went to work full time. With daytime Bible School, a second shift full time job, plus homework, church attendance, etc. I found I could not keep up the one hour per day prayer. I learned that some times I could pray while doing other things like walking or like riding to work, etc. In other words I had to give up quantity time but I gained quality time in prayer.

We read about Jesus praying, some times all night, some times early before the busy day began. One time when He finished praying, one of the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Read the first 13 verses of Luke chapter 11 and you'll see how Jesus teaches us how to pray.

[DHF]

Originally Posted by Sam

Don't force yourself to pray "all night" just for the sake of saying to yourself (and maybe to others) that you have prayed all night.

And how did you get that?!?! what did I say in my post that suggests that I am here to show off?? re-read my post because you missed its content. The act or state of being Christian consists of demonstrating Christ, anything outside of that is pure phoniness. The above verse says Our Lord has prayed all night. In demonstrating my Christianity, I intend on imitating Him. In this case, that would consist of praying one full night.

... Some nights the hour dragged by and seemed like it would never end.

It takes me one hour every day to just read my rosery and meditate on the mysteries and I am not even catholic. Doing it the way I do, it seems like 7 minutes. If you really pray and in the process become one with Christ (that's what I experience when I do anyway), prayer shouldn't turn into an agony. Agonizing over when this is gonna be all over is anything but prayer.

I later left home, went to Bible School, and went to work full time. With daytime Bible School, a second shift full time job, plus homework, church attendance, etc. I found I could not keep up the one hour per day prayer.

it's nobody's loss but yours.

I learned that some times I could pray while doing other things like walking or like riding to work, etc. In other words I had to give up quantity time but I gained quality time in prayer.

Agggain, you missed the point, so when Jesus prayed for a full night, He was zooming in on Quantity only? great, I learned something today. And I personally am in constant speaking with Christ, if I were to count that, I'd brag about how I pray pretty much around the clock.

We read about Jesus praying, some times all night, some times early before the busy day began. One time when He finished praying, one of the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Read the first 13 verses of Luke chapter 11 and you'll see how Jesus teaches us how to pray.

The Lord's Prayer?... I read several times during a Rosery meditation since it's the one prayer, along with the Gloria and Fatima's prayer, that are supposed to be meditated on, in between each and every decade. And your reply does not answer my question, my question was not to be taught how to pray.

[Ferd]

Another thing to consider in such an event is the affect. I dont know you DHF. You may be a very seasoned christian. you may be a new christian.

but any time a person enters the area of extended prayer, they face mighty spiritual battles.

I am not trying to disuade you but caution is in order. Such a thing ought to be entered into with careful consideration and a strong notion that God has called you to it.

[DHF]

Originally Posted by Ferd

Another thing to consider in such an event is the affect. I dont know you DHF. You may be a very seasoned christian. you may be a new christian.

but any time a person enters the area of extended prayer, they face mighty spiritual battles.

I am not trying to disuade you but caution is in order. Such a thing ought to be entered into with careful consideration and a strong notion that God has called you to it.

your post is much wiser thank you for it. I've done 9 days full fast before as an act of thanks to Him after He Spectacularly/miraculously got me out of spine semi-paralysis. Not long ago, I did 6 days full fast again, and that one the only reason I haven't gone longer is because I lift weights every day and I got to a point where I had to pick one over the other. So I thought 6 days were enough knowing I will have plenty 0f opportunities in the future to do other extensive fasts. Now I want to do just the Daniel fast because my physical conditioning program is still underway and I think the Daniel fast would be more compatible with it than a full one. To answer your concern I'd say I am blessed to have experienced the Holy Spirit first hand several times and there are times where I can crystal clearly discern what He wants me to do. Thank you so much.