My Conversation about “21 Days to Childlike Prayer” on the “100+ Significant Moments in Christian History” Podcast

Last August, I had the privilege of sitting down with Mike Woodson, the pastor of Christ Church, to talk about 21 Days to Childlike Prayer for his fantastic “100+ Significant Moments in Christian History” podcast.

I’ve enjoyed Pastor Mike’s podcast for quite some time. He does an unusually excellent job of summarizing history in substantive, succinct, and engaging ways. He’s brilliant and a gifted interviewer. It was an honor to get to talk with him about one of my favorite subjects, prayer, while I was in Chicago to preach the first sermon in their “21 Days to Childlike Prayer” sermon series. You can give the conversation a listen here.

Endorsements For “21 Days To Childlike Prayer: Changing Your World One Specific Prayer At A Time”

I’m deeply grateful for each of the endorsers and endorsements below for my forthcoming book, 21 Days To Childlike Prayer. Each of these men and women have been used by God in my life in some unique way. My book comes out January 18, 2022. You can pre-order it here (or anywhere you buy your books). I’m praying that the effort these men and women put into reading and endorsing the book would result in more and more people seeing specific answers to prayer in their daily lives.

“With so many books on prayer, a new one needs a fresh perspective on the subject to distinguish itself from others. Jed succeeds by helping us see prayer as a child talking to his or her heavenly Father in simple, childlike ways. And like any good book on prayer, 21 Days to Childlike Prayer makes you want to pray.” 

Donald S. Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Praying the Bible

“I’m at an advantage as I read 21 Days to Childlike Prayer; I’ve watched the author, year after year, put every word into action. This book is an accessible, simple tool to help transform your prayer life and your heart. You will grow in your prayer life, and you will also grow in your faith, love, and trust of your heavenly Father, who bids you come to Him as His child.”

Trillia Newbell, author of Sacred Endurance, Fear and Faith, and Creative God, Colorful Us

“This is not a book telling you how badly you should feel for how little you pray. It’s also not a book telling you how to become an expert in prayer. To the contrary, Jed shows us practically how we can overcome our hesitancies and approach our Father not as fearful applicants but as beloved children.”

Russell MooreChristianity Today 

“I rarely see a pastor passionate about prayer. But that’s what you get in Jed. He is on the front lines of life and has learned how to weave prayer into the fabric of his life. What makes this book so helpful is he gives specific and concrete steps for putting into practice the deep structures of a praying life. This book will get you moving closer to your heavenly Father!”

Paul E. Miller, author of A Praying Life

“This book is simple, practical, and most of all, doable! If you want to learn how to pray to a gracious and loving heavenly Father, this can help you get started.”

Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

“I had the privilege of calling Jed my pastor when we lived in Tennessee. His sermons were special and every Sunday, my husband or I would say, ‘That is a man who prays.’ You could see it in his preaching, in his family, and in the way he lives. 21 Days to Childlike Prayer is excellent—clear, humble, and helpful, from a man who preaches what he practices.”

Scarlet Hiltibidal, AfraidOfAllTheThings.com

“This is a poignant, purposeful, and practical book on approaching prayer with a childlike perspective. Prayer is often the most neglected discipline, and this is a refreshing reminder to embrace God with our B-E-S-T. If you need a boost to your prayer life, this book is a helpful guide that will prompt you to come to our ‘heavenly Dad’ with expectancy and anticipation!”

Matt Carter, lead pastor, Sagemont Church, Houston, TX

“There are books on prayer that teach you to pray, but there are very few that compel you to pray; this work accomplishes both. With relevant illustrations, substantive and practical instruction, and a call to devotion in prayer, one leaves from this book with more than a short stint of 21 days of prayer; they are entered into a lifetime of prayer. It is one of the most encouraging books on prayer that I’ve read.”

Lemanuel R. Williams, deputy director, Peacemakers

“Most of us struggle with prayer. One reason is that we overcomplicate it. In this book, Jed demystifies prayer and gives us a road map to regular, fruitful, childlike, God-glorifying prayer. If you want to grow in your prayer life, buy this book, and for the next 21 days, commit yourself to the daily readings and exercises. Doing this won’t make you perfect in prayer, but it will make prayer more permanent in your life.”

Juan R. Sanchez, senior pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, TX

“As a pastor and seminary professor, I’ve had many occasions to lead in prayer, but Jed, my pastor, led me to fresh and stronger application of what I knew. He pressed us to identify, with childlike faith, very particular and improbable items for which we might ask God’s provision. I took up the challenge, and, out of the blue, the Lord said yes through a totally unforeseen opportunity. The timing and specificity showed His hand clearly. God could have said no, and that would have been fine, but at least I would have known it was not for want of asking that the door remained closed.” 

Mark Coppenger, retired professor of Christian philosophy and ethics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

“The specific answers to prayers my family prayed when I was a child are now a legacy of God’s faithfulness that I pass on to my own children, yet I sometimes struggle with what Jed calls ‘vague prayer syndrome.’ This book has challenged me to come to my Father with specificity like a child. Both biblically faithful and wonderfully practical, I believe it is perfect for anyone who wants to grow in prayerfulness but doesn’t know how to start.” 

Catherine Parks, author of Empowered: How God Shaped 11 Women’s Lives

How To Join The Monthly Fast – #FastTheFirst

I love food as much as the next guy. So why in the world did I invite Redemption City Church to fast with me this Tuesday, January 21, and every 1st of the month this year (Feb. 1, March 1, April 1, etc.)?

Well, when you read the Bible, you see people fasting all over the place. Fasting is simply abstaining from food for a specific purpose. A quick look at the 77 times the Bible talks about fasting shows that Moses fasted, Israel fasted, Daniel fasted, Nehemiah fasted, Jesus fasted, the early church fasted, just to name a few. When you fast, you’re in good company. Fasting was such a normal part of following God that when Jesus taught on it, he didn’t make an argument for it, he simply started by saying, “when you fast…”, not “if…” (Matt. 6:16-18).

The reasons for fasting are many and meaningful. After Moses fasted he received the 10 commandments (Ex. 34:28). God blessed Israel’s fast with a stunning victory over the Edomites (2 Chron. 20:2-3). Daniel received the guidance he needed during his fast (Dan. 9:3). Before Nehemiah built Jerusalem’s broken walls, an achievement that stunned everyone who understood the situation, he fasted (Neh. 1:4). After Jesus’ fast, he overcame the Enemy behind all the enemies of God in the wilderness (Luke 4:2). As the early church was asking for clarity on who to set apart for ministry, they fasted (Acts 13:2-3). The reasons for fasting are as many as the reasons for praying. Yet, fasting seems to be focused on unusually challenging problems where a special “breakthrough” is needed.

When you look at the history of the church, you see that Christians from other time periods read Scripture in a way that led them to fast. Here’s a few examples. The Didache, which is kind of a “how to do church” manual to help Christians understand what the Bible taught, prescribed two “fast days” a week: Wednesday and Friday. The 2nd Council of Orleans called for regular fasting in the 6th century. John Wesley urged Christians to fast on Wednesday and Fridays as well.

Will you join me as I join so many others who have come before us and fast?

If you will, here are a couple of practical suggestions about fasting, most of which I got from Dr. Ronnie Floyd who has written at length on the subject.

Find Your Day – You can fast any day you want. I’m encouraging you to join me this Tuesday, January 20th, on a fast and then the 1st day of each month for the rest of the year. If you need to miss a day, but want to be a part of what we’re doing, aim for a day during the first week of the month. #FastTheFirst

Find Your Level – When the Scripture talks about fasting, it is talking about abstinence from food. On the day you fast, let me encourage you to participate at some level. That might mean that you miss one meal, or two meals, or all the meals. Perhaps you can’t miss any meals? That’s okay, you can abstain from something else, like social media. Whatever it is, find a level that allows you to participate in the fast.

Set Specific Goals – I believe that “specificity leads to visibility” in our prayer lives. When we get specific with our prayers we give the invisible God an opportunity to become visible in our lives in a way he wouldn’t without that specific request. When we start getting specific with our requests, we start seeing him more in our daily lives. The same is true for fasting. Let me encourage you to ask God to answer specific requests in 3 areas: your relationship with him, something in your life, and for your church.

Plan Your Time – During the time when you would normally do the thing that you are abstaining from, like eating, use that time to read Scripture and pray. The examples of fasting in the Bible show us that the people of God “withdrew” in some way from their normal activities to encounter God. Let’s do the same, whether that is 15 minutes or an hour.

What might God have in store for us if we follow his word and make fasting a regular part of our relationship with him? How might our lives be different? What about the lives of those we’d be praying for? Join me on this simple, God-honoring journey. Let’s see God work in fresh ways this year.