Bible and the Gospel | How Should Christians Engage in Prayer? (Part 2)
In this lecture, Dr. Trent Rogers teaches a practical guide to praying biblically. We explore the ACTS prayer, how to incorporate Psalms into family devotions and small groups, practical group prayer rhythms, the Gospel-shaped call to repentance, discerning sincere repentance, and the role and purpose of fasting.
Learn more about Cedarville’s Bible Minor Project: https://cedarville.edu/BibleMinorProject
Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction — what is prayer and why we pray
0:26 The ACTS prayer explained — Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication
1:30 Using Psalms in adoration and family devotions
2:41 Confession — verbalizing need and seeking God’s alignment of heart
4:39 Thanksgiving — focusing on God’s provision and Paul’s thankful example
6:21 Supplication — petitioning God physically and spiritually
6:37 Applying ACTS — family devotions, small groups, corporate settings, singing as prayer
9:50 All-night prayer and adapting ACTS for longer times
10:20 Concentric circles — Mattys’ five counsels for praying with others (regularity, scripture, time limits, brevity, authenticity)
12:36 Practical small-group format — praying rather than talking, structure for men’s prayer example
15:43 Transition to repentance — Gospel, faith, and repentance as daily pattern
18:13 2 Corinthians 7:9–11 on godly grief and repentance
20:52 Two bad responses to sin — minimization and maximization
23:09 Signs of insincere repentance and how to test genuine change
25:03 Practical indicators — refusal to abandon sin, partial repentance, passive language, avoiding restitution
31:52 Puritan insights on repentance — Thomas Watson’s elements: sight, sorrow, confession, shame, hatred of sin, changed direction
35:26 How repentance mirrors the Gospel — God, man, Christ, response in faith
36:28 Introduction to fasting — definition and spiritual purpose
37:23 Fasting as voluntary abstinence from a good thing for spiritual devotion
38:59 Fasting and prayer — fasting as the hungry handmaiden of prayer (Piper)
41:20 Biblical food imagery and theological significance of fasting
46:16 Communal fasting — deepening fellowship and celebration after fasting
47:10 Types of fasts — normal, partial, absolute, supernatural
47:40 Reasons people fast in Scripture — direction, repentance, dedication, protection, pursuit of God
50:02 Fasting as regular Christian practice — longing for union with Christ
51:06 Combining fasting, repentance, and prayer — a practical student example and pastoral challenge
54:09 End / final exhortation
Interested in Cedarville University? Learn more here:
Admissions: https://www.cedarville.edu/Admissions
Financial Aid: https://www.cedarville.edu/FinAid
Visit Campus: https://www.cedarville.edu/Visit
Academic Programs: https://www.cedarville.edu/Academics
#CedarvilleUniversity #BibleMinor #PrayerPractice #ACTSprayer #SpiritualDisciplines