“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” — James 4:8
Eight words. Simple enough to memorize in thirty seconds. Deep enough to spend a lifetime unpacking. And beginning this Sunday, the entire FBC West family is spending forty days doing exactly that.
We’re calling it Draw Near: 40 Days of Prayer, and I want to take a few minutes to tell you what it is, why we’re doing it, and how you might want to join us — even if you’re not part of our congregation.
Why Prayer, and Why Now?
I’ve been a pastor for a long time. I’ve walked with people through job loss, cancer diagnoses, broken marriages, and the kind of grief that doesn’t have a name. I’ve also watched God show up in ways that still leave me shaking my head in wonder.
And I’ve noticed something across all of it: the people who navigate life with the most stability (not ease, but stability) are the people who have learned to pray. They pray not as a religious obligation, not as a last resort, but as a first response, a daily habit, and a way of being with God.
he truth is, most of us want that kind of prayer life. We just don’t always know how to get there. Prayer can feel intimidating. We worry we’re not saying the right things, or that we’re not spiritual enough, or that God is somehow distant. So instead of drawing near, we keep our distance without even realizing it.
This campaign is our church’s answer to that. For forty days, we’re going to learn to draw near together.
What Is the Draw Near Campaign?
Draw Near runs from April 26 through June 7, and it touches nearly every part of our church life.
On Sunday mornings, I’m preaching a series about what prayer really is, how Jesus taught us to pray, how to be honest with God, and what it looks like to make prayer a lifestyle rather than a discipline you feel guilty about skipping.
On Wednesday evenings, we’re running a six-session Bible study called Growing Deep in Prayer — digging deeper into the theology and practice of prayer for those who want to go further.
In Life Groups, our small groups are working through four sessions together, discussing what they’re hearing on Sundays and pushing each other toward application.
Every day, members of our church have a devotional guide that pairs a Scripture reading, a brief reflection, and a prayer prompt. Forty days, forty devotions covering what prayer is, how Jesus modeled it, how to pray with honesty, how to listen, how to intercede for others, and how to move from a forty-day practice into a lifetime of walking with God.
And perhaps the most unifying piece: every day at 4:08 our entire congregation is pausing to pray. Not a long prayer. Not a fancy one. Just a moment of turning our hearts toward God. The time is a reminder of James 4:8. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, stop and draw near.
The DRAW Pattern
Throughout this campaign, we’re using a simple framework I call the DRAW Near Pattern. It’s not a formula. Prayer is a relationship, not a recipe. But patterns can be helpful when we’re learning something new, and this one has roots in Scripture.
D — Delight in the Lord. Prayer begins with God, not with our needs. Before we bring our list, we pause to remember who He is: His goodness, His faithfulness, His nearness. Worship shifts our perspective before we say another word.
R — Repent and Be Restored. As we draw near to God, He gently shows us what needs to change. Repentance isn’t about shame, it’s about returning. It involves confessing honestly and receiving grace.
A — Ask in Faith. Now we bring our requests. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too big. We pray for ourselves, for others, for our church, our community. And we ask with faith, not just habit.
W — Walk with Him. Prayer doesn’t end when we say “Amen.” It continues through the day. Walking with God means carrying His presence with us, listening, staying aware, responding to what He shows us.
That’s it. Delight, Repent, Ask, Walk. Four movements that can reshape how you approach God every single day.
What I Hope Happens
I’ll be honest with you. I have specific hopes for these forty days, but my deepest hope is something harder to measure.
I want our people to experience (not just understand, but actually experience) that God welcomes them. Prayer is not a performance. God is not distant or uninterested. When we take even a small step toward Him, He is already moving toward us.
That’s the promise of James 4:8. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a guarantee. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. That’s not poetry. That’s an invitation with a promise attached.
If forty days from now, the people of FBC West are more convinced of that truth than they are today, I will count this campaign a success.
Want to Join Us?
If you’re part of FBC West, everything you need is either in your hands or available on our campaign page at fbcwest.com/drawnear. The devotional guide, the Spotify playlist, information about Life Groups, it’s all there.
If you’re a pastor or ministry leader reading this from somewhere else, I want you to know: feel free to use anything here. The DRAW pattern. The devotional framework. The 4:08 daily prayer concept. If it serves your people, it’s yours. That’s what this is for.
And if you’re just someone who stumbled across this post and thought, I’ve been meaning to work on my prayer life — then maybe this is your moment. You don’t have to be part of our church to draw near to God. The invitation in James 4:8 is for everyone.
Start simple. Open your Bible. Quiet your heart. Pray, “Lord, I am here.”
He is already near.
John W. Crowder 
Leave a comment