Prayer - thoughts from Beth Thompson

Sometimes, prayer is a natural occurrence. It springs out of the heart as an organic influx of joy, pain, sorrow, confusion, sometimes indignation. This naturally occurring prayer often leaves me stumped and wanting more. Unfortunately, this is really the only kind of prayer I have time for.

“Lord, thank you for your mercy, thank you for your promises, thank you for the blessings…I pray for X, Y, Z, please bring comfort to their situation. Continue to mold me and make me into your image…”

This prayer is memorized, and after days and months of repeating it, I no longer feel its sincerity. It is soft, and dull, and spirit-less.

To counter-act this daily mantra, one of my resolutions for the year is to develop an intimate prayer life with the Creator, and…

It hasn’t exactly happened yet.

I would like to blame my culture…television, media, Forever 21, the girl next door, the trust-fund kids, perhaps my friends, my church, or whatever, for creating my unexciting prayer life-

But I know that the only person who has control over my prayer life is myself.

Ironically, despite my desire to foster a close relationship with God, shearing proactive prayer time into my schedule is an incredibly difficult task. I am busy, too busy, and to experience anything of the divine in my planned-out-twenty-minute kneeling sessions is nearly impossible.

I wonder if you have experienced the same?

While perusing my list of must-read-every-day blogs, I came upon an exceptional post written by Andrea at Andrea’s Nest, entitled “24 Points on Prayer.”

Here are some of her thoughts:

Points on Prayer

1) VOW FOR PRAYER

In order to pray, we need a resolution and determination for prayer.

2) SEPARATION UNTO PRAYER

To separate ourselves unto prayer is to sanctify ourselves unto prayer.

3) LOCATION OF PRAYER

Prayer happens in our human spirit, where God dwells (John 4:24).

4) CONDITION OF PRAYER

We need to calm down, stop our activity, stop our thoughts, and open to Him.

5) ORGANS OF PRAYER

• strong spirit - Luke 1:80
• renewed mind (to interpret the feeling of the Spirit) – Ephesians 4:23
• open mouth (praying audibly) – not because God is deaf, but to keep our minds from wandering or keep us from falling asleep

6) POSTURE OF PRAYER

kneeling = attitude of submission, reverence, appealing, petitioning, and waiting for a command

7) DEALING IN PRAYER

Our conscience may prompt us to confess our sins and shortcomings that there would be no insulation between us and the Lord.

8) DEFENSE IN PRAYER

Prayer is a warfare! We need the blood of Jesus (claim it!) and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11) to declare His victory.

9) HARMONY IN PRAYER

Harmony or oneness in prayer is important when praying with others.

10) BURDEN OF PRAYER

It’s hard to pray without a burden. In fact, it’s not normal to be a Christian and not have a burden. God needs a channel to discharge His burden. His burden. There are lots of burdens, we just need to pick them up.

11) SENSE FOR PRAYER

It’s not about reading from a prayer book or always praying the same words the same way. Nor is it that the congregation says “amen” because it’s in the program. That is ritualistic, inorganic prayer and God is not inorganic or static. As Christians, we pray by the inner sense, by the moving of the Spirit from within. This takes learning because we have to learn to follow that sense and not pray according to our mind, feelings, or situations. We simply get into the spirit and He will teach us what to pray (Romans 8:26).

12) UTTERANCE IN PRAYER

Prayer isn’t about eloquence, because God doesn’t need our fancy speech. He also doesn’t need multiplicity of words (Matt. 6:7). The Spirit will give us the living, instant, present utterance to express the inner sense (1 Cor. 2:10 ) and discharge His burden.

13) SUPPLY IN PRAYER

If we are full of the Word of God, this will be our supply in prayer and also the content of our prayer.

14) ASKING IN PRAYER

Not just general fellowship with the Lord, but prayer that issues in responses (Matt. 7:8). The Lord pays attention to results. He won’t give us a serpent (Matt. 7:9-10).

15) SPECIFICITY OF PRAYER

Not general or aimless prayers, but prayers that are particular, specific, definite, measurable and detailed.

16) THOROUGHNESS OF PRAYER

Pray from different angles, covering every aspect, not just one.

17) FERVENCY IN PRAYER

The strength of prayer is more important than the length of prayer. Prayers should not be half-hearted or lukewarm, but intense, urgent, earnest, and burning in burden.

18) FASTING IN PRAYER

Fasting isn’t about not eating; it’s about being so full of a heavy burden to pray that one does not eat.

19) LINGERING IN PRAYER

If we wait in the Lord’s presence, not leaving so quickly, He may really bring us into His heart.

20) FAITH IN PRAYER

We should believe that our prayer is heard (Matt. 15:27).

21) THANKSGIVING IN PRAYER

When we pray, it should be with thanksgiving. We should thank the Lord during our prayer (Colossians 4:2, Phil. 4:6-7).

22) PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER

Don’t stop. Don’t faint. Luke 18

23) WATCH IN PRAYER

Be vigilant, awake, on guard, watchful. Mark 14:38

24) REWARD OF PRAYER

This reward is not an answer to prayer. In the kingdom age, the Lord will reward us for the prayers we offered concerning His people and His will.

Andrea’s thoughts truly spoke a deep repose to my heart and soul. I, we, the body of Christ, need this time of prayer, we need this time to ensure intimacy with the Trinity, and we especially need it to keep our hearts humble and contrite before Him.

My own experience has proved to me that the more time and devotion I spend in prayer and solitude, I change.
The pressures, anxieties, media addiction, and distractions become mere trifles, and I begin to organically worship God for his nature instead of his providence. I begin to see my neighbor lying in the road, and begin to have grace on people who are different from me.

Being married also proves a challenge in a prayer life…if one’s spouse is always nearby, it is somewhat difficult (at least for me) to close the door and shut him out for some quality God-time.

I know deep down that the answer is waking early, when Joel is still sleeping, when I can literally shut the world out and quiet my soul before the King.

The question: will I do it? Will we do it? Will we, as the American church, learn to quiet our hearts and minds before the Father, put away our distractions, our entertainments, and let Him be lord of our life through prayer? 

I hope I can. I hope you can. I hope we can.