I started this journey where I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me how to pray. Prayer in itself has so many forms and applications. It is like a multifaceted diamond. When the light of God shines on it a new facet shines and lights up. Because it is so vast where do you start if you want to learn how to pray effective prayers.
When I thought about learning more on prayer I was basically looking for practical insights. How to intercede for people. What do you say and how long and how often etc. Or how to battle in prayer for deliverance and healing. How to grow in prophetic prayer, praying out His heart, His words. But is it about techniques? Will those get you in that place where victories are wrought and won like the great prayer warriors like Rees Howells.
You can find prayer-pray over hundreds of times in the Word. Basically, the definition is to ask earnestly or request. Portraying a relationship between someone who asks (who has a need) and another that is greater and able to help with their need, answer the question or fulfill the request. So it has almost a humbling aspect to it because you are depending on someone else for the fulfillment of your request otherwise you would not have asked. This is not easy for us to admit we need help or answers. We prefer to help ourselves.
Then unexpectedly the Holy Spirit put the spotlight on James 4:8. James 4:8 AMPC – Come close to God and He will come close to you.
A scripture that I would not have associated with prayer in the first place. What does this have to do with prayer? It says you come close first, take the first step then God comes close. He is inviting us into intimacy which lies at the heart of prayer. God wants me to come closer!
Why do we come closer (literally) to someone?
- To just be in the presence of that person. Enjoy the company.
- To communicate something, speaking to that person or sharing a thought or experience.
- To dialogue & fellowship: to ask and receive a response, to say something and then listen. A two way interaction.
You do not come close to someone to stare the other way. You come up close to become personal.
God is inviting us to a dance of interaction. Asking & receiving, speaking and listening. An ongoing beautiful process of getting to know (Him, his Heart) and be known. He keeps drawing nearer as you keep drawing nearer. This is what He invites us to in the first place. It is foundational to prayer but more than that it is a deep desire of our heart. Prayer is birthed from the heart out of a heart connection with Him.
In Him already – Acts: 17:28a YLT- For in Him we live, and move, and are
God wants us to fellowship with Him, and actually paved the way making it possible by placing us in Jesus, in Him. Prayer, the words we pray flow forth from this place of intimacy with God, in Him, knowing his heart and then speaking is heart and will for our lives and others.
Imagine this like wrinkles in the water that spread out more and more. Starting from the center, seemingly small. But then it starts to affect more and more and the wrinkles spread out as far as the eye can see touching places you would have never thought possible.
It is from the center you start going beyond the things that concern you. Now your heart is healed or in the process, empowered to focus on others. You start to discern clearer what is on his heart for others, for the nations.
Eph. 1:20-21- Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
It gets better! According to Eph. 1:20-21 we are seated with /in Him in the heavenly places, far above all principalities. Out of reach of the enemy coming from a place of victory and authority. From this place of intimacy God restores our silenced voices and equips us to rise up as prayer warriors , watchman on the wall seated on our high places with Gods view. If we are willing to start small and draw near into his presence we can and will grow prophetically, intercede for souls and declare & decree to establish Gods Word and victory in the earth.
