What is Prayer? Success in Prayer 5

We call prayer a success, when we get audience with God and receive the things we desire of him. This is a wonderful privilege. When we go to God in the right manner — he will extend the golden scepter.

In order to get an answer to our prayers, we must have sincere desire. This arises from a sense of need. The desire will be to the extent of our sense of need. If we have but a slight sense of need — then we have but little desire. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24. "There is no lack to those who fear him." God supplies every need of his redeemed children. Desire, as we have said, arises from a sense of need, and God will supply our needs; therefore what we desire — we shall receive.

Again, we read in the Word of Truth that "the desire of the righteous shall be granted." Thus we understand that in order to pray successfully — we must experience a sense of need. Do you want more love for God? Do you feel in your soul a deep sense of such need? Then you have great desire for it — and "the desire of the righteous shall be granted." God will not hear cold, dead, formal prayers! He will not give us that for which we feel no need.

In order to be successful in prayer, we must come to God humbly. It is the cry of the humble, that God hears. He heard the prayer of the publican because he came feeling a sense of need, and also came in a humble, dependent spirit. He did not hear the proud Pharisee. God heard the prayer of Abraham, when this patriarch came to him asking him to spare Sodom if a certain number of righteous people could be found there. God heard this prayer because of the manner in which the suppliant came. Abraham said, "Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord — I who am but dust and ashes." If we come to the Lord feeling that he is under some obligation to us because of something we have done or because of what we are — then he will not hear us. O Lord, help us to be humble, to feel our dependence.

In order for prayer to prevail with God — it must come from a submissive and obedient heart. "Submit yourselves therefore to God" is the exhortation of the Bible. And "whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we obey his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." When we keep the commandments of God and love his will — he will hear our prayers.

The Lord would have us come to him with reverence. We should come into the presence of God with a holy awe resting upon our souls. If we were to step into the presence of an earthly monarch, we would have a profound feeling of awe and reverence — then how much more on coming into the majestic presence of God. Oh! do not dishonor him by bowing down so unfeelingly, as if God were no more than an ordinary man! We should address him with reverence.

Do not rush hurriedly and casually into his presence — but come before him as Moses did at the burning bush. Prayer should be sacred and hallowed. We feel constrained to bow our heads when devout men pray. When we come upon anyone in secret communion with God, we feel impelled to withdraw in silence. In your worship around your family altar, let there be reverence. Teach your little ones to revere the name of Jesus. Let everything else be laid aside and come before him with profoundness of thought and feeling.

We should come before the Lord in childlikeness. Being reverential, does not necessitate being in slavish bondage. We can come to the Lord with reverence — and also in childlike confidence and cheerfulness. We should come with a filial spirit filling our hearts. When we come in this manner, the Lord will hear us, and prayer will be availing.

WHAT IS PRAYER - PART 4

Show Me Your Way!

Do we really need God to show us the way throughout our pilgrim’s journey on this earth?  

The first few years God led me into the wilderness I found I constantly needed guidance from Him. It was more so between the second to the fifth year. My soul ached to find a way out of my trials and the path I was on with Him. I hated the fact that my desire to be out there and get involved in saving souls was thwarted. I felt useless, the uncertainty of my life was painful, I felt anxious, and hated the fact that I lost so much control of my life. While I was happy he was training me to become what I am in Him now, but I felt I was missing the mark. So my favorite song for all those years was “show me your way that I may walk with you” by the Hillsong. I found such passion when I sang it. I found so much truth in it because it was me, I wanted to follow Him but I felt He was not showing me His way.  I was frustrated and needed Him to show me His way. Then my intimacy with Him soared, while I still like the song, I don’t care about it that much anymore. What I found strange was that my situation did not change that much, the only thing that changed was me, on the inside. Then, it bothered me that I still needed His leading but the song would not do it for me anymore.

This is the beauty of the steadfast walk in the Spirit. It is the beauty of living your life like His progeny. It is also the beauty of spiritual maturity. It is strange to see how on the outside my situation had not changed at all. I lost everything when He took me into the wilderness, but, unlike Job in the Bible who got his life back, God has not given anything back to me at all. Yet, I no longer need Him to show me the way. You see when you keep growing in your intimacy with Him, like a child with his bicycle training, you naturally move on to two wheels. When your identity is grounded in Him, and you are living as His child, you no longer need Him to show you His way. Not because you can live without His guidance. But because you have become obedient through brokenness, heavenly minded, and learned to walk moment by moment through dependence and trust, then, it does not matter what the next step is anymore. Your sole focus is to remain in the light with Him.

Now that I know and trust Him, I realize all these years I was begging Him to show me the way, He was indeed showing me His way. I was being led by Him. My life was exactly where He wanted it to be according to His plans for me. At that time, I did not like His plans for me. Now, that is all I live for. I needed Him to show me His way because my plans for my life did not coincide with His plans. I could not see it because I was so busy wanting Him to bless my own plans. Once we become heavenly minded, all that remain for us to focus on, is when we deviate so ever slightly through even the tiniest sin in our heart. As I mentioned in my book, even the tiniest sin takes us away from the light, it feels as if you are no longer attached to His divine nature, and it also feels like you have caught off your own oxygen. As we remain in the light with Him, you no longer are looking forward to do something big for Him. 

Finding Him, and finding your purpose in Him also means doing daily those tedious, “Itsy Bitsy” things that He puts in your path. As you do, while they look small in your eyes they all serve a purpose in Heaven. When you are building a house each one of us has our own job. One design the schematics, one lead the project one clean the construction site etc. As I stopped looking for God to lead me in the big things and my own way, I can see through His eyes, me being the one that sweeps the floor does not make me less in His sight. As long as I embrace His plan, I do it all for His glory, He is indeed glorified. And the guy who is smart enough to draw the schematic does not glorify Him more than I do. I am not saying being a true Christian is an easy life. In fact, it is not at all, NOT AT ALL. But, then again, we are not above the Master. And how can I not find joy in doing the most menial task He presents to me, when I know my contribution is so big in His eyes?

PRAYER: Lord God, Heavenly King, you are the God of the universe. You designed each one of us with a purpose in mind for your own glory. Father please take away the stubbornness of our hearts and the blindness that causing us to follow after our own desires. Please Lord, help us find freedom in you as you complete the work you started in us. I love you, I worship you and I give you thanks and praises for who you are and who you made me to be. May the ascended Christ be glorified in all of us. 

Please visit my website www.apprehended,ca