Here are some thoughts on prayer taken from a teaching of mine. There is a lot of praying going on today, but not much is being done in the Spirit. I think what we call prayer is much less than what God expects of us. God expects we get into the Spirit and touch lives and hearts, ours included. Unless we are in the Spirit, unless our words have been birthed by the Spirit we are not praying we are speaking into the wind. Most of what we call ''prayer" is done in the natural and never reaches the Spiritual realm. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, even Catholics, and other mainstream Christian religions pray they even have their little prayer beads and pray to their gods, saints, and prophets, but that is not prayer. Did you know the word "prayer" is not in the Gospel or Epistles of John, but "prayer" is tied into John's life more then the other disciples. It seemed there was a greater quality of love in John's life. One can not really be involved in prayer if there is no love in their life. Prayer should be natural like breathing. We do not have to think or stop doing something to breathe. Prayer should be built in us. Prayer is always communion with God. Prayer is always to God if not then you are not praying. Now you do not have to pray you really don't, but if you do not pray you will not get very far in God. If you have a hunger in you, a desire "to draw nigh (near) to God" then God will meet you in that place and prayer will be the avenue God uses to touch your life. You know it should not be a duty to pray, but a joy. We at first "get with it" with duty prayer (pray over our food or before we close our eyes in sleep), but in time God will lead us out and into a deeper more effectual time with Him in a prayer life where we stop our living so we can spend time with God. But still there is a deeper level God desires to take us to and that is our life becomes a prayer. Where prayer automatically comes out of us like breathing out from our communion with God. He will lead us from duty prayer, to a prayer life (both more mechanical), and by His Spirit to where our life becomes a prayer. What we call prayer today would be typical of a religious duty or activity in the New Testament. Prayer is not a duty or religious activity, prayer is of the heart. Again prayer is communion with God. Our life is to be a constant prayer (communion with) to God. In Isaiah 58:1-14, (read) we have an example of religious prayer. Here is the commentary:
1. v1 - Is house of Jacob sins.
2. v2 - Looks and sounds good, but religion looks and sounds good. Religion has an outward appearance.
3. v3 - Bending God's arm. If we can not have faith and believe in God we force Him. God, I will pray and fast, you better give me what I want.
4. v4 - Does not match up with v2
5. v5 - God said is this really what I want??
6. v6,7 - God said, I do not want religion, I want "righteous living." God is not religious. Real prayer leads us into righteous living where we just live right and not know it.
7. v8 - Righteous living leads us to the glory of God.
"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)
God is after heart purity! Prayer (communion with God, not asking for healing or material things) is what leads us in "His Way" to heart purity.
8. v9 - We then BECOME like God. After all we were created in His image. We need to BECOME like the Father, just like Jesus did. Now prayer is not talking to God. Talking to God is talking to God and prayer is prayer. I have found my best prayers have no words. Often at times the best we can do in prayer is groan. I think God is listening for more groans than He is for words. We must remember Jesus gets everything from the Father. He does not do or say anything of Himself, only those things that He sees the Father doing and what His Father would be saying.
Prayer is something alone, between you and God. The direction of prayer is ALWAYS to the Father If not to the Father you are not praying. In Matthew 6:9-15 Jesus was teaching the disciples something about prayer and somehow it has become, "The LORD's Prayer and is recited religiously in vain. When Jesus said this it was the first time spoken to God (usually said was "Avie" "my Father or around through"), "Abba Father" which means "direct address to the Father." This is the number one way "prayer" is translated in the Scriptures. Around Christmas time many folks sing a song "Avie Maria" or "Around through to Maria" instead of to the Father. Now Jesus was not teaching the disciples to say "Abba Father," but is teaching them to pray directly to the Father. Here are other critical divine spiritual principles Jesus was teaching the disciples: The proper attitude in Prayer is "Hallowed be thy name." God's name is to be "hallow" a most holy thing, purity, not hollow or usable. God does not operate by formula and rules, but by divine spiritual principles. "In the Name of Jesus" is not a formula for God to operate, we must be careful. God seeks worshipers not by rules, but in spirit and truth. We need to allow God to be God, then God can gather us into Himself as oneness with Him. 1 + 0 = 1 (we together) not 1 + 1 = 2. So we can have His desires in us. So we know what the way He takes is and we can then take the way He is taking. So we may walk in step in harmony with Him. Many Christian do not want to get in Him. They will have to lose themselves. Not too many draw nigh (near) to God, because He is a consuming fire. No one wants to be consumed. We would rather be on fire for the LORD, well the only way we can be on fire for the LORD is to fall into the ground and die, but no we would really rather give God things we do not mind see get consumed and save our self. Save our self? Oh no God wants to kills our flesh! Our proper motivation, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (verse 10) But if we do not draw nigh then He can not bring that oneness, He has no opportunity. How can God be God if we always want Him to dance to our tune, to do what we want Him to do. We say, I have given up all for you Lord. I want a return on my investment. Next verse, "Give us this day our daily bread." (verse 11). In the Greek, "Give us the bread today we need." Now I like that because we do not know what our need is. We think we do, but in reality we need to take on His desires and His need for our lives. Prayer is the way into harmony with God in meeting needs not ours, but also others. No where in the Bible does it say Jesus prayed for the sick, it says He healed the sick. The last thing I need when I cannot touch God's heart for myself is to have someone pray for me. Oh no I need someone who knows God and can touch His heart on my behalf. What does God want? What do we want?? We are to know what God wants so we can harmonize in meetings needs with God.
Prayer helps us see what the Father is saying and doing. Healing the sick then is so easy and not a struggle. The character of Prayer, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (verse 12) God's intention in prayer is to bring us together with Him in a oneness and unity. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:" (Verse 13) He does not intend to lead us into temptation, but He intends to deliver us from evil. This happens as we come together in communion (prayer). You know our temple is to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves to steal from God and whatever we can from God. Put $10 in the offering to get $100 back. This is giving to get. We give so others may receive not so we can be blessed. This is selfish and greedy We come together in a service so that we can be a blessing and not to receive a blessing. Oh no, we are to become the very expression of God. All I want is Him. And to be caught up in His glory to be this expression through prayer, communion with Him. Prayer is the pathway to being the expressed image of the Father. Written by David Stahl
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