THE PATHWAY TO THE HEART OF THE FATHER (3 OF 9)

We always seem to want to understand everything so when we find something we do not understand we push for an understanding and often times come up with an understanding, but it may be a misunderstanding. We do not need to know everything in prayer. We instead need to rest and we need to know God who gives understanding. Our understanding comes from God not from figuring things out. He gives understanding in His ways, works, and words. We need to be content to hold with a good and pure conscious the mystery of Godliness that we be willing to hold correctly a mystery something we do not know, and hold it in our heart and be content not to understand it and move further along into the heart of God. When we look at the big picture we really do not know much. We often think we know much maybe that is why we pray so much, but the Spirit knows and the Spirit who knows will help us who do not know. So it does not matter what you know, but matters who you know. We do not need to know anything, but if we know God we will know whatever God wants us to know. Us knowing only what God wants us to know is one of God's main objectives in our prayer. Proper communication brings us to the whom rather than to the what. And the whom (God) then can bring us to the what He wants in any given situation. Then we can harmonize with the will of God in our request, and when asking we then will flow in the will of God. How can we ask amiss if we know what God wants in any given situation? We never will we will just flow with what God is doing. And for us to flow in the will of God in prayer we MUST lay down our ways and our will to take on His ways and will, we MUST lay aside our thoughts and take on His thoughts. For us to lay aside our thoughts we must have our mind renewed by the Spirit. Paul tells us in Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2) How do we do this? Does God have a magic wand and bonk us on the head? No well then how do we renew our minds with all we see and hear in the world? By displacement. We willingly and deliberately replace those things of the world with the things of the Scriptures and the words that God speaks to us. We listen to Godly (hymns and such) music, we read and study the Bible, we talk with friends and family about wholesome and edifying things, we have Bible studies with friends and family, we assemble in an assembly or Fellowship with like Believers, we turn away from the things of the world and fill our head with the things of God. It is like when a big battleship slips into the water after a time in dry dock. As it slips in and sinks down to the water line all of the water from the keel to the water line is displaced out and now the steel of the battleship has replaced where the water once was. Paul tells us to do this or we will not be able to, "know what is good, acceptable, and perfect will of God." How can we know these things God wants us to know? We cannot because our mind is filled with the things of this world? So, prayer puts us in touch with God, not what we think, but in reality, as we are willing to commune with Him it brings us closer and closer until our life is in touch with God's. Prayer is not theoretical or a mental assent, but in reality focused on touching God's heart. This communion then will move us away from the "gimmies" (what most of what we call prayer) and we are then able to speak to God on behalf of others. We can then even speak to God about those who are giving us a hard time. We are to be concerned about those who are not in touch with God, we are to talk to God about them. Unless God can get our attention here we will NEVER be able to speak on the behalf of others. If God cannot change our heart how can we speak for others? Knowing we are not here to get, to receive, but we are here on this earth to give. When the Lord gives to us He is giving it to us so that it (whatever He gives you) may flow out of us after He gives it to us. What He gives is not our goods, but His goods. In Matthew Jesus said, "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." (Matthew 25:15) We are to be the servant who receives from their master. What God puts in us starts a flow. We are then able to invest into the lives of others. And if we can invest in the lives of others then that will bring a return the LORD is seeking. God gives to us so that we might be able to give to others. So prayer brings us into all of these things (probably even more than our understanding is able to comprehend) and into the glory of God. The last and most important purpose of prayer is to bring us into the glory of God. Prayer brings us into an intensity and purity that leads us to His glory. And His glory leads us to adjustment and correction. Luke tell us, "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." (Luke 9:29) This is not the transfiguration (term not in the Bible), but the glory of God. And Moses after he came down from the mountain, "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:" (2 Corinthians 3:7) I wonder why we do not see this glory today? Maybe we do not really believe. In the Book of Acts Stephen, "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15) There it is the glory of God. When was the last time you saw the glory of God? The intensity of God's glory will come on those who are willing to pay the price and willing to adjust and be corrected. God is after correction. There will be those shook loose and shaken out of the way, they will fall by the way side if they cannot be corrected and God will take those who can be corrected, His elect only. Believe it or not prayer is one way God brings adjustment and correction to our lives. Oh no, God's glory does not come by way of singing and dancing, hours of heartfelt worship, working inside (cleaning) and outside the church (cutting the glass and painting the building), but by an inward change. We need to hold this desire to commune with God. It is about knowing God and being conformed into His precious Son's (Jesus) image. We need to ask Him for this desire, this hunger will bring us into communion with Him which can bring a change (if we allow) in our lives. Where we are not concerned with what we will get, but to walk hand and hand with Him, to harmonize with His character and intentions, to walk the way He desires for us to go, and not to worry where He is leading us. Because He is leading us to one place and that is our Calvary to die. God lovingly takes us by the hand and gently leads us to our destiny our death on our cross (not Jesus' cross), but ours. Where our will can die so God's will can live. In Mark Jesus calls His followers and His disciples and says, "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." (Mark 8:34-35) The order is come after Him, deny ourselves, and take up your cross so that we can follow Him or become like Him. Where are we going to follow Jesus to? Our cross which is the battle of wills, our will pitted against God's will, our cross. And if we can die on our cross (like Jesus) then we shall save our life. Saving our lives leads by way of the heart of Father. Written by David Stahl