I have been thinking a lot about about my prayer life recently. I remember as a child saying the Our Father prayer every night. Something about it just made me feel better. I would see shadows in my room, hear noises, and often times things would move for no apparent reason. No matter how dark things got, I would pull the covers up over my head and say that prayer. I'd say it a few times and as I would continue praying the fear would always go away, along with the shadows.
As I got older and fell away from the Lord, somehow I knew that as long as I prayed, that I would be ok. No matter how much trouble I got myself into, physically, mentally or emotionally, the Lord would always bring peace to my situation when I would pray, but I had to go to Him first. I had to ask for the help I needed. I had to lay my situations down at His feet. I had to apologize, I had to repent and I had to ask for forgiveness and help. Yet, I can't remember a time that He let me down. No matter how many times I crashed my car, how many times I could barely keep my head up, no matter what the situation was, I knew that I would be safe if I called upon Jesus in prayer.
Did that lead me to find a church? Not for a good 30 plus years. Did that lead me to commit my life to Christ? No. It simply meant that I had a safety net that I knew was there when I needed it and for too many years to count, I treated Jesus just as that. As my safety net for when the world was too dark, too depressing, too much to handle. I didn't realize that the safety net was actually a supernatural superhero cape if I applied it the right way. It's what brings forth the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
Prayer is meant to draw you close to the Father. It's meant to close the gap between the natural world and the supernatural spiritual realm of God. It's a phone call to Jesus, one that will always be answered. It's meant to be a conversation, one where we speak out our issues and LISTEN for the Lord to respond.
People tend to think that when you have a conversation with the Lord that you should get everything that you pray for. I challenge you to look at this from the perspective of having a conversation with the almighty. Think of the way your children come to you to talk. There are times when they just need you to listen and be present, there are times when they need your advice to solve a problem and there are times when you think no way am I letting you do that, go there, see that etc. because you don't know what I know. We counsel our children based on our wisdom.
I remember when I was new to all of this, just getting to know the Holy Spirit and prophecy. I had someone speak over me at a meeting that they felt that no matter what, I would get what I prayed for. Now, many of you would go crazy thinking that's amazing and start praying for financial help, new cars, houses etc. That was not at all how I took it. In that moment, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I felt this fear of the domino effect that could take place if I prayed the wrong things. I thought to myself, what if I did get everything I ever prayed for? What if we all did? How many lives would be destroyed by selfishness? How selfish would it be if all I did was pray for myself? What if me praying for myself meant that someone else in need was negatively affected? What if me having meant others not?
Ever since that moment, those words have been engraved on my heart. My prayer life has evolved greatly. I no longer pray for specific outcomes in situations. I remember praying for the fires in California to stop and the Lord quickening me in my spirit and reminding me not to pray against His will. Are your prayers not being answered because you are not praying for the Lords will?
My prayers have simply become "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" or "Lord, please guide my thoughts, words, actions and emotions and keep them in line with your will for my life." They aren't Lord change my daughters attitude, but "Lord please help me repair my relationship with my children and for me to discern the situations that we are in. Please help me respond in the way that you would, Jesus. Lord change my heart and line it up with yours. Help me to see them through your eyes. I trust this situation to you Lord. Speak the truth to my heart."
I am no longer disappointed in the things going on around me. I am free from trying to change the world. I know that all I can do, is respond the way that the Lord intends me to respond in any given situation. Do I still pray for healing or situations going on in the world? Absolutely, but I pray from an intercessory position in the spirit and not from my fleshly desires. We are to be biblical in our prayers. Payers for healing, deliverance, and praying in the spirit have become sort of a specialty to me. They're my go to. This is how I turned my safety net, into my superhero cape, by applying it appropriately as a weapon against the enemy. By tearing down demonic strongholds that blind us. By praying for the Lord's will in my life and that my eyes and ears be open to it.
I encourage you to evaluate your prayer life. Especially if you feel disappointed or that the Lord isn't hearing your prayers. It could be that your praying against the Lord's will and that He simply knows better than we do. Trust that He has this covered. I can assure you He does.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
Phillipians 4:6-7 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
James 5:16 - Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 1:5-6 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Matthew 6:7 - But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Luke 11:9 - And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Mark 16:17 - And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
1 Corinthians 14:2 - For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth [him]; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
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