INTRODUCTION
Prayer is basic and fundamental in the life of the Born-Again Christian, being the very life line itself. It is simple communication and not some ethereal mental exercise of mystical contemplation and assent to a God that lives ‘way out there somewhere.’ It is an act of worship, the communion of the soul with God - spirit with Spirit - the saved with the Savior. It is both wrestling with God and resting peacefully in His arms. Prayer may include arguing and complaining to God; He understands we are human.
Our study of Touching the Heart of God - The Power of Passionate Prayer should result in a more effective and consistent prayer life. However, that goal will only be reached if you study with the desire and intent to develop such discipline. Pray for specific answers to current needs in your own life as you follow through this study. There will be many times during this course that you feel an urge to pray. Don't neglect such a prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I. HEARING GOD’S VOICE
Operating in the power and anointing of God requires a vibrant prayer life. Prayer is no more than having a simple two way conversation with God. Failure to spend time in prayer is due to lack of intimate relationship with Him. Christians may LOVE Him and want to learn all ABOUT Him, and tell people about Him, but many don’t spend any real quality time WITH Him because they really don’t KNOW Him.
It is like a marriage relationship that is struggling yet both people want to have a good marriage, so they go to counselors and read all the books about HOW to have a good marriage yet they don’t spend any time with each other HAVING a good marriage.
Intellectual knowledge about God is not the same as intimate knowledge of God. The head always gets in the way of the heart. In order to get to the place of truly both KNOWING and LOVING God a person must first be willing to pray (and live) the Gethsemane prayer, “Not my will Lord but Yours” then they must carry their Cross daily because at any moment the Lord may require that a certain area of their life be crucified so that area within can experience true overcoming resurrection power.
Prayer is nothing more than the internal exercise of love. It is a dialogue between the Christian and their Lord that doesn’t need many words because He knows their inmost feelings before they say them. They pray only for what they really desire. Prayer is climbing into the safety of His lap and the under the shadow of His wings. It is how the Christian turns away from, and releases the cares of the world so that they can focus on Him. It is the communion of two lovers lost in intimate embrace. It can be done anywhere at any time and requires both speaking and listening.
Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27-28 NKJV). “Hearing” God’s voice requires “listening” in quiet solitude. “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab 2:20 KJV). Jesus promised that “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20 NIV).
There are a few things that can hinder hearing God’s voice. The most significant are unconfessed sin (Ps. 66:18), unbelief (James 1:5-8), unforgiveness (Num. 12:1, 20:1012; Mark 11:25), shame (Ex 3:11, 4:13; 2 Cor. 5:17, 21), and fearfulness of God (Hos. 11:2, 7, 8; 1 Jn. 4:18-19).
A. Meditate on the Word
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Ps 119:97 NIV)
Prayer is what nourishes the spirit. A passionate prayer life begins by meditating on His Word, the Bible. That is how Christians learn to know His voice. They must learn to read the Scriptures as they would devour the letter of a lover. Christians must place their self in the Scriptures and proclaim the truth of His eternal promises as applying to them personally, and accept them as their own. They must learn to speak the Word out loud, direct them to the Savior, and begin to contemplate what they are reading. They must learn to meditate on His Beauty and “streams of living water will flow from within” (John 7:38 NIV).
B. The Still, Small Voice
God’s voice is often heard in stillness. God commanded; “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10 NIV). The Prophet Habakkuk knew the sound of God’s voice (Hab 2:1). Elijah described it as a still, small voice that is often heard as unexpected thoughts, impressions, visions, dreams, or feelings (1 Kings 19:12). An example of this is when a person feels the need to intercede in prayer on behalf of another. The definition of the Hebrew word for intercession (Paga), is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.”
God also told Habakkuk to record his visions and inscribe it on tablets (Hab 2:2). Writing prayers and thoughts in a journal is one of the most effective ways to verify that you are hearing God’s voice because you can write down what was “heard” from God and check if it is in harmony with Scripture (Isa. 8:20).
God commands Christians not to “treat prophecies with contempt.” Christians are to “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess 5:19-22 NIV). Prophetic words are for “strengthening, encouragement, and comfort” (1 Cor. 14:3-5). They should bring glory to Jesus (1 Cor. 12:3; Jn. 16:14).
II. THE GOAL OF PRAYER
The goal of prayer is the enjoyment of God who desires to give more of Himself than one could ever conceive. It is fixing one’s attention on His face and beholding Him where He lives. He has made every Christian His home, His Temple (Gk: Naos) (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19)! Accepting the reality that the Creator of the universe has chosen the Christian to be His home will cause profound adoration. The fundamental foundation of intimate prayer is that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21 NIV).
Touching the heart of God is not a reaching OUT to Him but rather a reaching IN, turning inward towards the Holy of Holies because the spirit, mind, and body of the Born-Again Christian is the "Naos" of God. When a person turns towards His inner dwelling place, they are confronted with the many layers of self that stand in the way of divine romance. This causes them to acknowledge those things that must be repented of and those who must be reconciled with before they can humbly approach God’s throne.
People don’t need some special place to pray or a list of objectives in which to petition the Lord. Prayer of the heart doesn’t need the exercise of human logic, intellect, and reason. The sweetness of His love defies understanding. The ultimate goal of prayer is to have intimate union and dialogue with the Triune God.
A. Unity
Prayer breaks walls down like no other activity. Matters of culture, tradition, doctrine, and even denominational disagreements take a back seat when a diverse group prays together. Holy Spirit led prayer brings us into the very presence of God, and when the experience of God's presence permeates a diverse group, a transcendent unity is often the result. It is a wonderful thing to experience the perspective shift that occurs when Born-Again Christians from different traditions experience Christ communally in prayer.
The early Church of Acts 2 was characterized by a wonderful unity in prayer.
Their daily experience was one of devotion "to the Apostles" teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42). Ephesians chapter 4 teaches that the unity and maturity of believers is the goal of ministry.
B. To Raise Up
Through prayer spiritual leaders are raised up "so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:12-13).
C. Finding Favor
Throughout the Scriptures there are many examples of individuals, peoples, and nations who sought the favor of the Lord through prayer and fasting.
Moses fasted and prayed for forty days on Mt. Sinai for the 10 Commandments and then again as he waited on God to appease the judgment that had fallen Israel as a result of their pride rebellion.
D. Spiritual Warfare
The foundation of spiritual warfare is prayer; breaking down strongholds and pulling up the roots of emotional and physical illness and disease.
Ephesians 6:18 tells us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Paul encourages men everywhere to "lift up holy hands in prayer." (1 Tim 2:8) Jesus lived a life of prayer, often retreating to pray before times of serious spiritual conflict or major decisions.
E. Pray Without Ceasing
God desires that Christians “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17 KJV). He wants us to be in embrace with Him at all times. Intimate prayer comes from the heart, not from the head. It is the Holy Spirit who searches the heart and teaches us how to pray.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Rom 8:26-27 NIV)
The Holy Spirit will show how to ask for all things according to the will of God. When a person moves into the realm of deep intimate communion they seek only to please and do His will. It will lead them to abandon all self-interests and cast off all selfish cares and concerns as they give up their whole being to Him. He wants them to be content with nothing else but Him alone. As they empty their self of worldly understanding, fears, and concerns, He progressively takes possession of those things, and their spirit feels the freedom and peaceful serenity that “transcends all understanding” (Phil 4:7 NIV).
When we come and place ourselves into His strong and loving arms, Jesus will give you the confidence to release those things that may be hindering your relationship with Him. You shouldn’t wait until you have ‘purified’ yourself. You will never see yourself as clean apart from Him. Self-examination should always precede prayer yet He desires to replace them as the examiner of your heart.
The “sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” (Mal 4:2 NIV) and focus like a laser beam on those areas that need to be dealt with. His love will hold you and give you the strength to endure the pain of spiritual surgery as He cuts out the cancerous tumors of self. Then, when you can “take refuge in the shelter” of His wings, He will make you “dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8; 61:4 NIV).”
