This is the year I’m determined to put prayer to the test. My New Year’s Resolution is to finally live in obedience to the command to “pray without ceasing.” Now I admit, I’ve never really thought about pushing the outer limits of prayer. But yet, there is this remarkable promise of Jesus:
“And WHATEVER you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14
When we know our greatest life purpose is to live for God’s glory, then all our prayers are with that perspective in mind. In other words, we’re not praying for our own worldly gain, we’re praying to change the eternity of people around us and for God to be glorified. When I think about the people I know who have not been born again—and I see their life hanging in the balance between heaven and hell—it makes me want to beseech God for the salvation of their soul. When I think about all the children who are being trafficked, the wars, the unhealthy addictions, the hate, the broken families, communities and nations—I want my prayers to be on target.
My friend, I want God to hear and answer my prayers, don’t you?
When the Lord first began challenging me about prayer a couple of years ago, I wrote the devotional “Which God am I praying to?” The message—am I praying to a “god” based on my own version of truth or am I praying to “THE GOD” of the Bible? MY “god” can’t do a thing for me. Whereas the God of heaven can move mountains! This meant that I needed to learn to confess and repent from my own way and seek God’s ways before I began to ask Him to answer prayers.
Repentance empowers our prayers because it draws us close to God AND it helps us to pray from HIS perspective instead of our own.
So the first part of my morning prayers are right out of God’s Word:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
I ask God to cleanse my mind, my thoughts and my actions, because the Bible says “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 And you know what?
When my heart is truly repentant—meaning I mourn my sin—I am in awe as God directs my prayers!
Like a guided missile, my prayers become precisely targeted. In fact, recently God awakened me within 30 minutes of when I went to sleep and made it clear I was to begin praying. The Spirit began placing the names of people in my mind to pray for, and as I asked Him what to pray, He gave me the words.
It was beautiful and powerful.
But after a couple of hours, I was tired. But God wasn’t done. It was almost like He was saying, “Look, you wanted to push prayer to the outer limits and now you’re tired???” Right. I prayed until sometime after 0200. The last thing I remember is saying, “give me energy for tomorrow.” The next day I was in the Denver airport to fly home and the flight was delayed over two hours—placing me home after midnight. That three hours of sleep would’ve never been enough but for the power of God! It was yet another answered prayer.
The thing about prayer I’m learning is that God is Holy. We cannot come to Him and expect Him to answer our prayers while we’re planning to think, talk, watch, or commit sin. Whether it’s pornography or gluttony; sins of omission—like not praying, gossiping or cheating—sin is sin and God is holy. We must engage the attitudes of Christ and let Him purify our desires and thus, guide our prayers.
Then…God’s ears are wide open!
The Bible confirms this:
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
1 Peter 3:8-12
I’m awestruck with wonder at the miracles I see God doing in answer to my prayers. One of the greatest is He is guiding my prayers because I desire His will. I desire His way; I desire His wisdom; and I desire to have the attitudes of Christ. I only desire these things because I’ve asked God to help me desire righteousness more than I desire sin.
Without God’s help, we won’t win the battle against our enemies.
There is nothing as remarkable as knowing the eyes of God are on me and His ears are open to my prayers. And—there is nothing worse than failing to sense His presence and feel as if I’m praying to the wall. It is a foretaste of hell.
My friend, God is waiting to answer your prayers. Will you take Him up on the offer to put the absolute power of His throne to work for His glory?
