prayer

I realized that recently I’ve talked a lot about prayer. Today I want to share with y’all some things that I have been learning about prayer & asking the Lord for lately.

Praying scripture is so important !!

Jesus taught us exactly how to pray in Matthew 6. By praying scripture, we are exercising faith as we trust Him to do as He has promised. Throughout the Bible, He promises to give to us generously if only we would ask. One HUGE aspect of prayer is magnifying Him. We do this by praising Him, humbling acknowledging our inabilities, and asking Him for things we need, not selfishly, but because without His provision I am helpless. There is nothing I have done or can do to become worthy of His presence in my life.

God is not a genie

Prayer is not just asking Him to confirm your ideas and bless your efforts. God is a Good Father who gives everything out of grace. A lot of times, we publicly declare “I’ve given my troubles to God,” while in private we are whispering expectations and making deals with the Lord. For example, how many of us have said, “Lord if you ________, THEN I’ll _______ (fill in the blanks) ??

I think of three women in the Bible:: Hannah, Elizabeth, & Mary. Each women was granted a son by the Lord. Mary was a virgin, Elizabeth was elderly, and Hannah struggled with infertility, but the Lord had big plans for these women, plans that could not be hindered by their circumstances. His will ALWAYS prevails over ours. In Ephesians 3:20, we are told that the Lord can do exceedingly more than all we ask or imagine. These women were shocked to hear that they would bear a son, but they did not question the Lord. He had done exceedingly more than they had prayed, and thank God for it. He didn’t just give them sons, He gave them incredible children who lived extraordinary lives (Jesus, John the Baptist, & Samuel).

Here's a couple of questions to think meditate on::

1. What bold prayers are YOU praying ??

2. Are you expecting Him to do things greater than what you can imagine ??

3. Do you believe that He is capable of accomplishing the impossible through your life ??

4. What if, like these women, you chose to submit completely to His will and His timing ??

5. What if, instead of expecting your requests to be met, you prayed anticipating the revelation of His will ??

I need your grace

Without it, I’m incapable of discovering my purpose.

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

I need your guidance

Without it, I’m lost.

Isaiah 30:21 “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

I need your love

Without it, I’m constantly striving for earthly approval.

Ephesians 3:16-19 “… that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.”

I need the wisdom you offer

Without it, I’ll live foolishly & unintentionally.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

I need you to push me beyond what is comfortable

Without it, my spiritual reach is limited.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I need your peace which surpasses all understanding

Without it, I’ll live in fear & anxiety.

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I need you to open my eyes, ears, mind, & heart

Without it, spiritual growth isn’t possible.

Ephesians 1:18-19 “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”

I need to draw nearer to you

Without it, I can’t fully know the Lord.

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

I need your strength

Without it, I am weak

Nehemiah 8:10 “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”