Whatever your view point on prayer is, we should all agree that prayer is a necessary component in a Christian’s life if they are going to grow in Christ.
Doctrinally speaking…
There are three basic fundamentals to Christian living. As a child of God, you will not grow in God’s grace without these three fundamentals actively working in your life.
Church will give you a measure of growth. Weekly services will give you a measure of growth. However, if your life lacks these three fundamentals, then your growth will be greatly hindered if existent at all.
The first fundamental is the word of God. Without the word of God active in your life, you can not grow beyond the maturity level of a babe in Christ.
The second fundamental is fasting. Fasting is a way for us to crucify our flesh so that the desires and lusts of our flesh will pass away and God’s nature can be revealed in a greater light through us.
The third fundamental is of course, prayer.
But……
Before we discuss what prayer is, let us examine what prayer is not.
Prayer is not twisting God’s arm.
We do not pray to get God to do what we want him to do. It is ok to go to God with supplications and prayer requests, asking God to move in your life, but we do not go to God for the purpose of persuading him to act.
You don’t have to persuade God.
Who is sly enough in negotiating that they can be successful in persuading God? He knows every thought you think. Every word you say before you even say it. He knows the desires, the motivations, and the intentions of your heart.
Persuade – to prevail on someone to do something. To induce to believe, to convince.
Who can convince God of something? He already knows everything! Who can prevail on him and induce him to believe what they want him to believe? No one can.
Paul asked the question, “For do I now persuade men or God?” (Galatians 1:10).
Later, this same apostles declares
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Prayer does not give us the ability to persuade and twist God’s arm. Rather, prayer persuades us that God’s promises are yea and amen!
Prayer persuades us that God’s truth is real. It persuades us that God’s spirit is real. Prayer persuades us, and brings us in line with God’s way of thinking.
Not the other way around.
Prayer is not winning brownie points
Prayer is not a mechanical process whereby we earn favors from God. Rather it is a way of communicating with God and maintaining our relationship with him.
You don’t win brownie points by praying. Some people approach praying as a points system. For every hour you pray, you rack up points in heaven. If you pray thirty minutes, you rack up lesser points, but points none the less.
I’ve talked to people who sincerely believe God is obligated to do what they want him to do because they have been faithful in prayer. They act as if their time in prayer has been storing up brownie points for when they need to cash in on a divine favor.
God will always respond to prayer. I believe God will be swift to answer the prayers of a faithful saint. However, praying does not win us brownie points.
This isn’t Chuck-E-Cheese; we don’t win tickets that we can cash in later. Prayer allows us to build a consistent relationship with God; a relationship through which God will move and God will respond. However, prayer does not win us points that we can use to purchase power from God.
Prayer is not working to convince God to do what you want him to do.
I’ve often heard people in the prayer room begging God to move for them. I’ve heard people at the altar begging God to fill them with the Holy Ghost.
I’ve heard people begging God to heal their loved ones, save their children, touch a need, and respond to their voice.
We do not have to beg God.
God is not some obstinate deity sitting on a celestial throne saying, “C’mon, let me hear you beg.”
When we pray we should approach God in faith, believing that he rewards those that diligently seek him.
To beg God for something shows a lack of faith. We are working hard to convince him to do what we want him to do because we don’t believe he will do it without our convincing him.
Another reason people tend to beg God is because their prayer life, and general walk with God, is weak and they feel that God may be upset with them, or that they don’t have the influence they need with God.
So, if you find yourself begging God to move,
stop and evaluate why you are working to convince God to do something. Is it because your walk with God is weak at that time? If so, repent for the lack of faithfulness and believe God is still as willing and able to meet your need as ever.
If you are working to convince God because your faith is low, pray for faith and believe that God will hear you because you prayed.
Prayer is not just communication.
Prayer is not your daily “tag in” with God. It’s fine to talk to God about what has happened during your day, your week, this year, etc.
However, prayer is not where you come to God and give a report of what happened today.
It is so much more than that.
Doctrinally speaking…
There are three basic fundamentals to Christian living. As a child of God, you will not grow in God’s grace without these three fundamentals actively working in your life.
Church will give you a measure of growth. Weekly services will give you a measure of growth. However, if your life lacks these three fundamentals, then your growth will be greatly hindered if existent at all.
The first fundamental is the word of God. Without the word of God active in your life, you can not grow beyond the maturity level of a babe in Christ.
The second fundamental is fasting. Fasting is a way for us to crucify our flesh so that the desires and lusts of our flesh will pass away and God’s nature can be revealed in a greater light through us.
The third fundamental is of course, prayer.
But……
Before we discuss what prayer is, let us examine what prayer is not.
Prayer is not twisting God’s arm.
We do not pray to get God to do what we want him to do. It is ok to go to God with supplications and prayer requests, asking God to move in your life, but we do not go to God for the purpose of persuading him to act.
You don’t have to persuade God.
Who is sly enough in negotiating that they can be successful in persuading God? He knows every thought you think. Every word you say before you even say it. He knows the desires, the motivations, and the intentions of your heart.
Persuade – to prevail on someone to do something. To induce to believe, to convince.
Who can convince God of something? He already knows everything! Who can prevail on him and induce him to believe what they want him to believe? No one can.
Paul asked the question, “For do I now persuade men or God?” (Galatians 1:10).
Later, this same apostles declares
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Prayer does not give us the ability to persuade and twist God’s arm. Rather, prayer persuades us that God’s promises are yea and amen!
Prayer persuades us that God’s truth is real. It persuades us that God’s spirit is real. Prayer persuades us, and brings us in line with God’s way of thinking.
Not the other way around.
Prayer is not winning brownie points
Prayer is not a mechanical process whereby we earn favors from God. Rather it is a way of communicating with God and maintaining our relationship with him.
You don’t win brownie points by praying. Some people approach praying as a points system. For every hour you pray, you rack up points in heaven. If you pray thirty minutes, you rack up lesser points, but points none the less.
I’ve talked to people who sincerely believe God is obligated to do what they want him to do because they have been faithful in prayer. They act as if their time in prayer has been storing up brownie points for when they need to cash in on a divine favor.
God will always respond to prayer. I believe God will be swift to answer the prayers of a faithful saint. However, praying does not win us brownie points.
This isn’t Chuck-E-Cheese; we don’t win tickets that we can cash in later. Prayer allows us to build a consistent relationship with God; a relationship through which God will move and God will respond. However, prayer does not win us points that we can use to purchase power from God.
Prayer is not working to convince God to do what you want him to do.
I’ve often heard people in the prayer room begging God to move for them. I’ve heard people at the altar begging God to fill them with the Holy Ghost.
I’ve heard people begging God to heal their loved ones, save their children, touch a need, and respond to their voice.
We do not have to beg God.
God is not some obstinate deity sitting on a celestial throne saying, “C’mon, let me hear you beg.”
When we pray we should approach God in faith, believing that he rewards those that diligently seek him.
To beg God for something shows a lack of faith. We are working hard to convince him to do what we want him to do because we don’t believe he will do it without our convincing him.
Another reason people tend to beg God is because their prayer life, and general walk with God, is weak and they feel that God may be upset with them, or that they don’t have the influence they need with God.
So, if you find yourself begging God to move,
stop and evaluate why you are working to convince God to do something. Is it because your walk with God is weak at that time? If so, repent for the lack of faithfulness and believe God is still as willing and able to meet your need as ever.
If you are working to convince God because your faith is low, pray for faith and believe that God will hear you because you prayed.
Prayer is not just communication.
Prayer is not your daily “tag in” with God. It’s fine to talk to God about what has happened during your day, your week, this year, etc.
However, prayer is not where you come to God and give a report of what happened today.
It is so much more than that.
It is the intimate communication between a God and his people. It is the loving conversation between a father and his child.
It is our opportunity to bring God into our lives, and it is God’s opportunity to bring us into his heart.
To be continued…. Part II – What prayer is.
It is our opportunity to bring God into our lives, and it is God’s opportunity to bring us into his heart.
To be continued…. Part II – What prayer is.
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