by Elisha Ann Wahlquist, 11/17/2005
Seeking God's Face. He commands it, but how many of us actually practice it? While the number of Christians who read His Word daily is small, the percentage of those who regularly speak to Him in prayer is smaller. Yet, as Jesus says in John 15:5-6, if we do not abide in Him, we are good for nothing, and are fit only to be cast into the fire to be burned! Drawing from the well of practical wisdom from prayer warriors who have gone before, as well as my own personal times in prayer, I present some nuggets in hopes that they will inspire, encourage, and help you in this vital area.
One of the first aspects of prayer should be praise, since it sets a proper tone of respect and thankfulness towards God in our prayer. It makes Him the focus-not our selfish desires or wants, which can crowd out the true meaning of prayer. God does not need our praise, but He commands it (in places like Ps. 22:23, Ps. 117:1, Heb. 13:15, and 1 Peter 2:9). It opens our mind to understand and know Him more fully. For example, as we extol Him for being the Alpha and Omega and focus on His eternality, we can gain glimpses into the awesomeness and unchanging wonder of Him who is "the beginning and the ending…. which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8)
While praise centers on who God is, thanksgiving is based on what He has done for us. It is often easiest to scatter thanksgiving through our prayers, as we remember petitions He has answered, protection He has given, etc. Some areas which we can thank God for would be His spiritual, physical, and material blessings to us. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul commands, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Not only does thanksgiving remind us of all the past blessings God has given us, but it also lifts our spirits, helping us to rejoice in all things.
An important aspect of prayer is confession. It cleanses our conscience of unconfessed sin, keeping open the channel of communication between God and us. In "The Hour That Changes The World," Dick Eastman says this about it:
"This brings to our attention an essential law of prayer: My prayer life will never rise above my personal life in Jesus Christ. If my personal life touches too much of the world, my prayer life suffers. The Psalmist put it succinctly, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66:18). According to Scripture there can be no effective prayer life where sin maintains its grip in the life of the believer. This is why confession is critical to our praying and should be implemented early in prayer."
Confession is a time where we not only ask forgiveness for the myriad of sins that we can think of "off the top of our head," but we also should ask God to bring to mind deeper, more hidden strongholds of bitterness, anger, selfishness, etc.
Intercession is reaching out to others through prayer, setting their needs before God. Through it, we can bless those whom we do not see, and minister to those we cannot be with physically. Often in Paul's writings, he reminds his readers to pray for him, and tells them that he is fervently praying on their behalf. Of intercession, John Calvin wrote, "Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden which we must lay upon God, but also because we are bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them."
After praying, I usually spend a minute or two in what I can best describe as "focused silence," simply waiting on God and concentrating on Him. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Is. 40:31) Strong's Concordance says that the word "wait" here is "qavah," which means "look patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon)." As we quietly pause in our own speaking and focus on God, He can direct or speak to us, as He desires. I find that when I do this, I come away from my prayer time refreshed.
In our busy schedule, it often seems impossible to "slip in" a quiet time of prayer. All of the prayer warriors I have consulted (both through books and in person) on this matter have agreed that if you do not set aside time for prayer, you will not find time for it on a regular, daily basis. I encourage you to think of a time when you have a few moments to yourself, and set aside perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, just to get a start on having a time alone with God. As you make it a habit, you may find you need more time-go for it! Some of the people I respect the most set aside an hour a day for prayer, and it has reaped immense blessings in their lives.
Let us toil on in prayer, 'til we can exclaim with David Brainerd, "Oh! One hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world."
