This is The Way – Devo Day 32

The Discipline of Prayer

Prayer is a vital and unique relational dimension of the Christian faith. God created us to enjoy a personal relationship with Him, and prayer is that personal dialogue with the living God. Seen from a Biblical perspective, prayer is a privileged opportunity, not a duty to discharge. Prayer is the meeting place where we draw close to God, to be with Him, to enjoy Him, to receive from Him, to release our burdens and fears, and to be honest and forthright with Him. As with any trusted intimate relationship, it’s all about knowing and being known, bound by mutual love. It was Jesus’ work on the cross that has reconciled us to the Father and made that kind of relationship possible for us.

11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Ephesians 3:11–12 (ESV)

Jesus’ examples of prayer

A few days ago when we were talking about the discipline of solitude, we noticed that when Jesus went off to pray, it wasn’t to be alone. It was to be alone with His Father. Before His incarnation, Jesus enjoyed an intimate relationship within the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). But when He took on human flesh that relationship changed and He beautifully modeled how humans can relate and communicate with God. We don’t see a lot of prayer activity by the disciples until the upper-room in Acts 1:14 but we find Jesus often going off to pray:

• Prayer early in the morning (Mark 1:35)
• Prayer in the evening (Mark 6:46-47)
• Prayer alone with God (Luke 5:16)
• Prayer all night (Luke 6:12)
• Prayer with the disciples (Luke 9:18)

Prayer is Expected

Our relationship with God, like human relationships, grows with increasing and deepening conversation. God expects us to pray because for us to know Him and His will, we must pray. We can only realize our full potential being in right relationship with God and that requires prayer, lots of prayers. Paul in his letter to the Colossians said, “Devote yourselves to prayer.”

Jesus often went off alone to be with His Father (pray) and if Jesus needed to pray how much more dependent should we be? Listen as Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, it is clear that He expected them to pray:

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this:

Matthew 6:5–9a (ESV)

The Mechanics of Prayer

• When – Find a dedicated slot of time in your day. For many first-thing in their morning routine works best but what’s most important is that you consistently keep it. Set your heart to pursue the person, presence, and mind of Christ by spending regular time with Him.
• Where – Solitude always helps us focus on God and not be interrupted or distracted. “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
• Frequency – In addition to regularly scheduled times alone with God we are also called to take our conversation with Him into our daily lives. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
• Attitude – Be humble. Don’t become so familiar that you lose sight of who you are talking to. (Job 38:1 – 40:2)
• Desire – Seek God wholeheartedly (Jerimiah 29:13)
• All types – Confession, Adoration, Thanksgiving, Supplication, and in the Spirit – “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:18a (ESV))
• Pray Scripture – By personalizing passages of Scripture and offering them back to God in prayer, you integrate them into your heart and mind.
• Listen – don’t do all the talking. Practices times of silence before the Lord so that you can hear His voice and sense His Spirit’s promptings.

Pray Expectantly

Much of the problem that some Christians have with prayer is their lack of expectancy. If you don’t expect an answer then the obvious question is, “Why bother praying?” First off, we must reframe our thinking about prayer, from a religious duty or a divine command, instead, to see it as a royal invitation to speak with the King.

The significance of prayer is not in what we are asking for, but the one we are talking with. We should come as a child to their benevolent, loving father filled with expectation. The expectation for the supernatural – things only God can do. We need to truly believe that God answers prayer for us to be able to truly pray.

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7–11 (ESV)

Prayer Changes You

One of the extra benefits of our communication with God is that prayer changes us. As we pray and invite God into all the dimensions of our life, His Spirit transforms our thinking, reshapes our heart, and ignites our soul. We become more and more Christ-like. You’ll find that as you pray for loved ones, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and even enemies (Matthew 5:44) your feelings and thinking concerning them changes. Compassion, understanding, patience, and even love might bloom where nothing or worse was before. As our relationship with God grows we benefit from His perspective and our heart begins to beat in sync with His. Prayer changes how we see and respond to things and people in our lives.

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. – This is The Way

Colossians 1:9–12 (ESV)

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Do you have a regular prayer / devotional time with God? What benefit has it been? Has it changed over time?
2. If you don’t have a regular prayer time and would like to start one, what would have to be re-prioritized? Where would it fit in your schedule?
3. Do you think prayer is an obligation or an opportunity? Do you need to change your thinking?
4. Do you expect God to answer your prayers? If yes, what has He done? What miracles? If not, why not and how could you change that expectation?

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