Post #8: Know the Father

Prayer. "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19.

Prayer is the most essential part of any Christian life. It should come as no surprise that I make this claim, when you look at the life of Jesus, and how many times he withdrew to a solitary place, or fasted and prayed and spent time speaking to his Heavenly Father.

There are several Bible stories about Jesus extracting himself and praying. Luke 5:16 says “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

 

Jewish Rabbis were known for having their own unique prayers, practices, and ways, and like any Rabbi’s followers, Jesus’ disciples wanted to follow Him in all his ways.  His followers were more than just admiring fans. They wanted to mimic everything he did.  As John Mark Comer puts it, “a better way to describe this relationship is: life apprenticeship.” When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, this was big for them. They wanted to know exactly the words and practices He used. Matthew chapter 7 records Jesus’ words on prayer and fasting, including what the Christian church calls “The Lord’s Prayer.”

 

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.

 

 

One way to view prayer is that it is just the name we give for simple communication with God or requests of God. A prayer does not have to be formal. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Many of my prayers are just a normal part of my thought process throughout the day, such as, “Jesus help me have more patience right now” or “Holy Spirit, give the right words to say” or “protect my family” or “thank you for this moment…!” 

 

Sometimes I just find myself repeating Jesus’ name over and again, or saying, “Jesus I love you.” It helps center my mind, calm me down, and focus my heart. Sometimes before I even get out of bed, I ask for His presence to fill my mind and my heart. 

I believe that Jesus spent so much time in prayer and meditation with His Heavenly Father that He was in constant 2-way communication with the Father within His Spirit – speaking, listening, acting.  I believe this is what Paul meant by, “pray continually” (or “without ceasing” as some translations put it).

 

When we pray, we can follow an outline, pray through the prayer Jesus taught, or just speak to Him in any way you want. 

 

As I read through the Lord’s Prayer, a model for us to follow, I see a pattern that I think is a good outline to follow in prayer, when you have time to really spend in quiet conversation with your Savior (and I recommend you set aside time for this on a regular basis).  Here’s what I’ve come up with:

 

Acknowledge

Align

Admit

Ask

Act

 

 

1. Acknowledge who God is:  Creator, love, all-powerful, good, worthy of our praise, etc.  Just praise Him for all He is, all he has done for you. Worship. Sometimes some good Christian worship music helps me during this time, to set my mind right and help me focus on the goodness of God. 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name

 

 

2. Align myself with God. In John 17 Jesus prayed for us.  He prayed that we may be One, just as He and the Heavenly Father are One.  Ask God to restore your unity with Him.  Ask him to help you focus on being aligned with His will – what’s He up to today and what does he want to do in you and through you this day? 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

 

 

3. Admit you are in need of Him for your life and salvation.  If you have sins that come to mind: confess, repent, and ask forgiveness.  Receive His forgiveness.  Give forgiveness, to yourself and to others. If He makes you aware of other people or relationships that need healing or forgiveness, make sure to make those situations right. 

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors

 

 

4. Ask for what you need. Don’t hold back. He wants you to ask for what you need.  Matthew 7 says, “if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask?”  The Bible says, “He is near to the broken-hearted” (Psalm 34:18), and “His ears are attentive to the cries of His people” (Psalm 34:15).  Jesus said, “…for your heavenly father knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:8).”

Give us today our daily bread

 

 

5. Act on what He is telling you.  If you don’t feel like you are hearing anything specific – that’s okay.  God is spirit and He speaks to your spirit.  This is non-normal to our physical minds and bodies, and therefore it needs to be learned. Prepare your heart to follow and respond in obedience if/when you feel His leading throughout your day. Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Prepare for the inevitable assault that the devil will make to attack you throughout your day.  ‘Brief the threats’ and prepare your heart for the unexpected.  Bring yourself back to acknowledging the power and goodness of God above all else.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

 

 

As we learn to pray, and if begin to be more intentional about time spent in prayer, it’s important to develop a time of listening. This requires time, solitude and quietness. Meditation. It takes time to learn to quiet your mind of all distractions and cares of this world. But it’s a practice that can bring us closer to God than you ever thought possible. We are conditioned, in this modern world of cell phones and instant gratification, to never allow ourselves to be still and quiet. Just look around the airport and count how many people are just sitting and relaxing, looking out a window, or even reading a book?  Many times you won’t find 1 out of 100 that are not scrolling through their phones. This cell-phone driven life is designed to keep us distracted and moving – a life that can prevent us from hearing from the Holy Spirit. A life that is opposite to how Jesus practiced life. He needed time alone to pray to His father. And so do we. Most people don’t really believe that hearing from God is possible, and therefore never go beyond a shallow, unremarkable understanding of their relationship with the Heavenly Father. If you believe that God is a relational being that wants communion with you, then you have to believe that he wants to speak to you. I know of no other type of relationship that works without healthy, regular, 2-way communication. I want to learn more about this, and I want to hear from God on a regular basis. Deep stuff here. Next level.

 

So how do we develop a regular, meaningful prayer-life? 

Solitude and quiet are essential ingredients.  Here are some other practices that I have found helpful.

An outline similar to the five A’s I shared above is a tool to get started. I also find it helpful to use notes, or written prayers to help guide my mind and limit distractions when praying. I’m happy to share mine with you, if you want an example. But I also encourage you, at some point, to make your own.

 

Another good practice is to write and journal. Just start writing to God, and see where it goes.  This can be very helpful on certain days.

 

Pray scripture. As you read through the Bible, take hold of and claim the promises you read.  For example:  Heavenly Father, I am feeling like I need your peace over my life today. As I wrestle with all I have to do today, I ask for “peace with you God, through Jesus, by whom we have gained access by faith into the grace in which I stand” (Romans 5:1-2).  I ask for peace in my mind, that I would be “anxious for nothing, but by prayer with thanksgiving, I am presenting my requests to You.” I ask for the peace of God over my life – a “peace that transcends all understanding, to guard my heart and mind” (Philippians 4:6-7).  God, I ask for peace about my future.  I remember what you said:  You came to earth “that we may have peace.  In this world we will have trouble, but I will take heart!  You have overcome the world” (John 16:33)!  I trust that you will guide me and take care of my future.  Proverbs 3:5 says, “trust in the Lord with all your heard, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge him, and He will direct your paths.”  Jesus, I ask for your direction and guidance in my life.

 

 

I encourage you to be intentional about the practice of prayer. Make it personal and meaningful, and not what you hear or see from others. But also, just spend time with your Father. Just talk to Him.  As we learn more and more about how to commune with Him, will we more and more understand about what Jesus meant when he prayed for us (in John 17), that we may be one with the Father, just as He is One with the Father. So dive in, wherever you’re at and open your heart to His leading. Intimacy with the Father is the goal.  Beyond knowledge about Him, beyond faith in Him. Oneness.

 

I will leave you with this prayer as a blessing and encouragement (from Jude 1:20-21).

I pray that you will continue to build yourselves up in your faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in God’s love, as you wait for the mercy of God to bring you into eternal life.