Praying in the Right Spirit!
Some years ago, I had a weekly prayer time at my home Church. Every Thursday, we meet in the sanctuary, talked for a few minutes, shared prayer request and I would have a printout of the Church prayer list. I would share a minute or two of devotionals, with a verse or two on prayer. Then we would get started.
We had the lights dimmed and soft music playing over the sound system. We would have a time to cleans ourselves before God. Then we would go where we were comfortable and kneel at the altar, sit in a pew or, as I would do at times, go to my Sunday School classroom and pray there for a while.
After our prayer time apart, we would then group back up and say a closing praise prayer. Those praise prayer times were always my favorite.
Some weeks there would be as many as 20 to 30 people show up for prayer. Some week it was just me. Either way, seeking God’s face corporately was a regular routine for my Thursday night for many years. I enjoyed those time and truly miss them.
One such night, we had a man named Adrian show up for the prayer time for the first time. He and his wife had joined our congregation a few weeks before. We went through the process of sharing the prayer request, and then the time for our prayer of petition came, calling out to God for the request made by our Church family and the request made that night.
I went to my Sunday Schoolroom that night and was feeling rather good about myself, and my prayer went something like this; “Father God, thank you for putting the burden in my heart to do these prayer nights, thank you for helping me to be the Christian, you want me to be.” And then I went on to tell God something like, how lucky he was to have me do all that I did for Him and the Church. I told Him that I don’t know who in the Church that would do all that I do. Again, I let him know just how great I was serving Him and the great team that we made together.
And then, if you read much of my writings you will see that I really love conjunctions, it means the story is not over and is about to take a change, and it was. And then, as I came back up into the Church sanctuary, I eased down the side aisle there were a few people in the pews praying, and the rest were in the front at the altar. I have places that like to pray, one of my favorite spots in that Church is in front of the piano box, next to what we called the “amen corner”. As I eased up to my spot, I sat in the back short pew in the “amen corner”. And God showed up in a big way!
As I was setting there, the reason for the music playing was, so you wouldn’t be distracted by the others praying, the same for the dimmed lights. But, as I sat there, I could hear Adrian praying, I wasn’t trying to hear him, I just could overhear him in the Throne Room of Grace. He was crying out to God humbly and sincerely for the people on the prayer list. As he called each name, you could hear the empathy in his voice. He was truly seeking God to intervene for each and every name on that page. As he was wiping his tears I could feel the very presence of Mighty God, and in my spirit, He broke me that night and, it changed forever the way I pray.
God put in my heart these verses from Luke’s gospel;
Luke 18:9-14 (NKJV)
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
I was the Pharisee in that story, I was telling God how great I was, and He let me know that the Glory always goes to God and God alone. I then knelt down in my spot and cried out to God to forgive me, and I thanked him for Adrian being there. He was praying for people that he didn’t even know, but he stilled prayed. He was taken the burden for people that he never met and probably never did meet, but he hurt for them, and felt their need. Furthermore, he didn’t know I could hear him; he wasn’t praying loud or for attention. He was really praying softly; I just hear extremely well. He was just seeking God’s face to intervene, and I believe God did.
As I knelt there that night, a broken man weeping and begging for God to remove the heart of a Pharisee and give me the heart of a saved sinner that was hell bound and redeemed by His very grace and love. I asked my heavenly Father to let me see Calvary’s cross again and to remind me why I was there. And He did, God reminded me that night that the reason we had those prayer meetings, was not for me but for all of those that were on the list. To intercede for others that were not there or not able to be there. To ask for healing for those that need it, for financial help, for people to come back to the Love of God, and most importantly for souls to be saved, and lives to be changed for good for all eternity.
As I have stated in my book “Something to Ponder” my relationship with God grew closer and closer over the years. I went from being afraid to pray and enter Mighty God’s presence, to saying and accepting God as my Father, my Abba Father. The one that adopted me into his family, when I accepted Jesus’ forgiveness. So, I now can boldly and humbly, at the same time, come into that Throne Room of Grace and say Abba, Father.
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, defines ABBA [AB ah] as (father) – an Aramaic word which corresponds to our “Daddy” or “Papa.” It is found three times in the New Testament: in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father” (Mark 14:36);
Mark 14:36 (NKJV)
And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
the apostle Paul linked the Christian’s cry of “Abba, Father” with the “Spirit of adoption” (Rom 8:15);
Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
and, again, Paul writes,
Galatians 4:4-7 (NKJV)
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’“.
What a blessed privilege it is to be given the right to call the great Creator, “Our Father”! or our Daddy God!!!
Pray from the heart, Pray in the Spirit, Pray without ceasing and as Tony Evans said recently, “Pray when you feel like it. But also Pray when you don’t.”
Just PRAY
Pray = [prā] address a solemn request or expression of thanks to God the object of worship:
