Our Lifeline

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” (Samuel Chadwick)

Why is prayer such a struggle for the majority of Christians? Perhaps it is because prayer is our lifeline. Without prayer the Word of God will just be dry and boring. Without prayer you cannot experience the presence of God. Prayer...moves us to do what we cannot achieve in our own strength. It helps us to see what God sees, accomplish what He wills us to do, defeat the enemy, and change the world for Jesus Christ. (just thinking about it gets me excited!) 

In Matthew 26:36-45, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray but His faithful followers could not even stay awake to pray an hour with the Lord. "Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!" (Matthew 26:40,41)

Hour of Prayer

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Many Christians find it hard to pray five minutes let alone one hour. Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the topics mentioned in the prayer wheel. Here is an overview of each aspect of prayer we will be covering: 

1. Praise: “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee” (Psalm 63:3, KJV). You will discover that praise is a mighty weapon in the arena of prayer. Praise has a way of magnifying God and humbling us in the process.

2. Waiting: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV). After praising God you should wait silently in His presence. Experiencing God’s presence takes time and undivided attention. During this waiting time you can continue meditating on who God is.

3. Confession: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23 KJV). God already knows the struggles of your heart. Nothing is hidden from His sight. Our human nature is such that we are often blind to the true condition of our heart. Ask God to search your heart and reveal anything that you need to confess to Him or other people in your life.

4. Scripture Praying: “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29 KJV). Use Scripture and turn them into personalized prayers back to God. The most powerful prayers are found in praying the Word of God. His Word is sharper than any two-edged sword!

5. Watching: “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart” (Colossians 4:2 NLT). Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray. Be alert to His promptings for we cannot pray apart from the Holy Spirit. “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Romans 8:26 KJV).

6. Intercession: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 KJV). During this time pray for your family, friends, Church, government, and other nations.

7. Petition: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7 KJV). Take your needs before the Lord. He delights in hearing your request and providing for your needs. Keep a journal on answers to prayer.

8. Thanksgiving: “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT). Give thanks in ALL things. A grateful heart is one who sees all circumstance with an eternal perspective. In light of eternity we can be thankful in all things.

9. Singing: “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2 KJV). Praise is not only a weapon of defense but also a tool that unites us to God. When we worship God we are fulfilling the purpose of our very existence, to glorify HIM!

10. Meditating: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8 KJV). Pick a passage of scripture to meditate on. Before reading through it, ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to understand the truth of God’s Word.

11. Listening: “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2 KJV). Can you imagine if someone did all the talking and you never got a word in edgewise? A deep relationship requires communication on both ends. Listen to God when you pray. He wants to reveal His heart for you!

12. Praise: End your hour with praise. We come into His presence with praise and we continue throughout our day in a spirit of praise!