The Life of Prayer
A direct conversation with the Creator of the universe.
The Beautiful Invitation of Prayer
Prayer is often viewed simply as a means to get things for ourselves, but the true, beautiful, and biblical idea of prayer is that we may get to intimately know God Himself. It is the magnificent way the life of the Son of God is nourished within our own hearts. When we pray, we are not trying to overcome God's reluctance or merely listing our demands; rather, we are stepping into perfect and complete oneness with our Heavenly Father.
By entering into the secret place and shutting the door on worldly distractions, we find God there waiting for us with open arms. He sees us from this secret place and invites us into an incredibly profound, undisturbed relationship with Him where peace overflows. Prayer is an expression of our total reliance on His resurrection life, allowing us to refer everything back to Him with unutterable trust and joy.
It is wonderfully true that prayer changes situations, but more importantly, prayer changes us, and then we change things. As we pray on the basis of Christ's perfect redemption, God works miracles in our own disposition, filling us with peace and aligning our hearts perfectly with His will.
When we come to God, we are given the incredible privilege of praying directly to the Father in the mighty name of Jesus. We do not have to rely on our own human worthiness. Because of the finished work of the cross, we can approach God boldly, using the absolute authority of Jesus' name.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
How God Speaks to Our Spirit
Because God is a Spirit, when He communicates with us, He communicates directly spirit to spirit. He does not merely communicate with our human intellect or our physical senses; instead, He speaks to the deepest, most eternal part of who we are. The Bible tells us that the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, meaning that when God brings illumination, guidance, and revelation, He does it right within our reborn spirit.
The voice of the Holy Spirit rarely comes as a booming shout; it often comes as a gentle, still, small voice that brings immense comfort. In the midst of our busy, noisy lives, God invites us to be quiet and wait for the loving direction of His presence. As we spend time meditating on His Word, the Holy Spirit teaches us, witnesses to us, and confirms His truth within us, bringing a deep inner knowing and unshakable peace.
The Holy Spirit as Our Helper
God has given us a magnificent gift to help us when we feel overwhelmed or do not know how to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit Himself helps our weaknesses and makes intercession for us. When a believer speaks in an unknown tongue, they are not speaking to men, but directly to God, speaking divine mysteries in the Spirit.
This beautiful gift acts as a spiritual bypass operation, moving past our natural, limited minds and allowing our spirit, aided by the Holy Spirit, to pray perfectly according to the exact will of God. When we pray in the Spirit, we edify and build ourselves up in our most holy faith, essentially charging our spiritual batteries with heavenly power. It brings immense refreshment to the weary soul and prepares us to walk victoriously in every situation we face.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Walking in Constant Communion
We are called to live a life of constant, joyful communion with our Creator. The Bible encourages us to "pray without ceasing," which simply means keeping a childlike habit of prayer in our hearts all the time. We do not need to wait for a massive crisis to speak to our Heavenly Father; we can invite Him into every single detail of our daily lives, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
As born-again believers, eternally secure and unconditionally loved, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling permanently inside of us. We can rest in the absolute, irrepressible assurance that God always hears us when we call. By maintaining an open, listening heart and yielding to the gentle leadings of the Holy Spirit, our lives become an inspiring, beautifully unaffected reflection of Jesus Christ to the world around us.