In the Christian world today we are doing a lot of praying, but not much is happening. Prayer is so much more than speaking words and people agreeing with them. Even the religious folks in Jesus’ day did a lot of praying. In Matthew Jesus chided the religious folks of His day, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:5-6) So the religious folks have their reward with them to be “seen of men” and of course their prayers. Seems like we like to get a big crowd of folks to join in with what we feel God wants us to do, but that is not what Jesus said to do. Jesus said, “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;” The real prayer God hears is done in secret where no one sees the tears and heartache. Where no religious works get the glory, just us and God.
I have always wondered why Jesus did not teach His disciples to pray before John the Baptist taught his disciples. In Luke we read, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1) Maybe Jesus’ disciples were not ready for prayer. We seem to jump into spiritual things before we are ready. Maybe this too is why John the Baptist got off track and never joined Jesus in His ministry.
Now the Scriptures exhort us to pray for all men and for those in authority 1 Timothy 2:1-2, so “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Wow we are to pray for them which will affect us. And in James 5:16 we read, “Confess your faults (Strong’s #G3900, sin, trespass, offense) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed (Strong’s #G2390, make whole). The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) Take heed to yourself here please DO NOT stand up in the congregation and confess your faults if you do, well you may just have made some enemies. I have seen this play out in many churches. What James was saying here is if we have wronged (or caused fault) with a brother or sister we are to go to them and confess our fault then we can be healed. And then “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” If there is anger, strife, bitterness in our heart our words may reach the roof and that is about all. But let us not miss the point here who are we to pray for? All men? Maybe. There have been some people God told me not to pray for. He said, “I got them.” But for sure we are to pray first for the folks in our personal lives, then authorities, and then maybe others. I was not there, but I doubt Paul carried prayer requests from Corinth to Jerusalem and around on his journeys. As we seek forgiveness with our friends and family we too pray for our close friends and acquaintances first (those people we know) then maybe others.
Here is a list (in no certain order, but how God gave it to me) of some maxims I would like to share in this article in hopes to turn around the minds and thinking of some to what real prayer is. You might ask what is a maxim? Well a maxim is an expression of truth or spiritual principle. The Scriptures are the greatest example of maxims.
Real prayer is not outcome based. For example if we get well after we pray or get a job then God must have heard our prayer, but if we get worse well God must not have heard our prayer. Then why do we pray? Because God in His word told us to. We pray out of our obedience to God and His word and that is it. Not to see miracles so we believe the more, or so that we get healed, get money, or whatever, etc. The why always gets into our motives and reasons. Prayer must be birthed out of obedience (and Him alone) and must be of the Spirit of God both of which are never outcome based. We leave the results up to a Holy God, for His glory, no matter our belief or feelings. You know when I stopped praying for myself so much I found out I had more time to pray for my family and others. What God will do or not is not ours to know, but ours is to do what God wants us to do. And like all things in God time will tell.
Real prayer is not number dependent. Many people praying does not move God’s heart, but humility and humbleness always does. In most stories in the Bible and in most cases I have seen in my life numbers of people only add to more confusion and delay. Again Jesus said for us to get alone with Him in our closet and shut the door not get a gaggle of people to join in. This too gets to our motivation as to why we do things for God. When you think of it our motives in God is the test for us why we do things for Him. I was always amazed that Jesus really did not pray (like we do today) for people, He just healed them. How many people can you get in your prayer closet?
Real prayer must be of the Spirit of God. How can our prayers be answered if God by His Spirit is not involved? If the Spirit is not involved with what we are doing then we are not praying. We are just mouthing words. God took me to India to teach me, ” . . . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6) You know some of my best prayers had no words. Paul tells us in Romans, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26) It is the Spirit that maketh intercession for us not us. If the Spirit is not involved then we are speaking into the wind. When was the last time you have allowed the Spirit of God to groan through you in prayer?
Real prayer is direct to the Father. ALL real prayer must be directed to the Father. Jesus taught His disciples this and us if we have a real heart for real prayer. In Matthew Jesus said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) Not repeat these words in prayer. All prayer must be addressed to the Father which is the biggest translation (of the six different translations) of the word “prayer” in the Scriptures. We must directly address our words to the Father. We cannot pray to or though a Saint (if we do it is idolatry) no matter how much my Catholic friends think they can. If they do they are praying in the physical realm (making up words on their own ) and not in the Spiritual realm where the Spirit flows through us in unity with God. Sadly they are not praying to the Father as Jesus commanded. I find it troublesome that most Unitarian religions and most mainstream denominations believe it is okay to pray to other gods, other people, even pray to and for the dead while trying to mix the Father into their mess. They are not praying they are deceived and deceiving others.
We must be in unity with God. Unity of the Spirit is the glue that binds our heart in oneness in God through Jesus. If Jesus is not the way for our prayer then we are not praying. In John, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the only way to the Father and that means prayer is included. There can be no Saint, prophet, whomever involved in our prayers; the direction of our prayers is to the Father and the way is only through Jesus and Him alone. John tells us, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) If we mix Spirit with dead flesh (Saints, etc) then we have dead flesh. And make no mistake to allow this to continue for the sake of praying is making a mockery of prayer. Forsaking the truth for the sake of praying is ungodly. We must correct wrong traditions and thinking, if not we too are not in unity with the Spirit and no matter how much we want to believe we are deceived and only waste our time. Unity with God is the heart of prayer. Jesus was in complete unity with the Father this is why the Father answered Jesus’ prayers. The more we are in unity with God the more He hears our prayer. Why would He not? He knows how to give His children good gifts.
Real prayer does not have many loud words. Prayer is not many words spoken if so we are getting our thoughts and desires involved. Not much said, but much done in the Spirit. I hear people pray with great swelling, elegant words and I think is God impressed with these words? Or I hear people pray yelling and spitting (you have seen them) and I wonder if God is deaf. And of course the answer to both questions is no. God is not impressed with how many or what words our prayers (He is looking at our heart) is made from. And of course God is not hard of hearing so why do we yell? I guess it is the same reason why we close our eyes when we pray? Maybe so we do not get distracted, but if the prayer is not from the heart and of the Spirit of God it does not matter. I would think tradition is the main reason we close our eyes, but tradition never leads us to God’s heart.
Real prayer aligns our expectations up with God’s will. God is not a glorified Santa Claus and I do not care how many “amen and amen” you add to a prayer God still will do what He wants and our prayers NEVER change God’s mind. It may look like it does, but it does not. God changes not! God is God and we are not. Again prayer is not people believing someone’s words and God will make it so, oh no, real prayer in birthed in the spiritual realm, manifests in the physical realm according to God’s plan and purposes and unless we align our words and heart with God what we are doing and saying is not prayer.
Real prayer must be spontaneous from our heart. Our prayers MUST not be recorded, rehearsed, memorized, or written down from the past if so we are NOT praying in the Spirit. It must be born of the Spirit, alive, and powerful. Our prayers MUST originate in God if not all we are doing is coming up with our own words (which often satisfies our religious flesh) and expecting God to do something with them. Real prayer is not nagging God over and over for something. Ask God, believe, and leave it with Him that is the model. In Matthew we read some of the most misunderstood verses on prayer. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11) Jesus was not telling us to be persistent in our asking, seeking, and knocking just the opposite. You must read these verses in context and without a selfish or greedy heart. Do you like it when your kids keep bugging you for something? No! Jesus was saying take heed to ourselves, if we keep asking someone for something we will be given something, but it may not be what we want. If we keep seeking something we will find something now it may not be what we are seeking, but we will find something. If we keep knocking and knocking a door will open now it may not be the door God wants to open, but a door will open. Take heed! God does know what we need, does He not? We are not to be nagging God, but let Him know our heart and leave it with Him because, “how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.” But this asking must be from the heart and Spirit led because then the Father is giving us His will.
My friend prayer is much much more than everyone agreeing together over words (saying amen and amen) to get God to do something, but that is what most prayer today sounds like. Telling God what He has to do and not trusting in His plan and purpose for our lives. He knows how to give His children good things. Prayer must be of the heart and Spirit led or we are not praying. Written by David Stahl
