It’s on my heart lately about prayers. My prayers, how many I’ve prayed, who are they for, what are they for, how often do I pray, how bold they are, what am I praying. After becoming a Christ follower I made a few decisions, one I wanted to know Jesus – know the Sheppard and be His good flock. I also wanted to pray and pray well. I also over time developed a rule about my prayers… even if they were “drop kick” prayers (meaning quick and short – very to the point and sometimes eyes open), that if I told someone I would pray – I needed to do it. There is always time to go back later and pray more, pray in depth and pray longer.
James 5:16-18 The Message 16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
This thought makes me think of the move War Room, if you’ve never seen it I highly recommend it. Well made and great story line. It covers temptation and trials, overcoming and most importantly prayer.
One of the main characters, Ms Clara, she is a mature lady and very spirit filled. She explains about a place in her house that she calls her “War Room”, she goes there to say her prayers. She put notes on the wall and just really spends good time lifting up those she prays for. In the movie she speaks to God frequently and is very bold about prayer. She’s bold about her faith and sharing it. She shares it and some really wisdom about faith to the main character who is a real estate agent coming to sell her home… In the end of the movie there is a Pastor and his wife looking to buy Clara’s home – he goes in the closet and just backs out… something he felt being in that closet – her War Room…(movie notes) In the scene where the Pastor realizes that prayer has been taking place in Clara's closet, people have often rolled their eyes about this, thinking it's silly. But this was actually based on something that Alex Kendrick really experienced. One time when he walked into a Pastors prayer closet, he knew that the Pastor had been praying there. In the audio commentary he say's "If you say, 'what was it about it', it's hard to put my finger on it, it was like the presence of the Lord had been in that closet and there was almost a residue..... it wasn't mystical, it was like somebody had cooked a meal and the aroma of that meal was still in the air". This was something that they wanted to have in the movie, and that's the reason for this scene.
Matthew 6:6-7 The Passion Translation (TPT) But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.
A War Room or prayer room does not really have to be a room, it can be a place, a chair, a corner or just where you want to be. I am saying it needs to be comfy because you’ll be there a good bit and you also need some supplies to write with. I think you’ll want to keep a prayer journal or jot notes on post-it notes, something to keep up with them. One thing about prayer is that when you are able to see or experience the answer to that prayer, it’s so great to write about that too and thank God for His answer to it.
One of the three most important prayers is the Prayer of Jabez
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 The Message 9-10 Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.
For context here is what wiki says about the book… The material of the Chronicles lists genealogies from Adam to King Saul (1 Chronicles 1–2) and covers the death of Saul and the reign of King David (1 Chronicles 10–29), the reign of King Solomon (2 Chronicles 1–9), and from the division of the monarchy into the northern and southern kingdoms to the end of the Babylonian Exile (2 Chronicles 10–36).
The prayer I’ve prayed many times and was taught at a pretty young age is the Lords Prayer. Found in Matthew 6: 5-15, it is Jesus instructing how to pray. What to say.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[ but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
It's funny how automated I can be when saying this prayer but when I stop and consider line by line it’s really eye opening. An example is “. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”. This is really important because its an instruction and it can really mess you up if you refuse to forgive someone. Clearly it says we are asking God to forgive us of our debts (sins), as we forgive our debtors (those who have hurt us, sinned against us). Now forgiveness is a whole other topic I could talk on for a good long rant but I’m sticking to prayer this time. Read that last line, if you forgive others then God will forgive you. BIG TIME… I know I want that forgiveness. Besides why hold on to that unforgiveness, it does no good and likely the person you aren’t forgiving has no clue you aren’t forgiving them.
Let Do some of that Praying, please join me, won’t you….
Heavenly Father, Today I come to You first thanking You for the many blessings You bring to our lives every day, today and always. I am most grateful for my blessings and Your answers to my prayers. Today I come to you in petition for myself and those reading this. Please bless our prayer lives this year Lord, please help us pray as You would have us pray, with boldness, on purpose when asked and with sincere hearts for the answers by Your will, In Your time. Help us understand that many times it is not a no You are giving but a not yet. Help us remember how very important our prayer lives are because it’s about the relationship with You and what we know You will work on for us. May I ask for financial peace, for health in all aspects and peace and joy in our day to day lives. I thank You in so much for Your answers and I ask all these things in the most precious name – of Jesus – AMEN.