How to Pray Without Ceasing

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Many Christians wonder how one can pray without ceasing, without interruption, without omission. Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? But that is because we often think of prayer as that thing we do in a religious meeting, or when we pull ourselves away from all other activity, assume a certain position, or time, or place and speak religiously appropriate words to God. Who can do that all the time? In fact, most people, including me, find it mind-numbingly hard to keep it up for fifteen minutes. Even after only five minutes, our eyeballs start to glaze over.

Fortunately, that is not what Paul had in mind. He was not speaking of duty, but of relationship—and that changes everything. Prayer as a duty is something you perform, and when you’re done, you’re done, until it is time to do it again. But prayer as a relationship is continuous. It is being constantly aware of and enjoying the presence of God.

It is like my relationship with my wife. There are plenty of times when we sit and discuss things, verbally relating to one another. But there are also many times when we are simply together, knowing each other is near, even though no words may pass between us. We may each be doing different things, but we enjoy being together.

In the same way, praying without ceasing is being together with God. This will come as a shock to some people, but not only does God love us, He actually likes being with us. He has many things He wants to say to us, and if we will listen, He will whisper them to us. He is also ready to listen to us when we speak to Him. We can have constant fellowship with Him, even in the middle of whatever else we may have to do.

David understood about the constancy of this relationship; the Book of Psalms is largely a collection of his prayers and praises to the Lord. He said, “My eyes are ever toward the LORD” (Psalm 25:15).

Another psalm makes this promise: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Dwelling and abiding speak of the continual awareness of the presence of the Lord.

Clement of Alexandria, who was a teacher of the late second and early third centuries, understood that the life of prayer is 24/7. He said, “For the saints, even their slumber is prayer.” Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so He gives His beloved sleep.” When we spend our days in the secret place with the Most High—whatever else we may have to do—we will find our rest under the shadow of His wings. It is all prayer.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection stumbled upon this truth. He was a 17th century Carmelite monk who wanted to know God more, but none of the spiritual guidance he received seemed to be of any help. Finally, he decided that he would not do anything at all except out of love of God. In this way, he developed such a continual awareness of God and His love that he found himself just as much at home with the presence of God in the kitchen as he was in the chapel. It was all the same to him, all part of a constant fellowship with God. He discovered the secret to praying without ceasing, and recorded it in his famous little book, The Practice of the Presence of God.

The Lord Jesus was in constant fellowship with the Father in everything He said and did. He said nothing He did not hear His Father saying and did nothing He did not see His Father doing. Everything He did was out of the desire to please God. He did have many times of special communion with the Lord, as we all should, but even in the heat of ministry, He was continually aware of the Father’s presence and purpose.

Praying without ceasing is continuing in fellowship with the Father. When your heart is always toward Him, even your slumber is prayer.

When We Pray, Things Change

"When we pray, things change."

—my friend Wally at breakfast this morning.

Simple, but profound.

Faith and the Sovereignty of God

It has been said that prayer is not about overcoming God's reluctance, but about laying hold of His willingness. It is the same way with faith. Faith is believing the Word of God. Indeed, faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So faith that is divorced from the Word of God is not the biblical kind of faith. Apart from the Word, it can be very dangerous and is, at best, presumptuous.

But whenever God has spoken, we can believe to the fullest extent whatever He has said. To expect God to honor His Word and keep His promises does no violence whatsoever to God's sovereignty. Rather, it honors God in His sovereignty, for God has exalted His Word even above His name (Psalm 138:2). Whenever He promises something, it is because He fully intends to do it.

Now, notice how Jesus begins His discourse on mountain-moving faith and prayer that gets results:

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:22-24)

“Have faith in God.” Mountain-moving faith has everything to do with God. It is not contrary to God but in alignment with Him.

Jesus then explains how to engage that faith: “Whoever says to this mountain ... and does not doubt those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Here is faith at work in the heart, and here is confession made with the mouth. That is how faith works, and it gets results without violating the sovereignty of God.

Next, Jesus relates it to prayer: “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” The NASB has “believe that you have received them.” This must be in line with the sovereignty of God because Jesus said it, and He never did anything that was contrary to the will of God.

Faith is all about believing the Word of God and therefore honors His sovereignty.

The Holy Spirit Pulling With You

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. (Romans 8:26)

No matter what life throws at you, if you know the Lord Jesus, you can make it through. Because all who no Him have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses (of which we have many). The Greek verb for “helps” is synantilambanomai and means, “to take hold of together with.” It is like working the oar of a boat. The Holy Spirit takes hold of it with us, and we row together, pulling hard. He does not do it all for us, but He helps us. We do it together. Whatever you are dealing with, you are not dealing with it by yourself. The Holy Spirit is taking hold of it with you.

Paul speaks of this particularly in the context of prayer. “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought.” By ourselves, we really do not know how or what to pray. This is true all the time, but we become painfully aware of it when we encounter situations we have never seen before or are overwhelmed by difficulties. Fortunately, the Spirit lays hold with us. We do not know how to pray, but He always does. This may manifest in a number of ways.

• There may be no words at all, only groaning or weeping. Sometimes as I have prayed for someone, I have suddenly found myself weeping almost uncontrollably for him or her. That is the Spirit releasing the burden of my heart to the Father. Some people call this “travailing prayer.”
• There may be Scriptures that suddenly come to mind which pertain to the situation. The Holy Spirit is leading you by the Word of God, not only giving you direction, but stirring up your faith as well, because faith comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As those Scriptures come, and faith arises in your heart, turn them into prayer.
• There may be words in a language you do not understand. This is called “praying in tongues.” Though you may not know exactly what you are praying, the Holy Spirit does, because it is a gift from Him. He knows exactly what needs to be said, and He will say it through your tongue, if you allow Him. If you have never experienced this gift,, you can even ask Him to release it in you.
• There may be no special manifestation whatsoever. But that’s okay because the Holy Spirit is laying hold and interceding with you nonetheless. Pray out what you know and trust that the Holy Spirit is pulling on heaven with you.

In whatever way the Spirit works with you in prayer, you can be sure that the Father will hear and honor it, for you will be praying according to the will of God.

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27)

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

You and I do not know how to pray, but the Spirit of God does. When you pray, trust that He is there laying hold and pulling with you. Listen for how He may be leading you. Then pray with great expectation.

Changing New York City

This week, Suzanne and I are in Clinton, NJ, where she is on business for her company. It is about a ten-mile bus ride from New York City. Yesterday, she finished early, so we decided to pop over to see a few sites and soak up a bit of ambiance. We took the bus out to the Port Authority terminal, got our bearings and walked down a few blocks to see the Empire State Building. Along the way we learned that all the traffic signals are merely suggestive for both vehicles and pedestrians.

It has become my habit now that wherever I go, I pray. Usually it is in my prayer language (a.k.a. “speaking in tongues”). If there is music in the air, I often sing along rhythmically in tongues, blending it in with the atmosphere. I expect that if anybody hears me, they think I am just singing along. And in NYC, I doubt that anybody will be surprised to hear someone carrying a tune in a foreign language — which, of course, is exactly what I was doing yesterday as we walked along.

New York City is an interesting place, to say the least, but what it needs more than anything is a revelation of heaven, a revelation of Jesus Christ. As a child of God, I am a fully-authorized agent of Jesus Christ and a distributor of heaven. So as we walked, I prayed as Jesus taught us and called for the kingdom of God to come and the will of God to be done in New York City just as it is being done in heaven.

We came to the Empire State Building and joined the tour up to the observation deck on the 86th floor. The view was, as you can imagine, spectacular. We circled the deck, taking in all the angles. I was prayer-walking, filled with a deep sense that God really loves that city and greatly desires to bring it into His wonderful destiny. So what else could I do but get into agreement with the heart of God? When we get into agreement on earth with the will of our Father in heaven, it is indeed a powerful thing.

As the day began to wane, we came back down and ate at the Chipotle Mexican Grill on the ground floor, facing out on 34th Street, and watched the passersby. God love ‘em, I couldn’t help but to pray some more, blending my song in with the music playing in the restaurant.

After dinner, we headed back to the Port Authority, crossing the streets now like New Yorkers. We walked past peep-show storefronts, praying for the glory of God and the superior pleasures of knowing Him to displace the weak and watery imitation of life that passes for pleasure inside those dingy doorways. Before we reached the terminal, we detoured, just a bit, into the middle of Times Square, where we found ourselves surrounded in a canyon of huge video screens rising high up the sides of the buildings. We were exhilarated by their colorful display. And, of course, I could not help but to stand there praying, in wonder.

We made our way up West 44th Street, passing the Shubert, where Spamalot is playing, and Les Miserables at the Broadhurst, and reached the bus terminal. As we rode the 192 back to Clifton, Suz turned to me and said, “You changed New York City today.” I thought a moment about how prayer truly does change things, and I remembered the parable Jesus told, about how the kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed. He sleeps by night and rises by day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though the man does not know how; he only knows that there will be a harvest. And I realized that Suzanne was right: we changed New York City that day by our prayers. We scattered our seed, and we know that there will be a harvest — that’s how the kingdom of God works.

What Are You Asking and Imagining?

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21; the NIV has “imagine” instead of “think”)

The power of God is at work in you to bring about all you ask, think and imagine. So what are you asking, thinking and imagining when you pray?

• Ask according to the will of God and imagine it being fulfilled? The will of God is revealed in the Word of God. The apostle John wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). What does it look like, sound like, taste like, feel like when we you ask is fulfilled?
• Ask in the name of Jesus and imagine Jesus asking the Father. That is what it means to ask in Jesus' name: to ask the Father just as Jesus would ask. Now imagine that the Father grants your request just as He always grants what Jesus asks. For Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24). Imagine the joy of receiving what you have asked of the Father.
• Ask, and imagine that you received what you asked as soon as you asked for it, for that is indeed what happens when you ask. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted” (Mark 11:24 NASB).
• Ask, and instead of thinking about the problem, imagine the answer and what it is like having the problem solved and the need met.
• Ask, and think about what is going on in heaven — is there any sickness or disease there, any poverty or lack of any kind there? Of course not! Then imagine the will of God being done on earth just as it is being done in heaven, just as Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:10).

When you ask, put your imagination to work. Take time to sit and think about what it is like to experience the answer you desire. Be specific. Luxuriate in the details. Let it fill you with joy. See yourself with the healing you need and the provision you require. Envision the mountain that has obstructed your path being remove, and imagine what life is like with it out of the way. Dwell no longer on the problem but dwell on the blessings, benefits, promises and provisions of God. Let Him teach you by His Word and Spirit, so that you will be able to ask as Jesus would ask and see the kind of results Jesus saw.

If you belong to God, His power is at work in you to bring about all you ask or imagine — and more! So ask more, imagine more, believe more, and give thanks for what He is doing in you, with you, through you and for you.

What You Ask, Think and Imagine Can Change the World

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21; the NIV has “imagine” instead of “think”)

This power that is at work in us is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”(Acts 1:8). This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the Father's right hand in the the heavenlies, far above all principality, power, might and dominion (Ephesians 1:19-21). This same power has also seated us there in Him (Ephesians 2:6).

At the end of Ephesians 3, we see that this power has something to do with what we ask, think and imagine. Now, notice that, although God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all we ask or imagine, He does it according to the power that is at work in us, the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that job is to ask, think and imagine, not according to our own ability, but according to the divine power at work in us. All our asking, thinking and imagining can never exhaust this power, because God is infinite in power. But this power is released by our asking, thinking and imagining because God has established His power to work in us. That is why it says “according to the power that works in us.”

If we do not ask, think and imagine, then this power will not be released. But we must ask, think and imagine in line with God's thoughts, God's will and God's way if we expect to release God's power and get God's results. Otherwise, our thoughts and imaginations will result in chaos. That is what happened at the Tower of Babel:

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” (Genesis 11:4-7)

The King James Version has, “Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do.” The Amplified Bible shows it as “Nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible.” These were ungodly people plotting proud and arrogant things. Because their language was one, when they expressed their imaginations together, it was a very powerful thing. But it did not make for divine order, so God confused their speech and scattered them abroad.

We must ask, think and imagine according to God's thoughts and God's ways.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

This does not mean that we cannot know God ways and thoughts, for in verses 10-11, we see that He sends His Word to earth to accomplish His purposes. Paul put it this way, quoting from Isaiah 64:4, and adding an important New Testament revelation:

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

God reveals these things to us by His Spirit so we can ask, think and imagine according to His thoughts and ways and get divine results, because it is according to the power of His Spirit at work in us that the world gets changed for the good.

The human imagination is very powerful for changing the world. When you ask, think and imagine according to the Word of God, it brings about divine order and blessing — the kingdom of God.

Prayer and a Heart Without Doubt

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in sight and this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:21-23)

The secret to a prayer without a doubt is a heart that does not condemn. To condemn means to find fault with, or holding something against someone. If your heart is finding fault with you or holding something against you, it can wreck the boldness and assurance with which you approach God. But if your heart is clear, your confidence will be strong.

So what is John talking about here? If our heart does not condemn us — about what? It is about keeping the commandments of God, and according to John, that comes down to two things: Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and love one another.

1. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

The apostle Paul declared, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If you have received the Lord Jesus, there is no sentence of judgment that rests on you—Jesus took that in your place. God does not condemn you!

2. Love one another

This is the commandment Jesus gave to John and the other disciples on the night He instituted the Lord’s Supper. “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

Failure to love wrecks our confidence towards God because it shifts our focus off of God and onto ourselves. God showed His love to us through Jesus Christ, and He intends for that love to overflow to others through us. When we share that love freely with others, we are allowing God’s love to flow through us. But when we withhold that love from others, God does not withhold His love from us, but we stop the flow of His love from having its way in our lives. Then when the devil comes and whispers his accusations, our hearts begin to believe them.

Now, watch as James shows how failure to love can twist your prayer life and spoil your confidence towards God:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:1-3)

Clearly, this is not loving one another. It is self-centeredness. Prayer is not about our own pleasures but about God’s purpose, and His purpose is to love, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

Prayer is a very powerful thing. Jesus promised, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). But then He added, “And whenever you stand praying if you have anything against anyone, forgive him” (v. 25). As powerful as prayer is, if we are unwilling to love one another by forgiving one another, it will seriously hinder our faith and keep us from receiving what we have asked. For as Paul concluded, faith works through love (Galatians 5:6).

A Heart That Does Not Condemn

The declaration of Scripture is that there is no condemnation for those who have received the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not condemn us, but sometimes our heart does, especially when we know that we have not been walking in love toward God and each other. But there is a ready solution at hand, and it is found in Jesus Christ. As John said, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

To confess means to agree with God about it, that it is wrong and does not belong in our lives. When we do that, God promises, not only to forgive us our sins, but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, that is, to deal with sin in our lives and lead us into victory over them. Then we are free to love as we have been loved by God, and our heart will find anything against us.

Oh, the devil may still come and whisper in your ear, making accusations against you, and try to set your heart in confusion. But you don’t have to listen to him. Instead, you can take the promises of God and say:

“I have received the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is now no condemnation for me, because I am in Him.”

If there is any sin in your life, or if you have not been walking in love, confess it to God, and trust Him to forgive you and to remove it from your life. You can always God boldly to God, for He has promised.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

When our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God, and we can know that whatever we ask of Him, we will receive, because we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and walk in love toward each, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Then the power of prayer and faith are released in a mighty way.

(See also, Outspokenness Toward God)

The Commanding Force of Prayer

Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; and concerning the works of My hands, you command Me.” (Isaiah 45:11)

Prayer puts God in full force into God's work. “Ask of Me things to come, concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me” — God's carte blanche to prayer. (E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer)

The church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God's wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used. (E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer)

Prayer brings God into the situation with commanding force. “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons,” says God, “and concerning the work of My hand command ye Me.” (E. M. Bounds, Winning the Invisible War)

Our prayers are God's decrees in another shape. The prayers of God's people are but God's promises breathed out of living hearts, and those promises are the decrees, only put into another form and fashion. Do not say, “How can my prayers affect the decrees of God?” They cannot, except to the degree that your prayers are decrees, and that as they come out, every prayer that is inspired of the Holy Ghost in your soul is as omnipotent and as eternal as that decree which said, “Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). (C. H. Spurgeon, The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life)

Faith in God so unites to God that it passes beyond the privilege of asking to the power of commanding. This language of Christ is not that of a request, however bold, but of a fiat … And so—marvelous fact! The child of God, laying hold by faith of the Power of the Omnipotent One, issues his fiat … Obey the Law of the Power and the Power obeys you. Conform to the Laws and modes of the Spirit’s operations, and in the work of God’s hands you may command the Spirit’s Power. (A. T. Pierson, Lessons in the School of Prayer, quoted in Moving Mountains, by Paul L. King)

When we begin to know the heart of God, we begin to understand the commanding force of prayer.

See also “Ask Me, Command Me,” Says the LORD and Commanding the Hand of God.

The Joy and Privilege of Your Kingship

The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.

(Psalm 21:1-2)

The king originally in view here is David, the psalm writer. Ultimately, however, this psalm finds its most perfect fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Son of David. After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended to His throne in heaven, where He rules and reigns over all, forever and ever.

But this psalm can also be applied to every believer in Jesus Christ. For the original mandate God gave to Adam and Eve was to subdue the earth and have dominion — to rule and reign over it. We were created to be kings on the earth. Though that dominion was forfeited when Adam rebelled against God, it has been restored to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. For God has “made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6). We are now seated with the Lord Jesus Christ on His heavenly throne, the place of ruling and reigning. We are kings, and He is the King of Kings.

“The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD.” Nehemiah said, “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). But here we see that its works the other way around, too: The strength of the Lord is your joy!

The Hebrew word for “joy” here is samach, and means to be lighthearted. When you rely on the strength of the Lord, there is nothing that can weigh your heart down, because God is far greater than whatever might be a burden for you. So the Bible tells us, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Regardless of your circumstance, you can be lighthearted and joyful, when you roll your burden over onto the Lord.

“And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.” The word for “rejoice” here is giyl (gheel), and literally means to spin. It is a dancing joy that whirls and twirls in delight. David certainly knew what this was all about. When he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, he was so full of joy that he danced with great abandon, leaping and whirling before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:16).

The salvation God has for you and me is indeed something to get very excited about. The Hebrew word is yeshuah. It is not only the forgiveness of our sins, it is also freedom and deliverance from everything that binds us up, holds us back or keeps us down. It is healing for all our diseases. It is even our peace and prosperity. It is wonderful. As a proper name, this word for “salvation” is Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name for “Jesus.”

“You have given him his heart’s desire.” In another psalm, David said, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). The Bible refers to David as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), that is, he was a man who lined up his heart with the heart of God. Even when he stumbled, he did not run away from God, but he ran to Him. He delighted in God, and so received his heart’s desire.

Again, we see this completely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose heart was perfectly aligned with the heart of the Father:

Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (John 5:19)

I can of Myself do nothing. As I her, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:28-29)

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He transforms us, aligning the desires of our hearts with His. Then He fulfills those desires.

“And have not withheld the request of his lips.” Because Jesus is all about the Father, the Father is all about Jesus, and will not deny any of His requests. Whatever the Son asks, the Father will do, because the heart of the Son is perfectly aligned with the heart of the Father.

Now, hold on to your hat, because here is how that relates to you and me in a very powerful way: The Father will not withhold the request of the Son; the Son has given us the authority to make requests in His name!

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16)

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full … In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. (John 16:23-24, 26)

Jesus has given us the authority to ask in His name, that is, to ask as He would ask. When we do, the promise is that God will not withhold the request of our lips. For the Father loves all those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ just as much as He loves the Lord Jesus Himself.

God has created you to be a king upon the earth. Because of what the Lord Jesus has done for you, you can be lighthearted in the strength of the Lord, casting every single burden of care upon Him. You can celebrate without any inhibitions because of the rich forgiveness, freedom, healing, peace and prosperity God has for you. Delight yourself in the Lord, for He wants to give you your heart’s desire. Get the perspective of what Jesus is all about and ask on the basis of His name and His authority, fully expecting to receive, and God will not withhold the request of your lips.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Speaking of this verse, someone asked, “Is there sin in heaven? There is here.” Yes, there is sin here. And sickness. And demonic oppression. And strongholds. And enmity. And unforgiveness. And death. But there are none of those things in heaven.

And that is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Kingdom of God, come! Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven!” (the Greek has it in the imperative mood).

If the will of God were already being done on earth as it is in heaven, we would not need to be calling for it. But it is not fully being done yet on earth, and so we call it forth.

The kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ has already begun, and His kingdom has been breaking into the world ever since He came. But it has not yet arrived in all its fullness. We are now living in the in-between time, in between the inauguration and the consummation. Some theologians call this "already/not yet." That is it has already begun, but it is not yet completed.

Our job is to keep calling for the kingdom of God to come and keep coming, and to call for the will of God to be done and keep being done on earth exactly as it in heaven.

• When we see sickness, we have the authority of the Lord's Prayer to call for the will of God to be done in that sick body just as it is being done in heaven.
• When we see demonic oppression, we have the authority of the Lord's Prayer to call for the will of God to be done in that person or place just as it is being done in heaven.
• When we see death, even then we have the authority of the Lord's Prayer to call for the will of God to be done in that body as it is in heaven.
• Where there is sin, we have the authority to call for the name of God to be hallowed (that, too, is in the imperative mood), for the kingdom of God to come, and for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we have the further authority to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, who came to destroy the works of the devil, take away the sins of the world and reconcile us to the Father.
  

Church history is full of people being healed and demons being exorcised. There have also been many people raised from the dead in the name of Jesus. These have all been increasing in these latter days.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the privilege to pray the prayer the Lord Jesus taught His disciples, and it is a very powerful, world-changing prayer. It does not happen by a passive and rote recital of the words (that would be treating the Lord's Prayer as nothing more than magic), but by an active exercise of the authority we have been given therein.

Dynamic Prayer

Someone suggested that prayer is either about us trying to change God’s mind, or else it is about letting God change our minds about what He is doing. Of course, prayer is not at all about us trying to change God’s mind about anything, and the person who offered this choice understood that, which is why he went with the second option: Prayer is about letting God change our minds.

But this is a false dichotomy, on two counts: First, there are more ways to think about prayer than just these two. Second, neither of the options he suggested is correct. Prayer is not about us trying to change God’s mind, nor is it about God trying to change our minds. The latter might seem to be very pious and loaded with humility, but it is just as erroneous as the former. For God already has a way to change our mind: He does it by the Word of God, illuminated to us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 29-16).

This same person went on to suggest that we should not be surprised to receive a No answer to our prayers. He then offered the example of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). But that is a very specific form of prayer — a prayer of consecration. However, there are other types of prayers offered for other types of reasons. The apostle Paul talked about praying with all kinds of prayers and supplication in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

There are, for instance, prayers that lay hold of God's promises. When God has promised, I do not expect to receive No for an answer, or else God would be a liar, which is an impossibility. When God has promised and I have pray in agreement with it, I expect to hear Yes.

We don’t come to prayer in order to change God’s mind. Someone has said, and quite correctly, that prayer is not about overcoming God’s reluctance but about laying hold of His willingness. Nor do we come to prayer in order to have our mind changed. Rather, we come to prayer believing what God has said in His Word and expecting to receive whatever He has promised. Jesus had a number of things to say about this in regard to prayer:

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24)

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24)

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:18-19)

Jesus also taught us to pray, “Kingdom of God, come! Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven” (see Matthew 6:10). It is in the imperative mood. It is not merely a request we make; Jesus authorized us to speak it forth. We do not beg for it, then sit and wait for a Yes or No. Jesus has already authorized it. And in Him, all the promises of God are Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Prayer is not passively waiting around for God to change our minds about something, never being certain whether God is going to say yes or no to our request. There is no power, no authority, no faith to that kind of praying. It is wimpy, even lazy.

If you want God to change your mind, get into His Word and let the Holy Spirit show you what it is about, then you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to go to prayer with faith, not wishy-washiness, and your prayers will be powerful.

Prayer is active, forceful, dynamic. It is not trying to change God's mind about anything, nor is it about having your mind changed. It is about taking the authority we have been given by Jesus Christ and bringing forth the kingdom of God, bringing forth the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.

What Does It Mean to Pray?

Then He [Jesus] came to His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-41)

Jesus said, “Watch and pray.” But what does it mean to pray? And how does one pray for an hour? The Greek word for “watch” means to keep alert, stay awake, be vigilant. Often, we do not know how to pray because we do not know how to watch with the Lord. If we watch, He will show us; if we listen, He will tell us. Then it is hard not to pray.

The flesh may be weak — but the spirit is willing. As believers in Jesus Christ, we not only have our human spirit born from above, but we also have the Holy Spirit. If the human spirit is willing, how much more is the Spirit of God in us willing.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pry for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)

As I wrote in God’s Word in Your Mouth,

The Holy Spirit “helps” us. This is the Greek word sunantilambanomai, which speaks of two parties laying hold together, each one doing his part, to obtain a goal. The Holy Spirit does this by interceding for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, but which perfectly express the will of God for us. The whole creation groans, we groan within ourselves, the Holy Spirit groans within us — all working together to bring forth good. (p.22)

Paul talked about “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18). “All prayer” means all kinds of prayer. “In the Spirit,” means that we are to let the Holy Spirit direct our prayers.

When you begin praying, don’t be in a hurry. Take your time and pray slowly. As you do, you may find that you feel an inward desire to expand upon some particular point. That is the Holy Spirit prompting you, and if you listen carefully, He will give you words to pray back to the Father. Go with this as far as the Spirit leads you.

When you come to the end, sit quietly and contemplate what the Spirit has given you. If you wish, you can pick up the prayer where you left off, and continue until the Spirit gives you more. When you come to the end of your prayer time, simply give thanks and praise to God and welcome His healing power at work in your life. (Healing Scriptures and Prayers, pp. 6-7)

Soren Kierkegaard said "A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening."

Smith Wigglesworth said that he rarely prayed for more than ten minutes at a time — but that he also rarely went more than ten minutes without praying.

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection learned how to practice the presence of God, and speak to Him everywhere, so that his time in the kitchen was just as precious as his time in the chapel.

My own prayer time often includes singing hymns and praises to the Lord, reading the Scriptures and letting them springboard me into prayer, praying in tongues, quietness and listening.

Prayer is not about an hour, but about a life. The flesh may be weak, but the spirit — and the Holy Spirit — are more than willing. So do not attempt to pray by the flesh, by your own strength and ability, but pray by the Spirit.

A Blessing for Everything

There is a line in The Fiddler on the Roof, where Motel the tailor asks the Rabbi, “Rabbi, is there a blessing for a sewing machine?” The Rabbi answered, “There is a blessing for everything.”

Years ago, I came across a Jewish blessing for after using the privy. Going though some old notes the other day, I came across it again:

Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has formed people in wisdom, and created within them numerous orifices and cavities. It is revealed and known before the Throne of your Glory that if but one of them were to be blocked, or one of them were to be opened, it would be impossible to exist even for a short time. Blessed are you Lord, who heals all flesh and performs wonders. My G-d, the soul which you have given within me is pure. You have created it, You have breathed it into me, and You preserve it within me. You will eventually take it from me, and restore it within me, in Time to Come. So long as the soul is within me, I offer thanks to You, Lord my G-d and G-d of my fathers, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You Lord, who restores souls to dead bodies. (Mangel, N., 2001. Siddur Tehillas Hashem Nusach Ha-Ari Zal, Otsar Sifrei Lubavitch, Brooklyn. p. 6)

Yes, there is a blessing for everything.

Praying in Faith, Healing the Sick

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:13-5)

Is anyone troubled, afflicted, undergoing hardship? The appropriate response is to take it to the Lord in prayer. Peter said, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). God cares enough to do something about all the things that worry us. (See How to Cast Your Cares)

Is anyone happy, of good cheer, free from care? The appropriate response is to give thanks and praise, making melody to the Lord. Perhaps James has in mind the previous situation where someone was afflicted, but is now free from care because He cast it upon the Lord.

What if someone is sick, feeble, diseased, without strength? Then the appropriate response is for him to call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a one is, apparently, too sick to go to the elders; he must call for them to come to him.

Up until now, it might seem like James is simply suggesting ways to cope, to learn to live with adversity. But in the next verse we see that that is not his attitude at all. No, he actually expects to get results:

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up! (v. 15)

There is no if about it. When you offer the prayer of faith over this fellow, he will recover; the Lord will raise him up from his sickbed.

The problem many people have when they pray for the sick is that they do not pray in faith; they pray in ifs: “If it be Thy will.” That sounds good and pious, but it is not how Jesus went about healing, nor is it how He taught His disciples to go about healing.

When He sent them out, is was not so they could go and pray if it was the Father’s will. He sent them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons (Mark 3:14-15). And that is exactly what they did:

So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast our many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. (Mark 6:13)

They understood the prayer of faith, that it is not about finding out if it is God’s will to heal, but that, yes, it is God’s will to heal, otherwise Jesus would not have sent them out.

The prayer of faith has no wavering to it. In the first chapter of his letter, James says,

But let him ask in faith, with not doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that ma suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8)

Then in chapter 5, he says this:

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:16-17)

The Greek phrase translated “he prayed earnestly,” literally means he prayed prayer! In other words, he was able to accomplish what he did because he knew how to pray the prayer of faith. (See The Effective, Fervent Prayer of Elijah)

When we begin to understand that Jesus is the perfect expression of the Father’s will (John 5:19, 30; John 8:28,29); that He never turned away anyone who came to Him for healing, but healed them all (Matthew 9:35; Luke 6:17-19); that He bore our sicknesses and pains, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24) — then we will begin to heal as Jesus and His disciples did. Our prayer will not be if, but when. It will not be please, but thank You! That is the prayer of faith.

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Healing Scriptures and Prayers
by Jeff Doles

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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Getting Heard By God

Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
Be merciful to me, O LORD,
For I cry to You all day long.
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O LORD, I life up my soul.
For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplication.

(Psalm 86:1-6)

Notice the basis, and all the elements thereof, by which David makes his appeal before Yahweh (the name signified by the word “LORD,” in all caps).

Need. “Hear me, for I am poor and needy.” In Psalm 23, David identified Yahweh as his shepherd, and that he would he would not be in want, but that his cup would overflow.

Holiness. “Preserve my life, for I am holy.” It is very important to understand that holiness is not about our behavior, but about God’s purpose. For to be holy means to be set apart for divine purpose. God is not willing for His purposes to go unfulfilled, therefore we can look to Him to preserve us.

Covenant. “You are my God.” Yahweh is the name by which God reveals Himself in covenant to His people. David lays out the relationship before the LORD and stands firmly upon it: You are my God, I am Your servant — we are committed to each other. Though we might often falter in our commitment, God never falters in His.

Trust. “Save Your servant who trusts in You.” The Hebrew word for “trust,” batach, indicates a bold confidence. We come to God believing, expecting to receive, for He has promised.

Single-minded Faith. “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I cry to You all day long.” The word behind “merciful,” hanan, means to bend down and show favor. David expects the favor of God because he is focused upon God alone for his help. He is not a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (see James 1:7). He is confident God will hear because he calls only on the name of the LORD.

Humbleness. “For to You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.” David is not lifted up in pride, but yielded before God. The Bible says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). It is letting God have His way in our lives — and His way is always good.

The Goodness of God. “For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” David has experienced intimate relationship with Yahweh and discovered His heart. Three things he has learned about Him:

• He is good. He is totally good, in and of Himself. There is no evil or lack of any kind in Him. He is good and He loves goodness.
• He is ready to forgive. He is not implacable or inaccessible, but ready to be found and eager to forgive.
• He is merciful. Here the word for “mercy” is hesed, the deep love by which Yahweh has committed Himself to His people.

The key to experiencing the goodness, forgiveness and deep, abiding love of God is to call upon Him. The Bible says, “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Notice that David never made his appeal to God based upon his own goodness, his own behavior, his own worthiness. It is all about God and God alone — His goodness, His love, His mercy, His purpose, His desire. We simply yield, call on His name and believe Him to do what He promised.

It is not hard to get heard by God. We must come by faith, believing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:3). And when we know that He hears us, we know that we have whatever we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

Whatever You Desire, When You Pray

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24 NKJV)

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (KJV)

That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it, it shall be yours. (Weymouth)

Ask, desire, request — it is all the same word in the Greek, and all in the context of prayer and faith. And yet, some people, when they pray, don’t do any of them. They don’t ask, they don’t make request, they don’t speak their desire — they just complain. They whine to God and call it prayer.

But their prayers don’t get answered because they don’t have anything of faith to them. The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God hears faith — and His desire is aroused by it. But whining doesn’t even get His attention.

Remember the man in John 5, who had had an infirmity for thirty-eight years, and he was waiting for the troubling of the waters by the pool of Bethesda? Jesus came to him and asked him, very directly, “Do you want to be made well?” (v. 6).

But the man was actually confused about what he really wanted. So he began to complain, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me” (v.7).

Can’t you just hear him whine? He lost sight of the solution and focused on the problem, and the problem about getting the problem taken care of.

The Answer was literally staring him in the face and asking, “What do you want?”

Now consider what happened with two blind men Jesus met as He was passing from the old city of Jericho to the new. It is found in Matthew 20:29-34. These two men cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David.” Even when the crowd tried to hush them up, they just cried out louder, “Have mercy on us.”

So Jesus stopped and asked them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And what do you suppose they answered? Just this: “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” No whining. No complaining. But a simple, faith-filled request. They spoke their desire.

In Mark 11:23, Jesus declared, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed ad be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Don’t whine to the mountain — speak to it. Don’t complain about how hard it is to get around or to climb over it — tell it to move. Don’t explain to your friends that, you know, you would like to move ahead, but you see, there is this huge mountain in the way, and you’ve called this person and that one, but nobody really seems to understand or is willing to help, and now you just don’t know what you’re gonna do. You might as well have a seat, because you are going to be there for a long, long time — looking at that mountain.

Or you can do what Jesus says in the next verse and speak what you desire. Not only that, Jesus says, but believe that you receive it. The NASB says “believe that you have received it.” When you do, Jesus says, you will have it — it will be yours.

Whenever you pray, understand the difference between speaking your desire to God and simply complaining. God can do tons with the former and nothing with the latter. Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the answer. Have faith in God’s Word concerning it and believe that you receive what you are believing Him for, then you will see it come to pass.

Faith Gets Heard

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.

(Proverbs 28:9)

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who delight in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2) and those who turn away from even hearing it. Those who delight in God’s Word, who meditate on it and obey it, are blessed. Those who refuse to hear will themselves not be heard by the Lord.

A word about God’s law. People often think of it as nothing more than a series of do’s and don’ts, a system of “Thou shalt not’s” and “I’m gonna get ya’s,” designed to control and manipulate and smother the joy of living.

Not so. The Hebrew word for “law” is torah, and can just as well be translated as “instruction,” which sets a much different tone. Instruction helps us, enables us, frees us. The Word of God, which is the law of the Lord, presents us with the precepts, the beginning principles, of living successful, fulfilling lives.

That is all well and good — but why is it that the one who turns away from hearing the law does not get his prayers heard by God?

The answer is that God specifically tunes in on faith. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). And how do we get faith? By hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is believing what God has said. Those who have never heard the promises of God’s Word are not in any kind of position to believe them. Those who refuse to hear have cut themselves off from relationship with God.

There are three things: faith, doubt, unbelief.

Faith is hearing and believing the Word of God. God always listens to faith when it prays, and is very pleased by it. John said, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). Faith gets heard — and receives the answer.

Doubt is lack of knowledge about what God has said. When you don’t know what God has promised and provided on your behalf, you are uncertain about what He will do for you. Your prayers will be tentative and feel like a “crap shoot.” James said, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-7). Doubt has no guarantee of ever getting heard. The solution to doubt is simple — start getting into the Word of God, listening to His promises and following His instructions. Faith will come.

Unbelief is the deliberate turning away from the Word of God. This is what Proverbs 28:9 is talking about, a man who is not simply ignorant of what the Word says, but has turned away and refuses to hear what it says. Faith is far from him, for he has despised the very source of faith. Consequently, when he prays, his prayers do not get heard. God is in no way pleased by them because they have nothing of faith to them.

It might seem odd that there would be someone who turns away from the Word of God and still prays. But that is where the spirit of religion, which is prevalent in the churches, leads people. Listen to the story Jesus tells of two very different men who went to pray:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.”

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!”

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 shall be exalted.

(Luke 18:9-14)

The Pharisee observed the outward form of the law, but his heart was turned away from hearing the heart of God in the torah. He had plenty of pride, and tons of faith in his good works, but he did not have the Bible kind of faith, which comes only by hearing the Word of God. Jesus says that the Pharisee prayed “with himself.” His prayer got all tangled up with his pride and never reached the ear of God.

The tax-collector heard enough of the Word of God to know that he was a sinner, but more than that, he heard the promise of God’s mercy. He was full of faith about both those things and he believed the mercy with everything that was in him.

Result: The Lord despised the haughty prayer of the Pharisee, who turned from hearing the law of God, but was greatly pleased by the humble prayer of the tax-collector, who fully believe the Word of God’s mercy.

God always listens to faith, and His passions are aroused by it. Faith comes by hearing what God has said. If you will hear Him, He will hear you.

How Praying in the Spirit Helps Me

This is a response to someone who asked about speaking mysteries in the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:22). See Downloading in the Spirit.

Jeff, I'm guessing that you have experienced this downloading of something from God that is ministering to your inner man. Can you please give me an example of this in your life? What do think this “something” is that is going on in the spirit that the mind cannot understand? It seems rather pointless to have something going on within me that I don't understand and is therefore useless to my spiritual growth. Do you speak in tongues? If so, what languages do you speak in?

Dear Stan,

Yes, I believe I have experienced the downloading of things from God which minister to my spirit. For example, whenever I go to preach or teach or lead worship, I spend some time praying in the Spirit. Since I have started doing this, I have found that my ministry time has been much more empowered and effective, with a much greater clarity.

I also pray in the Spirit when I need to make a decision about something, or need the answer to a problem. I often find that, immediately afterwards, the guidance or answer I am seeking from God shows up.

If it seems pointless to have something going in me that my mind does not understand, that is probably because my mind always wants to be in charge. But my mind was not made for that. The Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Notice that it does not say, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart AND lean on your own understanding.”

The mind was never meant to be the boss. On the day Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, man died spiritually and the soul lost its connection with God. In that vacuum, the mind just assumed control.

There is nothing illogical about my spirit being edified by things my mind does not understand. There are also plenty of things that go on in my body that my mind does not understand (and medical science still has much to discover about it, as well), but the physical function of my body proceeds merrily along anyway. For example, my breathing is an involuntary process, not something I regulate by my thoughts.

My mind is not my spirit, nor is it the master of my spirit—it is the servant of my spirit. My mind functioned before I ever experienced the new birth, the spiritual birth from above by the Spirit of God. But I am not a mind, I am spirit, and I have a mind.

So what is the “something” that is going on in my spirit that my mind does not understand? I think there are a number of things that happen through praying in tongues.

1. Wisdom and revelation. Paul prayed in Ephesians that God would give his readers the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17). Paul was a very articulate communicator, but he wasn’t asking for better skills at preaching and teaching, or to make him more cogent or coherent in his letters. I think he realized early on that his communication would not mean a thing unless the Holy Spirit was ministering it to the heart. Now, I don’t think Paul necessarily had speaking in tongues in mind when he prayed this prayer. But I do think that speaking in tongues is a powerful way for this to happen.

2. Intimate fellowship with God. That was the purpose Paul prayed that prayer in Ephesians in the first place. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:11). But that does not mean we cannot experience them. In Isaiah 55, we see that He sent the revelation of His Word. In 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, we see the revelatory work of the Holy Spirit bringing forth the deep things of God:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of ma the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. BUT God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

When we pray in the Spirit, we are not limited by our own understanding because the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:11).

3. Unhindered worship. When we pray in the Spirit, we give thanks to God well (1 Corinthians 14:17). Worship is a spiritual activity, that is, a Holy Spirit directed activity. No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).

In Acts 2, speaking in tongues was worship, for the people declared, “We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11). Peter’s evangelistic sermon was apparently in his own language, not speaking in tongues.

4. Effective prayer. Paul said that the Spirit helps us because we do not know what or how we should pray (Romans 8:26). “But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Now, whether one wishes to take “groanings that cannot be uttered” in an absolute sense or simply understood as things which cannot be articulated by our own words, the point remains that in 1 Corinthians, praying in tongues was an activity involving the Holy Spirit.

When we pray in the Spirit, our prayers are focused because the Holy Spirit is not distracted. They are pure because the Holy Spirit has pure motives. They are effective and powerful because the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray.

By this time, you probably realize that, Yes, I do speak in tongues. But I don’t know what languages I pray in. There are so many known languages and dialects in the world (and that’s not counting the languages of angels) that I would not even know where to begin to try to figure out which ones I am speaking. Fortunately, identifying languages is not a Biblical prerequisite for speaking in tongues.

The Lord bless you in all things.

(See also Benefits of Praying in the Spirit.)

"Ask Me, Command Me," Says the LORD

Thus says the LORD,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker;
“Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons;
And concerning the work of My hands;
you command me.”

(Isaiah 45:11)

Here is a verse that makes a lot of Christians uncomfortable. Everyone is cool with “ask Me.” It’s when they get to “command Me,” that they start to get wobbly. They think, “Are we supposed to boss God around?”

No, that’s the kind of question people ask who don’t understand what intimate personal relationships are about. For them, to command means to insist that someone do something that is against their will. We need to grow up.

God is love, and the nature of love is to give and serve. When we get close to God and begin to understand His heart, our heart will become more like His, and we will begin to understand that this is about relationship, not about religion, rules or regulations.

In Isaiah 45:11, the word “ask” means to inquire, request, or even demand. Now, to demand does not mean to be controlling, abrasive, abusive, belligerent or petulant. It simply means to lay claim to or call for something. You might notice on any check you write or receive that is says, “Pay to the order of ...”

That check is a promise to pay the sum specified. The bearer of the check then demands that which has already been promised. He does this by endorsing the check and ultimately presenting it to the bank and account upon which it has been drawn. The demand presents no breach to the authority of the person who issued the check. In fact, the demand actually acknowledges and honors the sovereignty of the check writer.

For another example, if my father promises to do such and such a thing for me at such and such a time, it does him no dishonor when I go to him and say, “Poppa, the time has come. Do what you have promised.” Rather, it honors him because it honors his freely given word.

In the same way, God has made certain promises to His people. Therefore, to demand — to lay claim to or call for — that which He has promised does not in any way take away from the fact that He is God and that He is sovereign. No, it actually honors His sovereignty and pleases Him greatly. For it is taking God at His Word — and that is what faith is all about. In fact, it displeases God when we do not make demand on His promises. For without faith, the Bible says, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The use of “command” in Isaiah 45:11 operates in the same way. It is not about bossing God around or getting Him to do anything against His will. It is about taking Him at His Word and honoring His authority by exercising the authority He has given to us. We command what He has promised.

So how do we know what that authority is? How do we know what we can call for and lay claim to? How do we discover what we can demand of Him and command His hand concerning?

One word: Ask.

The LORD says, “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons.” The Bible says that if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the right to be called a “son of God” (John 1:12). God has also made certain promises concerning you and you have the right to ask what those are. And if you ask, God will tell you. He will reveal it to you in His Word and by His Spirit.

Don’t be afraid to ask God what He has promised concerning His children. Then boldly go to Him and command His hand concerning those promises.

(See also Commanding the Hand of God?)