December 16, 2009
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Re: More Prayer
In regard to my desire for more prayer in 2010: There's an image in my mind of someone walking up a slope, stepping into and finding, before them, a vast, open field of undiscovered land. That's how it's been for me with prayer. I'm just standing on top of this hill, that's starting to look more like a precipice, realizing that there's so much ground before me that has yet to be uncovered. It's exciting, thrilling and terrifying.
So what does it mean to pray incessantly? With boldness? With authority?
I am challenged by the fact that not only does God have the power to heal but that He wants to do it and He wants to do it now, here, for the people I know -- and not just at some other time, in some other place, and for people unknown to me. Truly, if I believe that God has the power to raise Jesus from the dead, isn't it a lesser miracle to believe that He can heal people today? The gospels of Matthew and Mark both tell us that Jesus did not do many miracles in His hometown because of their lack of faith. So what has my lack of faith hindered God from doing?
This is one area in my life that I definitely need to be a learner. People at our church demonstrate what it means to pray in the Spirit and with authority. Praying alongside them makes me realize that I have far deeper depths to delve in this area. How often have I only, merely repeated someone's request when I prayed for them? How little have I actually waited on God and listened to the Holy Spirit to lead me in what to pray for them. To wait and to listen means to be enabled to pray with authority.
How I long to pray in such a way that hearts will be set free. Lord, teach me how to listen to you, teach me how to pray.
