Fwd: Lessons I Learned About Prayer

[Purity Maina]

Timeless lessons. Enjoy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Audrey Awuor <audrey...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2014 08:04:22 +0300
Subject: Fwd: Lessons I Learned About Prayer
To: "inner-b...@googlegroups.com" <inner-b...@googlegroups.com>

*The First Ten Lessons I Learned about Prayer*

*1. The only real mistake we can make in prayer is in not praying.*

If we pray earnestly, almost anything we do is better than not praying.
After all, no father rejects the child's plea because she did not use the
right words or form. He welcomes his child into his arms. Someone has
said, "Nothing never happens when we pray."


*2. No matter how much you pray, you will never be completely satisfied
with your prayer life.*

You will always feel the goal is out there beyond you somewhere. We must
work against perfectionism, that mental disease that convinces us because
we're not doing something perfectly, that we should stop it altogether. No
matter how ineffective you think your prayers are, believe that they matter
to God and keep on praying.


*3. The Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer.*

Romans 8:26 assures us "He helps us in our weakness because we do not know
how to pray." The Greek word translated "helps" is a compound Greek verb
"synantilambanomai." The "syn" means "together, with us." The "anti"
means "opposite to, in front of." And the "lambanomai" is a form of the
verb "to lift." Together they tell us the Holy Spirit gets on the other
end of our task, opposite to us, and together with us lifts the burden. He
does not do this in our place, but works with us.


*4. Keep on praying.*

Persistence in prayer is taught so many times in Scripture. My favorite is
blind Bartimaeus in Luke 18. Let nothing stop you from praying. Not your
own inadequacy (of which there is much), your own needs (which can be
overwhelming), not your fears (which never tire of assaulting you), and
most definitely not other people (discouragement is all around us). Just
keep at it.


*5. Our emotions and feelings are irrelevant to effective praying.*

We need to rescue our prayer life from bondage to our emotions. You know,
"I don't feel like my prayers go beyond the ceiling," or "I don't feel like
praying today." When you turn to the Father in prayer, how you feel has
nothing to do with anything. Pray anyway.


*6. Heaven places the same value on our prayers that we do.*

If it matters to us, it matters to our Heavenly Father. The widow's mite
did not mean much to anyone else in the Temple that day, but because it
mattered a great deal to her, it was precious to the Father. This principle
holds true for our prayers, our offerings, and anything else we give to the
Lord: when it arrives in Heaven, it carries the same value there we placed
on it here.


*7. Throw away your clock.*

Jesus said it's the heathen who think they will be heard for their much
speaking. The goal in our prayer time is to be real, to touch Heaven, and
not to log so much time. Think how insulted your sweetheart would be if you
brought along a clock on your next visit, and you kept looking at it to see
how much time had gone by so you could feel good about the investment you
were making in the relationship. How much time you spend in prayer has
little to do with anything. This assumes, of course, that you are spending
some quality time with Him each day in prayer.


*8. It's not necessary to know the will of God in order to ask for
something.*

Go ahead and ask for healing, for that new job, for this blessing, or that
condition to change. What if it's not the will of God? Then, friend, He
won't do it. Do not think you are tying God's hands by your prayers.
That's why Jesus ended His prayer in Gethsemane with "Not my will, but Thy
will be done." He taught us to pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in
Heaven." My job is to ask. It's the Father's place to sort things out
and decide what He wishes to answer and grant.


*9. There is a mystery involved whenever we come into the presence of God.*

We are kneeling before the Almighty Sovereign God, Lord of the universe. Be
quiet. Be still. Get alone with Him. Humble yourself. Wait on Him. Respect
Him as having sense and quit insulting Him with your pet memorized phrases.
Tell Him the truth, what you've been up to and what you're thinking now.
Tell Him what blesses you about Him, and what areas of your life you need
particular help with.

Jesus said He already knows our needs before we ask, but He likes to see if
we have figured things out, too. So, go ahead and make your requests to
Him. Whatever answer comes, accept that as His will, at least for the time
being. And keep on praying.


*10. Always keep paper and pen handy when you are praying.*

My experience is that when you come into the Father's presence in prayer,
He will frequently call your attention to something He wants you to know or
do. He may tell you someone to see, something to do, someone to call,
something to forgive, a verse to look up, a text to remember, a debt to
pay, or a neighbor to help. Write it down. Then, go back to your prayer.
Expect to receive from Him every time you turn to Him in prayer.


When I was a kid on the Alabama farm, times were hard and surprises were
rare. But we were always glad when our uncle Johnny Chadwick drove up from
Birmingham. He was a police officer with the city and was forever meeting
interesting people, getting challenging ideas, and having things given to
him. He would bring up day-old cakes and pies from bakeries. He once
brought me an old used bicycle, the first I'd ever owned. Once he arrived
with a truckload of calves which it became my assignment to feed before and
after school. He never came empty-handed. We were always eager to meet
Uncle Johnny.

How much more when we come to pray, entering into the very presence of the
loving Heavenly Father, should we be eager and expectant about what is
about to happen.

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