Foundations of a Prayer Life.
Why call it that? Why not call it Foundations of Prayer?
Because I can’t teach you how to pray. The Holy Ghost does that.
Romans 8:26 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.
YOU LEARN TO PRAY BY PRAYING.
Going to Exodus 33.
Context: Israel has miraculously left Egypt, Moses has climbed Mt. Sinai to receive the Law and the Instructions for building the Tabernacle, and Israel has sinned by making a golden calf and worshipping it. 3000 people had just died by the sword over it, and more were dying of a plague. Moses had gone to intercede for Israel, and this is where we find ourselves now:
7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
This is NOT the Mishkan, The Tabernacle, with the specific dimensions and furniture that God specifically told them to pitch in the MIDDLE of the camp. No, this was a different tent, referred to in this scripture as OHEL MOED, Ohel = tent, Moed = meeting. Moed is the same word found when describing the festivals that God commanded the Israelites to keep: Moedim. Appointed Meeting Times. The Tabernacle, Ha Mishkan, was not complete and set up until Exodus 40. So the events of Exodus 33 happen PRE TABERNACLE, and OUTSIDE THE CAMP.
Exodus 33:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
We learn many things from this section of Exodus, but here are 3 highlights:
- The tent was OUTSIDE the congregation. It was alone and set apart.
- ANYONE, not just Moses, who wanted to inquire of the LORD about something went there. However, Moses was who God spoke to “face to face.” Intimately. God specifically mentioned to Moses that HE knew his name, and Moses acknowledged that God knew his name and that he had found grace in His sight.
- Joshua, son of Nun, spent an awful lot of time there.
Joshua: Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Joshua 10: 12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
THAT JOSHUA. One does not command the sun and moon to stand still without knowing God intimately enough to ask such a thing.
My point here tonight is INTIMACY.
Moses was intimate with God. Joshua was intimate with God. And while they were parting rivers and commanding celestial bodies, they were also humble under the hand of God, and staying in an intimate relationship with Him.
And this did not start in the congregation. This started in a lonely place, set apart from the congregation, where a man could solitarily, or in small groups, seek the face of God.
Basically, to make a long story short, Moses set up a prayer closet.
Matthew 6:6 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.
So What is a prayer closet? How is it a tent of meeting?
First, What is it NOT?
Church is not your prayer closet. The Tabernacle, the MISHKAN, was not the Tent of Meeting. The Tabernacle was set up in the Center of the Camp…but Moses’ tent of meeting was outside the camp, away from everyone else.
The Prayer Closet vs Pray Continually
Pray Continually, Pray without Ceasing
Acts 6:4 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 17 Pray without ceasing. in the shower, on the road, doing the dishes,
Have a running conversation with Jesus all day in your head, This is wonderful, this is encouraged, but this is NOT your prayer closet. Do you count doing the dishes together as a date with your husband? Neither does God. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It just means something more Intimate is desired. Also, please understand that your car is not a prayer closet. He won’t give you mind blowing revelation and mighty visions if you are flying down the highway. He’s God. He’s not going to kill your body to give you a revelation.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
WHY did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night? No distractions. It’s dark. Jesus the Light shines brighter in the dark. John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 8:12 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life., John 9:5 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He can illuminate what needs to be seen that is hiding in the dark
Jesus wants you to separate yourself!!! From EVERYTHING!!!! Matt 10:37-38, Ex 20:3, 34:14 He is Jealous! Including: false sources of light *If you have anxiety over this, don’t let this stop you from creating a prayer closet. Sometimes it takes time to build trust. Go into a prayer closet, keep the lights on, build yourself up to turning the lights down, and finally off. Relationships take time to build!!
Food, companionship, climate control, your PHONE, put it all down, and go into the prayer closet, remove all distractions, all stimulations, and be completely alone with Jesus.
What to do in your Prayer Closet…Matt 6:6 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.
Shut the Door. No distractions. Separate yourself. Pray in Secret. No audience. Just you and HIM.
if I regard iniquity in my heart, Jesus will not hear me. Psalms 66:18
step one is repent. always repent.
step two is praise. always praise.
step one and step two can be reversed in order but they must both happen. an acknowledgement of WHO Jesus IS, and Who I am Not. “I am the Lord, I know no other.” Isa 44:6, Hos 13:4
The Prayer Closet is about Intimacy.
YES YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF IN YOUR CLOSET.
Prayer is about RELATIONSHIP, not a means of getting what you want. When you spend the time to develop the RELATIONSHIP, you will find that intercession comes easier and more effective.
Fall upon The Rock before He falls on you. Matt 21:42-44 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
HONESTY. If you are mad at Jesus, tell Him, because He already knows. Then repent of it. It may be a perception problem. There is a big difference between what Jesus WILLS and what Jesus PERMITS. *illustration about kid with stitches* Keep in mind this is an argument you will NOT win. But if you keep bitterness in your heart, you will get nowhere. Acknowledge it, repent of it, and let Jesus free you of it. It will sting, and you will feel embarrassed, and pretty humble, but you will be free.
If you are ashamed, tell Jesus, because He already knows. WHETHER IT’S YOUR FAULT OR NOT, tell Him. Then accept His forgiveness or His ability to Forgive, whichever it is you need.
If you are bitter at someone else or a situation, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for help rooting it out. Forgive that you may be forgiven.
If you are numb, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for His love to be shed abroad in your heart through the Holy Ghost.
If you are lost and confused, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for Wisdom.
Listen. My Sheep Know me, and they Know My VOICE. John 10:27
WHO is praying in tongues? Do you know this voice?
Yes you are hearing His voice, even if you don’t understand it.
Romans 8:26 26 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.
SO PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING.
Other ways we hear His Voice. Audibly, In your heart, In your mind, In the scriptures, from someone else later. But wait until you hear it, and wait for it to be confirmed. Don’t jump on something because it’s what you WANTED to hear. 2 Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Was that me, or was that Him?
Let the Word of the Lord Cleanse you. If you keep repenting of the same thing over and over again, you are repenting but not being cleansed of it. Let God cleanse you of it. A Washing of Regeneration (Titus 3:5)
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Diligently believe in him? NO, diligently SEEEEEEK him.
It was said that Moses spoke with God Panim al Panim – Face to Face. They had an intimate relationship, which was called into question in Numbers 12.
4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation (OHEL MOED). And they three came out. 5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
God confirmed his relationship with Moses, that He would speak face to face with him. Do you realize that Jesus died so that he could speak face to face with you? Do you realize that you are a tabernacle and that He lives in you? You are a temple, you are a tent of meeting, you are a house of prayer. You don’t need to build anything fancy. You just need to find that special place apart from everyone else and every distraction where you can be consistently intimate with God.
At the end of that story, Moses Intercedes for Miriam, and Miriam is healed, and made clean and whole and restored after 30 days. Again and Again, Moses intercedes for the people, even when God told Moses, Get out of the way, I’m going to kill them all and start over with you, Moses STILL interceded for the people! It takes a personal intimate relationship with God to intercede on this level. So begin in the prayer closet, your own personal tent of meeting, and begin building the Foundations of a Prayer Life.
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL OUTLINE: PRESERVE THIS.
- Corporate Prayer starts in the Prayer Closet.
- The Prayer Closet vs Pray Continually
- Pray Continually, Pray without Ceasing
- The Prayer Closet vs Pray Continually
Acts 6:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 Pray without ceasing.
- in the shower, on the road, doing the dishes,
- Have a running conversation with Jesus all day in your head
- this is NOT your prayer closet.
- Prayer Closet
- Joshua in the Tent of Meeting
(Tent of Meeting: Ohel Mo’ed. Tabernacle: Mishkan)
Exodus 33:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Joshua 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
- John 3 WHY did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night?
- No distractions
- It’s dark. Jesus the Light shines brighter in the dark. John 1:9, John 8:12, John 9:5. He can illuminate what needs to be seen that is hiding in the dark
- He won’t give you mind blowing revelation and mighty visions if you are flying down the highway. He’s God. He’s not going to kill your body to give you a revelation.
- Jesus wants you to separate yourself!!! From EVERYTHING!!!! Matt 10:37-38, Ex 20:3, 34:14 He is Jealous! Including :
- false sources of light!!
- Food, companionship, climate control, your PHONE, put it all down, and go into the prayer closet,
- remove all distractions, all stimulations, and
- be completely alone with Jesus.
- What to do in your Prayer Closet…Matt 6:6
- Shut the Door. No distractions. Separate yourself.
- Pray in Secret. No audience. Just you and HIM.
- if I regard iniquity in my heart, Jesus will not hear me. Psalms 66:18
- step one is repent. always repent.
- step two is praise. always praise.
- step one and step two can be reversed in order but they must both happen. an acknowledgement of WHO Jesus IS, and Who I am Not. “I am the Lord, I know no other.” Isa 44:6, Hos 13:4
- The Prayer Closet is about Intimacy.
- YES YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR YOURSELF IN YOUR CLOSET.
- Prayer is about RELATIONSHIP, not a means of getting what you want. When you spend the time to develop the RELATIONSHIP, you will find that intercession comes easier and more effective.
- Fall upon The Rock before He falls on you. Matt 21:42-44 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
- No distractions
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
- HONESTY. If you are mad at Jesus, tell Him, because He already knows. Then repent of it.
- It may be a perception problem. There is a big difference between what Jesus WILLS and what Jesus PERMITS.
- Keep in mind this is an argument you will NOT win.
- If you are ashamed, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then accept His forgiveness.
- If you are bitter, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for help rooting it out.
- If you are numb, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for His love to be shed abroad in your heart through the Holy Ghost.
- If you are lost and confused, tell Jesus, because He already knows. Then ask for Wisdom.
- Listen. My Sheep Know me, and they Know My VOICE. John 10:27
- WHO is praying in tongues?
- Do you know this voice?
- Yes you are hearing His voice, even if you don’t understand it. Romans 8:26
- SO PRAY FOR UNDERSTANDING.
- Other ways we hear His Voice.
- Was that me, or was that Him?
- Let the Word of the Lord Cleanse you. If you keep repenting of the same thing over and over again, you are repenting but not being cleansed of it. Let God cleanse you of it. A Washing of Regeneration (Titus 3:5)
- It may be a perception problem. There is a big difference between what Jesus WILLS and what Jesus PERMITS.
- Fasting
- Fasting is more than just not eating. It is setting yourself apart and consecrating yourself to the Lord.
- ISAIAH 58
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.
- This kind cometh out not except by prayer AND fasting Matt 17:21, Mark 9:29
- The widows mite Luke 21:2, Mark 12:42
- Some of us don’t have 10 days to fast. We have what we have.
- Give what you have. If you give a full day that you have, and dedicate it to fasting and devotion to the Lord, then you have given all, just like the widow.
- If all you have is that one hour that you would normally spend eating lunch, and you give it to the Lord with all your might, then you have given all, and He will be faithful to multiply it. Fish and bread are nothing to Him, imagine what He can do with what you give Him!
- The talents Matt 25:14
- some of us are given 10 days, some 5 days, some 1 day. What we give back and invest, God will multiply. What we waste, God will take a way.
- If all you have is TWO HOURS and that’s all the alone time you have in a day, and you joyfully give that to God, not food or games or chores or companionship, but to God, and that is your ALL, and you have given Him your ALL…
- …He is faithful to give you MORE to give to Him.
- (In other words, don’t be satisfied with that, keep striving for more, just don’t be discouraged in the beginning.)
- Matt 6:16
- The widows mite Luke 21:2, Mark 12:42
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- Praying into the Vision, Praying into the Will
- Jesus in the Garden Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32
- Not my will, but yours be done.
- The Book of Daniel Chapter 9.
- So I set my face toward Adonai, with fasting and supplication…
- even though he knew from prophecy it was going to happen anyway…
- But he prayed into the will of God.
- What is the Will of God?
- For it is not his Will that anyone perish, but that all be brought to repentance. II Peter 3:9
- Ask Jesus what breaks His heart. He will tell you.
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Jesus in the Garden Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
- Intercession
- The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. John 17
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
- Travail
- Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls. Souls.
- Moses falls on his face before the Lord, twice. Exodus 32:9-14, Numbers 16:41-45
- Abraham asks for Lot and gets Zoar Genesis 19
- Standing in the Gap Ezekiel 22:30, Ezekiel 13:5
30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
- Not everyone has someone praying for them. Seriously. You may encounter someone in some strange or seemingly awful way, and it’s because no one else is praying for them, and God wants you to do it!!
- Not everyone is empowered to pray. Not everyone has a voice that can be lifted. Not everyone realizes they are sick or hurting.
- Slaves vs Children
- A person who is unsaved is still a slave to sin, and is in need of deliverance. Pray for deliverance.
- A person who is saved is a child of God and no longer needs deliverance. Pray for victory, the power to overcome.
- If they are straddling the fence, saved but still acting unsaved, pray for both.
- Joshua and the Ephraimites Joshua 17:14-18 Now go climb that hill, cut down some trees, and slay you some giants.
- I thank Jesus upon every remembrance of you Phillipians 1:3
- Pray for those who interceded for you.
- Pray for those who interceded for your family and your needs.
- Pray for those who are on the front lines of the harvest.
- Corporate Prayer
- Where 2 or more are gathered…your family devotion time is corporate prayer. Matt 18:20
- Praying into the Will
- God will not contradict His own word, which is forever established in Heaven. Psalms 119:89
- What breaks His heart?
- Praying in public vs Leading a prayer
Matt 6:5 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.
- Public Prayers
- Moses and the snakes Numbers 21:7-9
- Samuel and the ark 1 Samuel 7:5-6
- Elijah and the priests of Baal 1 Kings 18:37
- Leading a Prayer
- Joshua after the defeat at Ai Joshua 7:6-10
- David at Ziklag 1 Samuel 30:6-8
- Solomon at the temple dedication I Kings 8:12-62 speaking to both God and the men at the temple.
- Being In Agreement and in One Accord Matt 18:20, Acts 2:1
- Acts 2
- Acts 4
- Pretty much all of ACTS.
- Structure the prayer – A structured prayer keeps everyone in agreement and in one accord.
- Tabernacle paradigm
- Enter the Gates with Thanksgiving and the Courts with Praise. Magnify the Lord and let the universe know who you are praying to!
- The Altar – Jesus already paid the price, but here is where you leave your sins.
- The Laver – Here is where you look into the mirror of the word and see yourself, and then WASH YOUR FACE. Here is where you see what you have done, and WASH YOUR HANDS. Here is where you ask Jesus to WASH YOUR FEET that you would have a part with Him. Again, if you are repenting of the same sin over and over again, you need to be cleansed of it, sanctified from it, separated from it, let the washing of the word regenerate you.
- Holy Place – Make sure you are clean before you enter. Don’t just run into the throne room, prepare yourself, Esther!
- Candlestick – Jesus is the light, and the oil will never run out. Pray for that fresh oil and anointing. Pray for illumination and revelation. Pray in the SPIRIT. Use the tongues that God gave you!
- Table of Shewbread. Jesus is the bread of life. Eat that Word! and pray for the tables who carry it (pastors, evangelists, etc.)
- The Altar of Incense. Let our prayers come up as a sweet smelling fragrance before the Lord. Intercede. Travail. Let your petitions be known. Believe they are heard and already answered.
- The Holy of Holies. Be still and Know that He is God. When you are here, be prepared to listen more than you speak. Worship Him in the beauty of Holiness. Repent of yourself, and do not glorify anything but Him. If you have no words, that’s fine, just worship. You are in the presence of greatness, act accordingly. He is good.
- Isaiah 9/5 Pillars Prayer (GA Mangun)
- Tabernacle paradigm
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
- Wheel of prayer – UPCI How to structure an hour’s worth of prayer.
- Vain repetitions (of which there should be none) Matt 6:7
- if you start praising God and you are just repeating it and not meaning it from your heart, there is a problem.
- The gifts of God are without repentance, and God still gave water to Israel even though Moses disobeyed and hit the rock. However, Moses paid a price for it. There is a responsibility when you are a leader. Numbers 20
- ALWAYS allow for spontaneity, and for a move of the Holy Ghost.
- Remember, Jesus is in the MIDST, not on the left or the right Matt 18:20. So don’t become so rigid in your structure that you can’t get out of it, but also don’t become so loose that chaos ensues. Right and in order.
- Corporate fasting
- Esther 4:16
- Jehoshaphat II Chronicles 20:1-29 This is a powerful example of a corporate fast and prayer, with structured prayer, everyone in agreement and one accord, a powerful move of a sovereign God, and worship and thanksgiving at the end, and then a mighty deliverance of God showing Himself in demonstration that His Word Shall Not Return Void.
- Vain repetitions (of which there should be none) Matt 6:7
- Final thoughts
- Use the NAME! John 14:13-14, John 16:23-26
- We are UNDER authority (Centurion Matt 8:9), and when we say go, they go, and when we say stay, they stay, but it is not inherent in ourselves, lest we glory in it, for NO FLESH shall glory in His presence! 1 Cor 1:29
- Be submitted to authority, for the power and the authority of God can be found in the humility of SUBMISSION. James 4:7
- Pray the WORD!
- His WORD is forever settled in heaven. Psalms 119:89
- All means all. Matt 28:18
- His WORD will not return void. Isaiah 55:11
- Don’t just recite the Word, PRAY IT. We are not heard by much speaking Matt 6:7
- We have no good works Psalms 16:2
- The power is not in the prayer, it is in The One who answers it
- Use the NAME! John 14:13-14, John 16:23-26
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
- be very careful that you do not develop this: “Well, of course that happened, I prayed for you.”
- All Glory be to the LORD! He is the one who answered the prayer! Who are you praying to, anyway! If you think it’s happening because of you, check yourself and look back at what you came out of, and then
- Recognize the anointing and where it came from! All Glory be to the LORD!
- So why bother praying?
- RELATIONSHIP. Aligning our will with God’s will that HIS will might be done. For the sake of talking to each other. Intimacy. It’s not a list of I-wants, it’s a relationship!!!! DO YOU TALK TO YOUR SPOUSE????
- Because faith without action is dead. James 2:17-18 The action of prayer completes the faith in God to answer.
- It’s also an act of humility and submission. We need Him. Period. Don’t you get mad when people expect you to do things for them but don’t ask you directly to do them? And then get mad because you didn’t do what they didn’t ask you to do?
- 2 Corinthians 1:11 “Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.” The more people who are praying, the more people who get to say thank you and glorify God, which glorifies God. God will be glorified, no flesh will glory in His presence.
