Advent // Meditate on His Word // Digital Download
Join us this Advent Season for a time of meditating on His Word.
Advent Memory with Lindsay Griswold
Meditate on Advent this Season
Join us this Advent Season as my friend Lindsay Griswold hosts Good News of Great Joy.
In addition to meditating on His Word, there are prayers that I wrote to help you pray through the Word.
We start on November 27th, and we will meditate on a new verse each Sunday.
The download includes:
memory verse cards for 5 weeks
prayers to help you pray through the Word
a5 divider
a5 meditate + prayer pages for each verse
scripture memory pages for each verse
Pray the Word Challenge
The purpose of this challenge is to grow in the knowledge of who He is, and deepen your relationship with Him. Our self sufficiency is not sustainable, the way forth is led by Him alone. The path of the trail is set to His ways. The pursuit progresses by faith in Him.
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
Psalm 145:14
Praying the Word carries me in seasons when I do not have the words to pray, when the rugged terrain appears endless, and daily stirs my conversations with the Lord. His word is an invitation into the depths of His presence, guiding me each step of the way.
God has given us His active living Word and one of the ways we can relentlessly pursue Him is through prayer. As we seek His face, growing in the knowledge of who He is, a hunger for prayer is stirred, which both fuels and sustains. We endure and we persevere in prayer, and we encounter our active living Father each step of the way.
If you ever feel like you don’t have the words to pray, or stuck in your prayer life, this challenge is for YOU! No matter the conditions of the terrain— What if we looked at it through a lens of faith instead of unbelief? What if we plunged right into His promise? What if we put our hope in Him over the conditions? What if we rested in the knowledge that we have been set with God?
The purpose of this challenge is to grow in the knowledge of who He is, and deepen your relationship with Him. Our self sufficiency is not sustainable, the way forth is led by Him alone. The path of the trail is set to His ways. The pursuit progresses by faith in Him.
In this Pray the Word challenge we will be praying through Psalm 145 verse by verse. I will guide you through the verses we will pray through each day, and provide you with prompts to intertwine with what is pressing on your heart and God’s word.
As I was praying over this challege, the Lord laid Psalm 145 on my heart with so much intention. This psalm is a praise of David, which fits so powerfully for this specific challenge. Praying the Word gives us a heart posture that is fixed on the Lord, and Psalm 145 is a summary of all that David learned about who God is while he was faithfully following Him.
We will see in this Psalm and inside look into David’s heart and his passion to truly praise the Lord. David proclaims and reflects on the goodness of God. In this Psalm we will learn so much about who God is and what He has done. Great is the Lord!
I have trekked through many seasons of not having the words to pray and other seasons where His word led me through conversations with Him, and I can tell you this—you WILL GROW in the knowledge of who He is, your relationship with Him WILL DEEPEN, and He WILL SUSTAIN you. Get ready, He WILL MEET you here!
Trail Map
DAILY:
Use the words in the verses you are exploring as a guide to writing out a prayer, expanding your prayer with what the Hoy Spirit is leading you in.
The prompts below will serve as a tool to help guide you along as you are praying the Word. As you answer them, your words will intertwin with the verses.
What is God speaking to you as you dwell in them?
Rejoice, repent, and request what is on your heart.
As you finish writing your prayer, you will see a blend of scripture and the pressings from your heart.
READING PLAN + PROMPTS:
DAY ONE- VERSES 1-3
Tell the Lord how your heart is fully devoted to praise.
Read Psalm 99:9– Exalt His name. How is our Lord described in verse 9?
What has God done for you?
Proclaim a joyful praise.
What are you praising Him for today?
Tell the Lord how great He is.
DAY TWO- VERSES 4-7
Tell of his faithfulness.
Write down some of His wondrous works.
Meditate on a characteristic of the Lord.
How does His greatness transform your life in Him?
What about the Lord are you paying attention to?
Read Isaiah 63:7– what will you recount of the Lord specifically?
What does His steadfast love mean to you?
What is stirring praise towards Him within you?
DAY THREE- VERSES 8-9
How does the Lord being gracious and merciful transform your heart and mind?
How are you bearing Christ’s image as you see who He is in these verses?
What do you need to surrender to Him?
What are some past and present experiences of Gods greatness that you can praise?
Read Psalm 86:5. How are you calling upon the Lord today?
What do you need to ask Him for forgiveness?
DAY FOUR- VERSES 10-13
What are you thanking God for today?
Describe the glory of His eternal Kingdom.
How has His hand in your life worked?
How is His power made perfect in your weakness?
What do you need to call upon Him for today?
Read Deuteronomy 3:24– Describe His greatness and His mighty hand and how it changes everything.
How does His everlasting Kingdom propel you closer to Him?
DAY FIVE- VERSES 14-16
What does the terrain your trekking through look like?
How is the Lord upholding you in it?
Read Psalm 37:7– What are you waiting upon the Lord for? How will you wait?
Describe the kindness of God in your life.
Tell the Lord how you will draw near to Him.
Tell the Lord how you will depend on Him.
How will you follow His path, His plan, His pace?
Describe how the Lord satisfies your every need.
Read Psalm 148:8– Proclaim what He does.
DAY SIX- VERSES 17-21
Tell the Lord how His graciousness transforms your life.
What do you need to ask of the Lord today?
Describe how you cling to his nearness.
Lay down any weariness, hurts, or fears at His feet.
Tell the Lord how He fuels you and how He sustains you.
Adore Him. Tell the Lord all the ways you love Him.
Describe your need for the Lord in all circumstances.
The Lord hears you and sees you. Tell Him what this means to you.
Praise the Lord.
Let’s put our trust in the Lord, because our trust is the Lord.
Here, in Him, we are like trees planted by water where our roots stretch out to the streams.
Here, in Him, there is no room to fear when the heat comes.
There is no worry when the land is parched— the fruit continues to yield.
He is taking us to a place of complete and sustainable dependency.
LET’S PRAY THE WORD!
Nothing Can Separates Us.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 25:15
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Genesis 25:15
I remember that day in the car so vividly. I was crying out to the Lord. I could feel the heavy weights this uneven ground of special needs held. I felt it for myself and for my son, Mason. It was sticky— pretty gritty at points, and I began to realize that as I became more aware of the weight, I really became even more aware of His nearness in it.
In our awareness of the weight, we see our desperate need for the Lord. Then the Lord spoke so clearly, that the tears rolled down my face. His words repeated over and over again— “ just exalt Jesus.” In every break in the ground that we might feel like we are falling through or every place, our foot might get stuck between the rocks, exalt Jesus.
Ever since that moment, I have reminded both Mason and I that it might appear to be rugged terrain, or that the weight of the disabilities are trying to overcome but really, we just need to exalt Jesus.
So we began to take His word and proclaim what we call mile marker anthems to keep us going. Mile marker anthems take a piece of scripture and break it down verse by verse creating statements that will be anthems. These anthems are what we live out as we live in Him throughout the trek. We press into the terrain because His goodness carries eternal weight. They are a way for you to tell of who He is, to dig deep into His attributes.
What our eyes are fixed on is what will lead the way forth.
What our heart is set on determines the path of the trail.
What our mind focuses on is what we will pursue.
Mile marker anthems serve as reminders to us that no matter what it is we are trekking through our God is bigger, our God is good, and our God never leaves our side.
The ground below might look like a whole lot of grit, maybe a pile of mundane, or an overwhelm of fear, heartache, or shame. The rugged places in the terrain are where we witness His goodness.
What if we looked at it through a lens of faith instead of unbelief?
What if we plunged right into His promise?
What if we put our hope in Him over the conditions?
What if we rested in the knowledge that we have been set with God?
Our faith in Him equips us, fills us, and it nourishes us.
His presence changes everything.
Perhaps right now it might be hard to see over that mountain in your life, or maybe you are in the valley waiting to make the big trek up, wherever it is He has you, can I encourage you to stand firm with Him in it? Our deep need for him is revealed in it. The way forth is led by Him alone. The path of the trail is set to His ways. The pursuit progresses by faith in Him.
As I proclaim these anthems I am reminded day after day to live by faith—my eyes only fixed on Him, my heart solely with Him, my mind relentless after Him. He is the only answer we need.
In the midst of unfamiliar surroundings approaching, etch His word in your heart—
Genesis 25:15 says, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Whatever happens in the trek furthers His eternal purpose.
Anything can make its way in— BUT God is already here.
Maybe today you find yourself in terrain that is overwhelming or anxious or maybe you really don’t know where to put your foot in the broken ground that lays in front of you, or you need to be reminded of who He is.
The valley may feel vast, the wilderness never-ending, know that He is the God who gets in the valley with you, He is the God who is your refuge in the wilderness.
This is your invitation to proclaim mile marker anthems.
His word is a tangible encounter.
His wounds are our healing.
Press into the terrain.
Grab hold of His hand in the trek.
Receive what He is producing along the way.
Nothing can separate us.
Romans 8:39
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3 Ways to Transform Your Prayer Life
Our prayer life is transformed in walking out our faith, surrendering it all to Him, being expectant of the work He is doing, where we might be swept in a slew of directions, shaken, sifted, taught, even paused-- to actually being present, showing up to do the work-- meeting Him in that place. Honestly, we have to have a faith so rooted in Him where we allow Him the room to do the mighty works-- that is fully transforming, not necessarily doing but being one with Christ.
"And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [a]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]."
Romans 12:2
Are we fully giving ourselves to the Lord because of the grace that we have thru Him that which saves us? When I thought and prayed about how I wanted to start the year off, prayer was the first thing that came to mind. I think it is a topic that we hear and talk about a lot, but I think sometimes we only grasp the surface. When we are new in Him, we have come from the dead (a brokenness) to a new living being from within. The old withers, and the new sprouts. As we are made new in Christ, our minds are also transformed so that we can further discern God’s will. That which is good and acceptable and perfect for our world is far different than that of Christ most often, a purpose that goes far beyond the expectancies of the world. When we meet the Father in prayer we are letting Him overtake it all for us, which is what He desires, it is what He wants so that we have a vast awareness of what He is capable of in our lives. Our prayer life is transformed in walking out our faith, surrendering it all to Him, being expectant of the work He is doing, where we might be swept in a slew of directions, shaken, sifted, taught, even paused-- to actually being present, showing up to do the work-- meeting Him in that place. Honestly, we have to have a faith so rooted in Him where we allow Him the room to do the mighty works-- that is fully transforming, not necessarily doing but being one with Christ.
Transformed through Surrender
In order for prayer to fully transform us, for us to know that we are fully His I think we have to begin with surrender, the rest will follow from there. The thorns that we read about in Matthew 13:16-23, they will choke us-- it is on the hardened ground where we might cling more to the cares of the world that produces less fruit. If we dig a little deeper into our lives, into our prayer life even more specifically, when we allow our fears, our anxieties, our brokenness, our need for perfection to take hold of us-- we are in bondage to Him. We are admitting to our Savior that we don’t think what He paid for us on the cross is worthy enough--- when in truth it is His abundance He gives to us. When we break free from the thorns, whatever they are in your life, you are opening yourself up to God. He already knows every single detail about us-- He just needs us to speak it to Him. For transformation in our prayer life to sprout, to experience the fullness of Christ, we must speak His abundance-- that means laying it all out to Him. Practically it means being present with the Lord--- we live a world where it can be easy to just go through the motions-- however, in prayer, it is not that way. We have to open ourselves up to the Lord trusting and asking for His will, His way, to be done.
I don’t know about you but when I read about Jesus praying I can picture Him, being so humble and lifting His hands up in surrender. In a posture that allows our Heavenly Father to lean in closer to us. We learn from Jesus that by surrendering it all we seek His will, we are there to encounter His whispers. Our hunger and thirst for the Lord when we surrender becomes our constant appetite. Can we be so desperate that our faith in the Lord is the complete belief in what His ability is and not ours? Are we coming to the Father, fully surrender, fully prepared to abide in what it is that He has for us?
Before you begin to pray, surrender--- pause, hunger, and thirst for you to hear Him, draw near. It is almost as if you are taking a deep breath and lifting yourself up to Him.
Transformed through Expectancy
Our prayer life is transformed when we have a posture of expectancy. We need to position ourselves, our prayers, our thoughts to be expectant of what is to come. This can be hard sometimes, our world wants us to think we have to move two steps ahead and have all the answers-- that is flesh, that is not how our God works-- He is the only one who knows what was and is to come, we however just need to expect Him-- trust that He is present. We are made new in Him, and this sometimes means that we will have to wait. We are on His timeline, and each day that He gives us, we need to know that with that we are made new again and again until He says He needs us in eternity with Him.
I will tell you when I had Mason at 23 weeks, of all the things I remember most on the day he was born and the very scary days into his life, was having to be expectant. We hear the word expectant, and we tend to think of a woman carrying her child, but for me, in that place, it was expectant of what God’s plan was for Mason’s life, for our life. In praying almost every minute of those days, prayer woven into every conversation with the doctors and nurses, especially the first 4 days of his life-- I remember so clearly, hands open to Him, letting Him know I was going to just be expectant, if that meant He needed to take Mason to be with Him, He could, if He wanted Mason to stay with us a while longer, it was His will. We must go to a place in prayer where we understand that it is not about what we want when we want it--- what we may pray for may come but also in a completely different way. No matter the way He presents it to us, being expectant forces us to trust that no matter what, He is there with us-- there is nothing in His purpose for us that is not used to glorify Him.
When you pray, be expectant--- instead of only asking Him what you want or need, give Him the permission for His will to be done in your life.
Transformed through Revival
Let us first define revive:
revive is the translation of chayah, "to live," "cause to live," used of restoration to life (Genesis 45:27; Judges 15:19, etc.); of rebuilding (Nehemiah 4:2); of restoration to well-being (Psalms 85:6 (the Revised Version (British and American) "quicken"); Psalms 138:7; Isaiah 57:15; Hosea 6:2; 14:7); of Yahweh's gracious work for His people (Habakkuk 3:2, "revive thy work in the midst of the years," etc.); "reviving" is the translation of michydh "preservation" or "means of life" (Ezra 9:8,9). "Revive" occurs in the New Testament as the translation of anazao, "to live again" (Romans 7:9; 14:9, the King James Version "Christ both died, and rose, and revived," the Revised Version (British and American) (omitting "and rose") "Christ died and lived again" zao). Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'REVIVE; REVIVING'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.
For us to understand transformation through a revival perspective, we break down what the word revival means. Here we can see that to revive is to live, a means of life, to live again. We become alive when we have this living relationship, which we can do through prayer with the Lord. Revival is showing up, day in and day out, knowing that we need Him in every moment of our days. It means when we want to give into what our flesh might want, impatience, exhaustion, anger, sadness-- we have to rise to Him. We have to rebuke the enemy. Living in Christ is a relationship with Him, one where He shows up no questions asked, even when we doubt His presence. We have to show up and meet Him in all areas of our life. In order for us to bear the fruit, we have to tend to the harvest. The work needs to be put in-- whether you set 5 minutes aside a day, or you talk to Him throughout your day-- you have to filter your days through Christ.
Maybe for you, that means writing out your prayers, physically seeing the words you speak to Him, and then seeing His promises back to you-- whatever works in your life, to be transformed in prayer let yourself be revived-- brought back to life in Him. When we pray and read the word, we are not trying to get something out of it for ourselves--- our main focus has to be about getting to know our Lord and Savior. Not what He will do and fix in us, but what He has done. When we sin, when we feel less than, to trust that He makes us new--- are you going to Him, confessing, and asking for forgiveness? We have to ask ourselves if we understand the depth of what His victory in our life means-- that there is no battle we actually need to fight because it is won by Him already. In the midst of our days, when we pray we are rebuilt, right then and there. Our thoughts are shifted to a position of focus towards Him.
When you pray, show up--- get into His word, get to know Him more than anyone-- serve Him, build His Kingdom, live in Him.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; From Him comes my salvation.He alone is my rock and my salvation,my defense and my strong tower; I will not be shaken or disheartened.” Psalm 62:1-2
What if we break down the walls of prayer-- remove the fear of not doing it right or saying the right words--- what is we grew in our relationship instead-- ultimately our transformation comes through the Lord this way. What if we threw out the misconceptions of prayer just going through motions and actually had an honest conversation with him? Can we move from here and now and to our beings waiting, surrendered, present, expectant of what the Lord has planned for your life. Waiting in silence, so that we can draw near and get so close to Him so that we can hear Him speak. Maybe you can’t quite make out the words, but a place of awareness brings so much freedom in our lives. Being aware of our joy, and contentment, all stem from Him alone. I have found that when I feel overwhelmed, doubtful, anxiety-filled— I can wait with Him, I never have to feel alone, even in a world so big, I can get still in Him. We see SALVATION here twice- deliverance— we are delivered from Him, and this friend is the only thing that should shake our day— nothing else, can shake us because thru Him we are delivered. I cling to this, I can release fear in my life because He is my defense, He wants me to live a BOLD life for Him, His strong tower protects and this is also the truth for you! In times when my soul might feel dry or run down, exhausted— these words of truth bring an eternal light and life to me, may they bring the same to your life.
Will you wait in silence for Him today? Will you FULLY trust that your salvation, your deliverance comes from Him alone? Can you picture Him as your defense today, your strong tower? You cannot be shaken friend, He is your eternity.
Prayers of the Bible | A guide to cultivating a spirit of prayer
Have you ever been in a place in your prayer life where you didn’t feel equipped in your walk with the Lord to turn to Him, or maybe you didn't think you had the “right” words? Maybe prayer is not your go to? With that, I want to challenge you and ask you why? Prayer is one of the powerful tools that the Lord gives us to connect with Him. It is a way for us to experience His fullness and know that He is at work in our lives. To cultivate the spirit of prayer lets define cultivate first- to prepare and use, to develop. In order for our prayers to transform our lives, the relationship, the faith in Christ has to be put to use, and we do that by talking to Him, calling upon Him, thanking Him, praising Him.
"Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us."
Ephesians 3:20
Have you ever been in a place in your prayer life where you didn’t feel equipped in your walk with the Lord to turn to Him, or maybe you didn't think you had the “right” words? Maybe prayer is not your go to? With that, I want to challenge you and ask you why? Prayer is one of the powerful tools that the Lord gives us to connect with Him. It is a way for us to experience His fullness and know that He is at work in our lives. To cultivate the spirit of prayer lets define cultivate first- to prepare and use, to develop. In order for our prayers to transform our lives, the relationship, the faith in Christ has to be put to use, and we do that by talking to Him, calling upon Him, thanking Him, praising Him. Do you hold back from the Lord, I pray that in learning to cultivate a spirit of praying and talk to our Savior all the time that your relationship with Him will open you up even more to how powerful He is. Our Lord knows everything, even before we show up to Him, so let us not shy away from Him for any reason at all. Let’s show up before Him, and thru this we are His vessel for the world to experience His abounding love.
How did people of the Bible pray? What can we learn from the ways people prayed in the Bible?
The blessings that we read about in the Bible fall nothing short of being connected to obedience, perseverance, and willingness. It is important to mention that when we talk about blessings, that also included times of frustration and confusion, yet their posture to abide in the Lord remained. They positioned themselves to understand how He might reveal Himself to them. As we look a people in the bible, people such as Elijah, Hannah, Moses, Hezekiah, Jabez, and David. We saw that each were in a different place in their lives yet all calling on the Lord. All of them were seeking the overall presence of the Lord. Exactly what we seek as well don’t we?
When we really break down the purpose behind prayer and the connection, it is Him. We so badly want to know, feel, hear, the Lord. Prayer gives us His presence. He tells us that His presence will go with us. Prayer allows us to know our Savior, it connects us in such a way that we are transformed by His abounding love for us. When we cultivate a spirit of prayer in our lives asking, proclaiming, rejoicing, thanking, fully trusting, we grow spiritually in such a way that we might not know or understand the work He is doing in our lives, but we know that fully laying it all down for Him and for His glory His goodness is abundant. We cease to be hungry when we are only filled with Him, moment after moment.
As we look at how people of the Bible prayed we can dig into three areas:
A spirit of obedience
They partnered with Jesus, there was not a lot of room for argument when they spoke and prayed with Him-- we see many times in the Bible, “they followed”.
They let Jesus take a hold of their lives when they prayed
Although there were times in the bible where they might have shown some frustration, they ultimately knew that Jesus would bless them for what His ultimate purpose was.
They listened to the word, He was/is the Word!
A spirit of surrender
We see people who came open-handed to the Lord, with hearts ready to be taken over by Him
They were open to Jesus taking them to the harder, lower places of their lives so that He would be glorified.
They poured out their bodies to make Him known
A spirit of trust
So many times in their prayers they mention words like known, presence, to know-- all situations where they put all their trust in their faith that He would make himself known.
We see Jesus actively present in their prayers.
They placed it all in Him, in the end.
They believed that He was always a good Father, even when their circumstances were not changed.
How can we apply that to our own lives?
Prayer is our undoubting faith in Him. We must not put limits or boundaries on it-- Obedience, surrender, and trust need to be placed in the Lord as we seek Him in prayer to have a posture to abide.
We are going to go into the deep end of the pool many times in our lives, and we will not know what He is doing there until we are fully obedient, surrendered, and trusting.
We must shift our hearts and minds to be fully aware of the Lord, who He is, the power that He is capable of.
We need to be open to the unlikely circumstances where He might be at work.
Our faith is built with prayer, which then draws us closer to the Lord.
Our thoughts need to move towards a God that seeks to use us as a vessel to be glorified-- the Word gets into the world this way-- through all that Jesus journeys with us.
To apply prayer is also to make Him know-- living in Christ, as we die to the flesh.
There are times when we need to be still in prayer and there are other times when we need to move in prayer!
The more acquainted we are with prayer, the more we are attuned to hear His whispers
He reserves so much of His glory in the broken areas of our lives.
We shall practice being aware of ourselves and WHO and WHERE He is in our lives.
He accepts us as we are, He will not love us any more than He has today, and will tomorrow. God is showing up, He is always there, are we always showing up to Him?
“My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for[My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].”2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What He gives us in prayer is still really His to use, for Him to work thru in our lives. Prayer is the way to the word, the word that is God. Prayer is infinite, there are no boundaries to the Lord, and therefore no boundaries in praying-- our faith in Him, our relationship has no limitations. We have to know WHO our God is, who WE are in Him, and then live in Him. When we are inclined to box our prayer life in, we are closing Him off, we are in fact saying that we got this, when in fact that only way possible is thru Him. What would it look like if you connected with Him in a way where you walked thru each day allowing Him to overtake you, live inside of you? If your prayers were not “what more could I get out of God”, but instead were “to get more God”, we then acknowledge Him. We fail to give Him the credit for who He is when we only go to the Father for the more we can get out of Him, instead of a hunger and a thirst for more of Him. Jesus can do such deep work within us, that pours out onto others for them to see His abundance, His victory, that He paid for us.
3 Things We Can Learn About Prayer From The Way Jesus Prayed
Prayer is one of our greatest tools that God has given us. It is our weapon in this fallen world.Prayer heals the brokenness. Prayer is the open life line that we have with our Savior that allows us to experience the all mighty powerful God. Are we using it, applying it, for everything in our life-- for our protection, deliverance, and victory? What holds us back from experiencing the abundance that is already laid out before us? Do you feel like you're unworthy, afraid at that God might want instead of what you want, fearful that His answer won’t be the one you think you need? Jesus was hungry and thirsty for God. He had a posture that opened Him up to the Lord. Jesus made sure that He was in a position to hear God speak in His life and abide by no hesitation.
“Faith in Christs ability to do and to do greatly, is the faith which prays greatly”
E.M. Bounds
Prayer is one of our greatest tools that God has given us. It is our weapon in this fallen world.Prayer heals the brokenness. Prayer is the open life line that we have with our Savior that allows us to experience the all mighty powerful God. Are we using it, applying it, for everything in our life-- for our protection, deliverance, and victory? What holds us back from experiencing the abundance that is already laid out before us? Do you feel like you're unworthy, afraid at that God might want instead of what you want, fearful that His answer won’t be the one you think you need? Jesus was hungry and thirsty for God. He had a posture that opened Him up to the Lord. Jesus made sure that He was in a position to hear God speak in His life and abide by no hesitation.
How did Jesus pray in the Bible?
Matthew 5:2 states this “ And he opened his mouth and taught them….”. Can we dig a little deeper here for a minute? He is on the mount and the disciples came to Him, and I find myself asking myself this questions- Am I going to Him, running to Him to soak up all He has to teach me, to guide me? We read here he opened his mouth, he is a talking Savior, he teaches, therefore we must go to Him with open hands. There is no better person than Jesus to teach us about prayer. Let's dive a little deeper friend and hear Him speak to us.
He prayed with rhythm
In Mark 1:35, “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there”. We see Jesus waking early in the morning while it was still dark, and departed to a desolate place and prayed. This posture to rise and seek the Lord first was a rhythm that brought Him to the hidden place to be with God. We also read that He prayed for an extensive time, His prayers were not instantly answered and certainly even for Jesus it was what God’s will was. Withdrawing, going to the hidden places, repeatedly, is a rhythm we see Jesus position Himself in to pray to hear God’s whispers. He goes back again and again to the Father, fervently. This is sacred, protected time with the Lord.
He prayed surrendered
In Matthew 26:39, And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup [a]pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” We once again see this posture, this humility that Jesus has when He prays. He comes to the Father bold but surrendered. In a prayer, where He knows His death will happen, and lays it all down to the Father, emphasizing that it is whatever is God’s will for Him. He is not asking to not die on the cross, instead, Jesus falls face down, prays and says “consistent with Your will”. Because Jesus surrendered He was not afraid to pray for deliverance, for what was to come, He had undoubting faith in His Father that He can do all things. In surrendering to the Father, he was able to pray for the big things, the hard stuff, on top of all the other prayers we read in the bible-- He knew the father would deliver Him when He gave it all on the cross.
He prayed powerfully and victoriously
In Matthew 6:9-13 we read, “Pray, then, [a]in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[b]Hallowed be Your name.
‘[c]Your kingdom come,
Your [d]will be done
On earth, as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread.
‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
Jesus prayed declaring that He was His father, He is our Father. He knew exactly who He was talking to, because of the power and victory God has over the Kingdom. Heaven emphasizes the sovereign rule that God has over all- His power, one that brings victory for every single one of us. When he spoke these words as He prayed he set the Father apart from everything, powerfully He prayed and spoke His name. He is victorious when He prays declaring this truth that His kingdom has come, His will shall be done. We see the power in the words Jesus prays here because He prays for all that is to come. Jesus prays from a place where fear is absent because He trusts that the Father power is victorious.
What can we learn about the way He prayed?
Through rhythm, He found connection and heard the Lord
We see a very living human aspect of Jesus when He goes out to a secret private place to pray. He was quieting His surroundings so that He could lean in closer to God and hear the gentle whispers. The same applies to us when we meet Him in the secret places, the hidden places of our lives we can quiet the noises, the busy.
Through surrender He left fear behind and sought God's’ will
I don’t know about you but when I read Jesus praying I can picture Him, being so humble and lifting His hands up in surrender. In a posture that allows our Heavenly Father to lean in closer to us. We learn from Jesus that by surrendering it all we seek His will, we are there to encounter His whispers. Our hunger and thirst for the Lord when we surrender becomes our constant appetite. Can we be so desperate that our faith in the Lord is the complete belief in what His ability is and not ours? Are we coming to the Father, fully surrender, fully prepared to abide in what it is that He has for us?
Through power and victory, He experienced God's’ might and praised Him.
God sent His son Jesus to die upon the cross for us, so that we may be saved and live in eternity with Christ. We walk in the flesh through and with the power of God. His Kingdom comes, He will be done- that is the VICTORY that we get to walk in every day. A posture of praising our mighty God for this, and the power to know that when we pray He already knows what we need before we even ask. Are you walking in the abundance of His power and victory that He has already given you?
“ As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2
Our God is here in all the rhythms of our days, when we surrender to Him, draw closer, when we stand firm in truth that declares He has won, He is victorious, therefore the weight is taken off of us because He carries it for us. As we proclaim His power, forgive, and confess we tell Him we are open to hearing and we are eager to respond. His words over our lives will never be wasted, He is waiting for you to get into the position to hear Him. Where will you go, what will you do, how will you live in Christ so that you will hear His whisper?
The Intricacies of Prayer: What Is It + Why It Is An Important Aspect of Our Faith
Prayer is connection yet there are seasons and times in our lives when that connection gets pushed to the backburner and left untouched in applying it to our lives. Prayer is obedience, are we abiding in Him and going directly to the source of the abundance that has already been given and promised?Perhaps prayer feels overwhelming, or you feel lost in your prayer life. We are going to look at prayer in a different light here, connection, a closer connection. It is our time to spend with our Savior on earth in the flesh any time we want.
“Prayer is continuing a conversation that God has started through his Word and his grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him.”
Timothy Keller
Prayer is connection yet there are seasons and times in our lives when that connection gets pushed to the backburner and left untouched in applying it to our lives. Prayer is obedience, are we abiding in Him and going directly to the source of the abundance that has already been given and promised?Perhaps prayer feels overwhelming, or you feel lost in your prayer life. We are going to look at prayer in a different light here, connection, a closer connection. It is our time to spend with our Savior on earth in the flesh any time we want. Will you pause with me for a second, will you try to picture Jesus sitting right next to you-- you and Him are face to face-- He is staring into your eyes and He wants to talk to you for hours on end and doesn't want the conversation to end. He desires us so badly, a kind of desire that we should seek out in Him any chance we have.
What is prayer?
Prayer is simple, prayer is surrender - I say this to mean one thing that prayer is trust. It is a gift that has been given to us thru the ultimate sacrifice of our Father. I know that that can be all things depth and complex, but when we truly get laser-focused on what prayer is, it is simply abiding, simply surrendering. It is radical, friend because the power of Christ is miraculous and because of that we simply have faith. I am not going to promise you that because prayer is simple, you are going to get what you want. What I want to uncover is the simplicity of prayer and the power that it holds when we are committed to our relationship, our ongoing conversation with Christ.
We can easily complicate something as simple as prayer and that can cause it to make its way to the backburner of our lives. When really it should be how we start our days, how our daily life is rooted. Do you worry you don't have all the words to say? Maybe you don’t feel qualified? Overall there might be a sense of overwhelming when it comes to prayer? Place yourself back in that image of you and Him talking face to face. Sit there. As you look at Him can you see you listening, Him speaking, and then you speaking and Him listening? This is the simplicity. Take away all the barriers that you feel hold you back in prayer and simply speak and listen. Ask, and wait for a response. Seek, and obey.
The Word is God's prayer, it is Him giving all of us to Him to continue a conversation to be ever present in our lives. Prayer is a connected conversation with our Savior, it is a space that is free access. Jesus tells us that what is written about Him is fulfillment-- He is enough, therefore our conversations with Him are our fulfillment. Prayer gives us His concrete being in our lives. It speaks to us, we know who we are in Him thru prayer, who we can run to, who we can rest in, who we can hide in.
“Our prayer must be in full, grateful awareness that our access to God as Father is a free gift won by the costly sacrifice of Jesus the True Son, and then enacted in us by the Holy Spirit, who helps us know inward;y that we are his children.” Timothy Keller
Why is prayer an important aspect of our faith + How can you equip your days with prayer?
Prayer anchors our lives. It turns our eyes upon the one who is in full control. It is critical for us to not look to the world for our hope, guidance, approval, and timing. We will leave empty-handed if we look to our flesh for all of these things. He gave us prayer because He is not finished, He is at work in our lives. He was obedient to the Father so that you and I could be covered in His grace, truth, and glory.
Although prayer is simple, the conversation between you and Him, I preface here that that does not mean all that we pray for will come to be. We live in a fallen world, one where there is illness, hatred, crime, death, where the enemy is on the move in many circumstances--- Let these things never be what stop you from prayer. Jesus knew what was to come of His life, He knew He was sent to earth to die for us-- yet we see His obedience to God, never ceasing to pray. Perhaps you are praying for something and you're not hearing from Him, He is not answering you-- what if the exact place or season that you are standing in is where He wants you. Prayer is so important in our faith because, in places like these in our lives, our faith grows deeper, the connection grows stronger. We might not know or see what He is doing, and maybe we never will, and I know that is hard to swallow-- I have had to wrestle with this a lot through these past few years, but to trust that it is and never has been up to us is suffering it all to Him.
We do not have to stop praying for something because we have been praying about it for a long time. Jesus tells us to pray, to always pray and to never lose heart. Prayer opens our hearts to fearing and respecting God at the same time. We see persistent prayer all throughout scripture, from Jesus, and from so many people in the bible- he encourages us to keep praying. Remember that in having faith in Him is trusting that in all in His time and in His plan. The beauty of our prayer life is to have a faith so strong that you have undoubting faith. To wholeheartedly have no doubt when it comes to the grace of God.
Prayer does not at all have to be perfect. We can pray in a multitude of ways and no one way is the correct and only way. If for you that is speaking them out loud, or hidden in your war room, writing them out day after day, crying out to Him, a simple check in at any point in your day-- whatever it looks like, however, you can have the conversation with Him, have it. We engrain it in our hearts when we speak and/or write out our prayers. If you have never written them, my challenge to you today is to grab pen and paper and write out a prayer-- a conversation with Him. If you have never prayed out loud, my challenge for you today is to speak your conversation out loud. You will feel His presence, in some way you will. We have to be obedient when He tells us to keep coming to Him, run to the living Word. We must not get restless but rest only in Him.
Equip yourself, your day, your life. Prayer never should be an extra or a burden, it is a get to and we need to abide by that.
Before you turn to anything else when you wake in the morning, turn to Him, take a few moments and speak to Him, thank Him, ask what you need of Him, praise Him. He will meet you there.
Then throughout your day check in with Him, when your writing an email, making dinner, folding laundry, running those errands---- talk to Him in the glorious mundane because He is right there with you.
We must use the tool of prayer that He has given us, that was sacrificed for us--
We shall surrender ourselves, our days, our lives- all of it, to our powerful Father, because the abundance, we are standing in it, you and me. He is our abundant life. His will has, shall, and will be done. In His name, Jesus.