Victory Life KY

What's My Prayer Life Look Like

Episode Summary

In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with our creator, the Almighty, our Father. At the end of the day, it’s how a human, born of His world navigates that world.

Episode Notes

• Prayer is a subject of great debate among Christians, driven by opinion, religious tradition, experiences, and emotion. Way to often considered an optional, or something we turn to in difficult situations.

• But what is it, really? Bottom line, as with every other reality concerning the realities of God’s world, there’s only one true source to go to and that’s His word.

• Luke 6:47-48,NKJV-  “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.”

• And the longer I walk with the Lord, I am convinced that the most important reality of prayer is how we experience a divine relationship with our Father. It’s an avenue of fellowship with our King, and a direct line of communication with the Holy Spirit living in each born-again believer.

• In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with our creator, the Almighty, our Father. At the end of the day, it’s how a human, born of His world navigates that world.

• Let’s start with this, the word prayer is used a number of ways in the Hebrew and Greek language: intercede, petition, fellowship, worship, meditate, communion.

• And by design, if  faith isn’t part of our life, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, which prayer is, it will be an area we’ll stay uncomfortable with as long as we constantly question it’s realities, and refuse to make it a part of your life.

• Let’s look at prayer from a natural perspective for a second, maybe from the viewpoint of a parent and a child;

• When children are young and immature, their primary communication is getting their needs met.

• But as they grow and mature, the relationship dynamic changes to one more of fellowship.

• Seriously, just like our natural communication has to be developed, spiritual communication is no different.

• 1 Corinthians 13:11,NKJV- When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

• A clearer understanding of a healthy prayer life is embracing the reality that it’s simply how a born again human navigates the Spirit world.

• And as I said earlier, the most significant aspect of quality prayer is centered around our relationship with our Father.

• In Jesus’ sermon on the mount He begins laying out Kingdom realities, and prayer is one of those realities He highlights. And one of His most challenging statements is when He tells us to pray, “God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

• Matthew 6:31-33,NKJV- Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 
• For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 
• But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

• Keep in mind, a big part of this conversation is in response to His disciples asking Him to teach them how to pray.

• According to Jesus, if we’re seeking His Kingdom, the things will simply be added to us.

• For example, if we look at what Jesus is saying through the book of Genesis, it becomes very clear that God’s intention from the beginning is to be El Shaddai for all His people.

• Think about Adam, what did he need as far as provision? So what do you think his prayer life was about? What if God’s main thing He’s looking for is exactly what He lost with Adam, and that is simply a relationship with His creation.

• The Apostle Paul takes us a little further in Ephesians by giving us some excellent insight into some of the things we should be praying about.

• That God give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 
• That you may know what is the hope of His calling. 
• That you walk in the riches of the glory of His inheritance. 
• That you operate in the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. 

• Ephesians 1:20-23,NKJV- ...according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 
• far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 
• And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

• Notice the Holy Spirit led Paul to pray that they would be able to recognize what He’s already done.

• In that same chapter He also says this, The Lord Jesus Christ,  HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...

• Peter adds that God has given usexceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of His divine nature.

• In order for this to happen we’ve got to be more God inside minded. Consistently practicing His presence. Make it a lifestyle founded on the things God’s word tells us.

• Don’t kid yourself, operating in this world only happens by faith. In others words, we’ve gotta believe this stuff.

• Hebrews 11:6,NLT- “It’s impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”

• Get this settled in your spirit, we will never operate in God’s world without believing in it. Remember, “It’s impossible to please Gods without faith.”

• Think about it, if you’re needing to see it to believe it, how can you honestly pray to a God you can’t see? “Anyone who come to God must believe that He is...”

• So a healthy prayer life, a lifestyle if you will, is believing in God enough to be able to fellowship with Him right in the middle of our daily routine.

• The thing is, too many of God’s kids never get to this place because it’s just too far outside their reality.

• Remember, faith only works through love. So for us to have an effective prayer life, one of the main things we’ll have to trust. God with is our love walk.

• Something else everyone of us have to acknowledge is the fact that human nature will constantly pull against the things of the Spirit.

• So if we’re always looking to our intellectual, carnal world to confirm a world that makes no sense to our humanity, then faith and prayer will always be that mysterious thing we’re always a little unsure of.

• Proverbs 3:5-6,MSG- Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! 

• There is a Kingdom of Heaven principle, a divine, supernatural life connected with simply hanging out with our Father.

• Our challenge is growing in this kind of relationship. Remember, more things are caught than taught.

• So the more time we simply fellowship with God, the more His nature, personality, His attitude becomes ours.

• Proverbs 3 actually becomes part of who we are and this world no longer has the same influence.

• Think about this way, can you honestly have a Proverbs 3 kind of trust in someone you don’t know?
• In Timothy, Paul really sums it up perfectly, “I know the one in whom I trust.”

• Here’s the deal, this kind of knowing, fellowship, trust, expectation, faith, has to be built on the foundation of God’s word. Remember what Peter tells us, God has given usexceedingly great and precious promises, that through them we may be partakers of His divine nature.

• Here’s a little food for thought, God and His word never change, so anytime you get to feeling like God isn’t there, guess who moved?

• Or if His word seems old and routine, there’s a good chance our fellowship could be the same.

• This is why the Holy Spirit instructs us in Ephesians to not live so carelessly and unthinking, but to make sure we comprehend what Jesus actually did for us.

• And the longer I walk with the Lord, I am convinced that the most important reality of prayer is how we experience a Devine relationship with our Father. It’s an avenue of fellowship with our King, and a direct line of communication with the Holy Spirit living in each born-again believer.

• In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with our creator, the Almighty, our Father. At the end of the day, it’s how a human, born of His world navigates that world.