heard

Talk with God, my prayers are heard

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There was a song that we sang in youth group on Friday nights that would come out of the core of my being. It is hardly sung these days, but when it is, it still rocks my soul.

As a deer longs for a stream of cool water,
    so I long for you, O God. – Psalm 42:1 GNT

Thirst is the second strongest bodily desire after the need for air. That is where I was at in my journey of discovering and expressing my love for Jesus. I discovered that I could worship Him anytime, anyplace because of the Holy Spirit who was within me.

It was part of David being honest that makes the prayer so real. He goes on…

Why am I so sad?
    Why am I so troubled?
I will put my hope in God,
    and once again I will praise him,
    my savior and my God.

Here in exile my heart is breaking,
    and so I turn my thoughts to him.
He has sent waves of sorrow over my soul;
    chaos roars at me like a flood,
    like waterfalls thundering down to the Jordan
    from Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar.
May the Lord show his constant love during the day,
    so that I may have a song at night,
    a prayer to the God of my life. – Psalm 42:5-8 GNT

In other words – “I know it is foolish to be down, but I am.” What about the expression he uses at the end – “a prayer to the God of my life.” God’s love never fails and His ear is ready to hear.

The intimacy that exist here is real.

While I slept, my heart was awake.

I dreamed my lover knocked at the door.

Let me come in, my darling,

    my sweetheart, my dove.
My head is wet with dew,
    and my hair is damp from the mist. – Song of Solomon 5:2 GNT

 

I have seen God delighting and joying over me. I am just as important to Him as a lover is to their loved one. He longs to hear my voice – why is it so easy to forget to pray? He reaches out to me but I am too busy. I am His dove that He wants to hold and speak gently to, but I struggle and keep trying to fly away.

Jesus time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was given a different perspective from the author of the Book of Hebrews.

In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him. But even though he was God’s Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him – Hebrews 5:7-9 GNT

Jesus came to pray that night as a high priest – He is interceding – standing between me and God and praying on my behalf. The following day, like the high priest practiced, He will offer a sacrifice for sin. Rather than an animal, He would offer Himself.

Jesus prayed and God heard Him – not because of His loud cries, or even because of the quantity of tears – He heard Him because He was humble and faithful. Rather than demanding, He prayed for the will of God to take place. He learned to be obedient, not that He was disobedient, but rather that I might have a model, an example, of what it looks like to learn obedience in suffering.

The reason became clear – He was made perfect three days later and the source of eternal salvation. So when I pray, I pray as a child of God who is talking to His Father in heaven. That is where I begin my prayer – with the confidence that God hears them for Jesus’ sake – Jesus intercedes for me. So I do not worry if they are passionate enough, or articulate, whether they come as cries or with tears, they are heard because of Jesus. I pray humbly and faithfully as Jesus did.

“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 inwardly that we are his children. To pray in Jesus’ name is not meant to be a magic formula, as if the pronunciation of the words coerce God’s power or mechanically taps into supernatural forces. Jesus’ name is shorthand for his divine person and saving work. To come to the Father in Jesus’ name, not our own, is to come fully cognizant that we are being heard because of the costly grace in which we stand. This is the one principle of prayer that makes it possible to be heard by God even though no one can follow all the other guidelines and ‘rules’ as we should” – Timothy Keller

 

How shall I pray?

When did prayer become an exercise? It happened when people on earth started to multiply. It would seem that Cain’s offspring had a monopoly on every part of life. They were the ones who were involved and pioneering the building and owning of cities, ruling over and killing others, marrying the way they wanted, running all the businesses, military and entertainment places.

Where were the people who were following after God, who were the ones involved with the one dimension not mentioned above, the one they left untouched?

Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord’s holy name in worship. – Genesis 4:26 GNT

That makes it prayer, for worship is a form of prayer. This is the first mention of a kind of public and private, corporate and personal, scheduled and as needed call on the Lord.

Jesus shared the same experience for a prayer of deliverance not only requires attitude but demands action. Jesus faced temptation on several occasions and with a submissive attitude, acted in obedience to God. In a prayer of deliverance, we are affirming that God truly is our Deliverer from all forms of evil.

Look at what Ezra had to face, do you think he could have faced these without prayer.

Work on the Temple had been stopped and had remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia. – Ezra 4:24 GNT

What a great reminder to pray for those in authority and for those under their authority. All the quietness and peaceableness of our lives depend very much upon the integrity and wisdom of inferior leaders as well as those who are above them. There are consequences of poor leadership, but we are called to pray through them.

What about those early Christians? Did they not pray for boldness?

And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. – Acts 4:29 GNT

Do not be fooled in thinking this was done in ignorance because they had just come out of a situation – they knew what it meant when they prayed and the cost of that prayer. However, the mission did not change, neither had the source of their power. Look at the amazing example of how to pray.

When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: “Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them!  By means of the Holy Spirit you spoke through our ancestor David, your servant, when he said,

‘Why were the Gentiles furious;
    why did people make their useless plots?
 The kings of the earth prepared themselves,
    and the rulers met together
    against the Lord and his Messiah.’

 For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah.  They gathered to do everything that you by your power and will had already decided would happen.  And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.  Reach out your hand to heal, and grant that wonders and miracles may be performed through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”

It is marvelous in its simplicity and its comprehension of the Person and purposes of God.

God’s kingdom must include prayer to know God Himself. The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that our purpose is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” In this famous sentence we see reflected both kingdom prayer and communion prayer. – Timothy Keller