The Heart of Prayer

 I saw the movie War Room last night. It was a moving film about the power of prayer. Prayer has the power to transform lives and to impact people. I've seen it played out in my own life and others' lives as well. But not only does prayer affect others, it also directly affects our relationship with God.

 On a recent trip to Haiti, during a question and answer time, I asked one of the Haitian pastors what made him feel close to God; what does he do to feel God near. His answer was simple - he said he prayed. He prayed often. His church prayed often. In the morning, at night, during the week. Prayer was a staple of this man's life and prayer was one of the defining factors of his relationship with God. It's how he felt close to God.

Praying for others brings us close to God because God cares about the people we are praying for. When we pray for the poor, we are close to God's heart because his heart is close to the poor. We're connected to God, because we're sharing His heart.

 The same happens when we pray for the drug addict or the abused. We are carrying God's cause; sharing in His burden. When we pray for a failing marriage or broken family relationship, we share in His heart because His heart breaks for the broken.

 I recall one morning I rose early to pray. That was my intent; it was going to be a day of prayer. As soon as I got on my knees, God's voice spoke clearly to me, almost as if He was sitting right there with me. "My heart breaks for the children of Herzegovina." It was as if a close friend had just shared a deep part of his heart; of something that touched him and was consuming him. That morning I had the honor of knowing what concerned and touched God.

 I don't think I've ever felt closer to him than I did on that day.

 God has feelings. He feels for people, and when we pray, we share in those feelings; we share in His feelings. Prayer not only impacts those we pray for, it impacts us as well, for when we pray, we connect with Him in a unique and special way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Fixer-Upper I have a soft spot for houses that have potential, or as some people like to call them, fixer uppers. So does my daughter Kaity. She inherited that part of me. I look at a shack and see a mansion. I walk through overgrowth and see a beautiful garden. The viewed as hopeless thrills me; makes my what-could-be senses tingle.   Not everyone looks at a blank canvas and sees a masterpiece. Thank God. I'm grateful for those of us endowed with the gift of planning and practicality; those not afraid to ask the tough questions. This world needs not only dreamers, but anchors as well.  My wife and I recently went to look at a house that Kaity and her husband Paul were considering buying. We drove up the slight hill to the house, turned left (eyeing the neighbor's do not trespass sign) and parked on the property. I think my wife's heart may have sunk a little. My heart soared. She saw the work, the investment required, the dirty kitchen stove. I saw a brand new yard,...
Read more
Image
No More We walk into a store, heading straight for the sale item, holding our coupon; excited to get such a good deal on something we've been wanting for at least a month or more. But when we get there, the item is gone - no more left. It happens often. No more cappuccino muffins at the bakery. No more fresh coffee; it's too close to closing time. No more money to pay the bills. No more, no more, no more. But what if I told you that the two most beautiful words I heard today were "No More"? What if I told you that those words actually bring hope and not disappointment? Freedom and not frustration. Joy and not sadness. Today especially I look to those words. Today they've taken on special meaning and provided strength. Today has caused me to look to those words for hope, freedom, and joy. No more. What did He say? Do you remember? No more sorrow. No more tears. No more loss. No more broken, no more ... For those of us who are the forerunners, who ha...
Read more
An underlying culture exists in America today, a pattern of thought that says, "At all costs, avoid pain." And we, as the church, must take care to not let our understanding of scripture be shaped or influenced by such a world view. For from this culture we have seen such pseudo-spiritual doctrines as "name it and claim it" spring up to entice the body of Christ. We’ve incorrectly divided scriptures such as "By His wounds we are healed" to wrongly mean that we shall never suffer disease of any kind. Yet it was the disease of sin that was defeated on the cross.  Comfort is king in our "now" society and we must take care that we don't adopt that attitude in ourselves. I'm going through a dark night of my soul. Right now in my life. It's uncomfortable, and I want it to end. And I suppose that my desire for comfort, release, and escape goes beyond just the cultural norm of today. Our human nature doesn't embrace suffering. Understan...
Read more