We are now in day 2 of a corporate church-wide fast. Many began to fast after lunch on Sunday and will continue to fast and pray until Friday night after the Prayer Meeting. Some are fasting and praying a meal or a day or several days throughout this week.
Several of us are undertaking a longer fast (21 days). My wife and I are two who are in this longer season (today we are in day 6 and we will go until Jan 31).
So far during this week, we have had some powerful times of worship and prayer. Every night the worship has grown in passion and intensity. Today during our noon prayer hour, there was such a peaceful and yet powerful sense of God's presence in the Prayer Chapel. (Evening Services @ 7pm; Noon Prayer - through Friday)
Since this is a week of prayer--the next few posts will be focused on this important skill and discipline.
First, let me distinguish between two motivations or types of prayer:
- Intimacy Praying - this motive and approach to prayer is the development of relationship with God. Prayer in its most basic form is communication with a person. So when praying for the purpose of developing intimacy and connectedness with God, we should be very authentic and conversational. Be real with God. Tell him how you feel. Tell him what you want. Worship him. Listen to his voice. Read his Word which is one of the main ways he reveals himself to you.
- Intercessory Praying - this approach to prayer is about people, needs, and results. Intercessory Praying flows out of our relationship with God, but it is more of a working together than a walking together. When we intercede in prayer, we partner with God to see his will done on the earth. We agree with God for his promises and purposes to be fulfilled. Intercessory Prayer is agreeing with God to bring heaven's resources to bear on the earth.
Both of these approaches to prayer should be a part of a mature believer's life. First, you must have an intimate relationship with God. Everything flows out of that.
But if prayer is only a conversation with God we will see very little result beyond a sense of connectedness to him. When we shift into intercession, prayer becomes less like a conversation and more like declarations.
Intercessory Praying requires the declaration of God's promise and purpose in a person's life or situation. It is bold and direct in its expression. The boldness is based on the awareness of God's will as expressed through His Word. So declarative prayers are not just bold statements of desire, they are pronouncements of God's promise.
1 John 5:14-15 says, 'This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.'
Now most of us are not as familiar with Intercessory Praying (declaring God's promises). So I will focus the next few entries on how to practically practice this approach.
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