Prayer

I had shared with some of my friends, from my Good Morning Girls group, about my Prayer Journal.  I had been having a very consistent and methodical "Quiet Time" since the beginning of the year.  Getting up earlier, so that I had spent time with the Lord, before anything else in my day.  It truly has been a time of blessing, challenge and praise, as I have studied God's Word in greater depth.

However, having got my study of scripture more in order, I realised that I should be getting my prayer life more organised.

Now, let me clarify.  I know that prayer can be lifted to the Lord at any time, and in any place.  However, there are so many examples in scripture of very specific times of prayer, with a pattern that would be beneficial to follow.

I think that there are several things we can observe about prayer in the Scriptures.

1.  IT SHOULD BE CONTINUAL
I Thessalonians exhorts us to "pray without ceasing".  Obviously, our lives cannot only be spent in only prayer.  We have work to do, as we carry out our God-given duties in life.  I think it is more a command to constantly be inclined to pray - to lift our praises and petitions to the Lord all through the day, as an integral and reflexive part of our life.  As simple and unconsidered as breathing.  Lifting our hearts to the Holy One, when things come into our mind.  Thinking about family and friends, and asking the Lord to bless and be with them.  Remembering someone in need, and petitioning the Father to meet that need as we think about it.  I always pray for people when I look at, or use, something they have given me.  Every time I scrub my potatoes, instead of dreading it, I pray for the dear sister who gave the potato scrubber to me (you know who you are!.....).

2. IT SHOULD BE A TIME ALONE
We are told to enter into the closet - a quiet place apart from the presence of others, in order to come to God in prayer.  We need to separate ourselves from all that is going on around us - just as the Lord did.  Matthew 26:36 finds us being told that the Lord withdrew himself from the disciples in order to pray.

"Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."


He didn't simply pray in front of the disciples, rather he withdrew from them to be alone with the Father.  He IS God, and didn't need to humanly GO anywhere to talk with the Father, but it is an example to us.   


And again, in Matthew 14:23


"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."


After the busyness of the day, He went to be with the Father alone.  Likewise, we must come before our Heavenly Father, alone, as well.

3. WE SHOULD SET TIME APART FOR PRAYER
As much as prayer should be lifted up to the Lord at all and any time, we should set time apart to talk with Him in prayer.  To commune with Him.  To pour out our heart to Him.  Maybe, like me, you like that quiet time in the morning, before the household wakens up, when you can pour out  your soul before the Lord.  Perhaps you set time apart when your children have a nap.  The quietness of the evening, before you sleep may be the perfect time for intercession with your Heavenly Father.  Whenever it is, you need to MAKE time to pray.  Just start with a few minutes, and you will find that you want to spend more and more time with the Lord.

Psalm 55:17  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 

Psalm 5:3  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.


4.THE LORD WANTS TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS
We can know, beyond all doubt, that the Lord wants to hear our prayers. We are His children, whom He loves, and He longs to hear our prayers.  Our Praise to Him - the confession of our sins - the thanksgiving for the many blessings He bestows - the supplication for those things which we have need of.  How can we have a relationship...a friendship....a close communion...with someone to whom we do not speak with?

Proverbs 15:8 : but the prayer of the upright is his delight.


I am sure there are many more reasons, but these are just a few I thought of.

Next week, I will post some pictures and some information about how I put my Prayer Journal together.  I may also share some of the instances where we find people praying in he Bible, and see what what we can learn from them. (I have got rather sidetracked down "bunny trails" as I looked up verses about prayer!!!)

In the meantime - PRAY!

Oh, and let me add a sung version of Psalm 5, which I really love.