Spiritual Posture in Prayer

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people.”  1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

Have you ever felt stagnated in prayer? Do you wonder where to begin?  Maybe you are an avid and fervent prayer warrior but are looking for God to increase your level of prayer or give you a fresh new sound in communicating and hearing His voice…

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So how is this established? I have found the art of prayer is more of a dialogue than a monologue. When we are only talking to God but never allowing Him time to speak to us, we miss the chance of growing in our relationship and receiving the revelation He wants to provide to us. Dialogue involves the exchange of speaking, listening, waiting, and hearing. Think of it this way: When we are in an open conversation with someone, the polite thing to do is listen and then respond.  Good communication involves active listening over selective listening. Friends, believe it or not, God wants to know all of our cares and concerns, but He also wants to speak to us. God yearns for our attention. He wants to be in a close fellowship and have an intimate relationship with us. 

It is true that you can pray anytime and anywhere, for any given length of time. Some days, you may have one-hour prayers, while other days you only have 15 minutes, and the list goes on. God does not want us to be overly concerned with the time. The key is to pray…not just because we need something, but because it is the way we come to know more about Him. When you love someone, you spend time talking to them, right?  How would it feel to walk around and not speak to your spouse, children, and friends?  What does a mute relationship look like? It does not grow. Whatever we do not water, it will not sprout. So, if we do not water our lives with prayer, we will stay in a mundane place in our relationship with the Lord. Think of it as a plant. If you do not water it, what happens? It dies! God wants to reciprocate as much back to us in prayer as we pour out to Him.

Another part, I believe, that is hard to grasp for many of us at times is waiting to hear from the Lord. 1 John 5:14 declares, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He Hears us.” The Scripture tells us that He hears us, but there is one prerequisite…it has to be according to His will. I know this is a hard one for me at times.  According to His will is key. God will answer our prayer, but the key is learning that it has to line up with what He wants for our lives. Friends, I know this can be hard, but the more we are attuned with wanting what He wants for our lives, we will see that what He has outweighs far better than what we could have ever imagined for ourselves. I am sure you can reflect back over your life and thank God for not opening up certain doors that would have been disastrous for you. I certainly can. 

Finally, how does prayer help us?  It provides peace, God’s presence, God’s favor, and total restoration in our lives. I remember years ago when I was preparing to take my Practical Nursing Test and became stricken with pneumonia. I knew that if I opted out at the time, I would forfeit $250 and would have to repay for the test. So I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I remember sitting at my kitchen table, and a surge of overwhelming fear and anxiety came upon me. The adversary began to tell me that I was not going to pass my exam, and I could feel myself become even more fearful. Right at that moment, I remember saying a very short prayer: “God, please help me.”  Suddenly, the Holy Spirit impressed in my heart to read 1 John 2:20, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” (NIV)  I had no idea at the time what Scripture it was or what it would say, but I wanted to be obedient to the Lord. When I read it, I felt at that moment that the Lord was saying that He would be with me. My outward man was still coping with bouts of fear, but my inward man was telling me that I was a winner. I just knew deep within that God was going to bring me through. He reassured me with His comfort, strength, and peace.

Lastly, friends, remember that when we pray, we invite the presence of the Lord to dwell among us. This is a mighty threat to the camp of the adversary!

So, go forth warriors and let your prayers be a shield against the fiery darts of the enemy!    

Sonya Johnson

Sonya Johnson is a fifth-year Jobs for America’s Graduates’ Specialist/Instructor at Calumet New Tech High School in Gary, Indiana. Her primary focus is preparing students for the workforce and post-secondary education, and linking them with the armed forces for military referrals. She has been blessed to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis, a Technical Certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse from Ivy Technical Community College, and a Master of Arts in Discipleship Ministries from Liberty University. Sonya is presently writing a devotional and memoir and looks forward to completing it soon.

SONYA JOHNSON

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