WHAT IS PRAYER?
09th May 2018
Many years ago at a time when the Lord was teaching me about resting in His presence, He revealed a prayer secret -
“As we simply sit in His presence waiting for Him to speak, He can scan us. He knows the secrets of our hearts; He knows the burdens and concerns we are carrying; He knows the needs of others that seem so painful - He sees me.”
If you think about having a scan, words are not necessary, He reads us. Genesis 16:13 says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
At times of great stress or tiredness it is good to remember this and rest in His presence - let Him scan you, simply be. “Pray without ceasing” seems to contradict what I have been sharing, however the constant awareness of God’s presence can enable us to involve Him with everything we are engaged in. A friend said to me recently, “I don’t pray a lot, I just chat to the Lord all the time.” I laughed in response, thinking isn’t that prayer?
There are times for intercession, for seeking God for specific situations, times for corporate prayer. Jesus demonstrated the need to spend time alone with His Father, nights on the mountain. However, we should not devalue simply walking with God, knowing Him, involving Him in our everyday ordinary life. Remember, the One who sees you also prays for you.
Romans 8:27 says, “He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Or as the Message puts it, “The Spirit making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant position, and keeps us present before God.”
by Joyce Sibthorpe
