Prayer is a spiritual activity that must be done in order to successfully perform our Christian duties. This article contains key points I understand from the message by Pastor Chris – Cultivating the Spirit of Prayer and from my personal experiences and thoughts on the topic.
What is the spirit of prayer?
Many people might think the Spirit of Prayer is literally a spirit or an angel that possesses you to pray. The Spirit of Prayer is the atmosphere and influence of prayer by the Holy Spirit that urges and helps us to pray. This influence is not there by default. It is brought up by a true desire for it. Once the Holy Spirit sees that true desire, he grants us that spirit.
Why is it important to pray?
Christians we must prevail first with God in prayer before we then prevail with men. This point is not because we are trying to be overly Christian. It is due to the preexisting principles and systems that govern the world we are in.
The Spiritual Controls The Physical
Everything around us is influenced by the spiritual realm and not the physical. Whatever it may be, both good and bad, occurs due to the direct influence of a spiritual entity. Simply put, the spiritual controls the physical.
To be able to always succeed in everything you do, you must operate spiritually first as well.
A quick tip: In the spiritual realm, there are ranks. So it is only advisable to operate with the spiritual being that has the highest rank(unbeatable) and that’s our Lord Jesus Christ.
So with all this, God is not trying to force us to be overly spiritual, He is actually giving us a success tip.
I personally have experienced this. Building my personal brand was really difficult and frustrating. I spent hours consecutively trying to do this but I was not getting any sensible results even though the Holy Spirit constantly tried to hint me but I had this ‘I will get it this time’ feeling, if you know what I mean. Eventually, I got fed up and prayed about it. And I got the answers I was looking for quite quickly. I wish I had done that earlier.
So dealing with the matter first with God is a strategy that’s worth cultivating.
Prayer Boosts Our Relationship with God
More often than not a lot of people have misunderstood the element of prayer. People think it is about spending long hours speaking in tongues or praying for a new car.
Well, it’s not. Prayer primarily is constantly keeping in touch with God. Our individual Christian lives are relationships with God. And just like in an ideal relationship, there must be constant communication. That’s what prayer is.
Now there can be different reasons why you are talking with God. Whatever, the reason may be, approach prayer with the mindset that you are communing with your heavenly Father.
Honestly speaking, doing it this way is quite beneficial and efficient. It takes your prayer life to a whole new level. By praying with this mindset, you subconsciously are expecting an answer from God. So what you will notice is that your prayers become more aligned to the right course. It’s not about praying but praying the right way. Also, remember that consistency is key.
Impacting the world
Thus far, I have only spoken of the importance of prayer based on our relationship with God. Another relevance of prayer is it enables us to have an impact on our world and those around us.
The devil is constantly pumping evil into the world via diverse means. We also are to cause God’s light to flow from us into the world we are in.
Praying for people is not enough. As said earlier we impact through prayer, but whatever you impact comes from inside you. You have to feed yourself with God’s word so you can make a true lasting impact on the world.
Prayer is a tool. The Word of God is what strengthens our ability and skill to use it properly.
What prayer does do for you?
It strengthens our relationship with God
As seen earlier praying is talking with God. Constantly talking with Him means you remain up to date with what you need to know. It also makes you more available and easier for the Holy Spirit to reach you.
It helps us focus
The world we are in is full of so many distractions so it is quite easy to miss the track. By making it a priority to put God first, He enlightens us on what really matters and helps us to achieve. Basically, prayer helps us cultivate an undivided heart.
It is cleanser
In addition to the last point, prayer helps you cleanse your mind and keep it pure. The Word of God is alive and active(Hebrews 4:13). As you take those words into prayer, those words become alive then they cleanse, strengthen, and transform your mind, and you become the ideal you.
It helps us maintain inspiration
Have you ever been in a situation where you pray for something and you don’t even recognize when it happens? Cultivating the habit of keeping in touch with God helps know when things happen because God sees all and so will help you know.
Aside from that, praying consistently also improves our spiritual consciousness so we know when such things happen.
Increases your glory
The plan of the Holy Spirit has always been for us to increase in glory. God is full of glory and He is constantly radiating it. Neglecting praying means you are less in touch with God so you miss that spiritual glow(God’s glory seen in your life) that comes with it.
However, prayer on its own does not do that. You must pray, meditate, and declare the Word of God because His Word is His glory. So as you take in more of God’s word, He helps you unlock his glory in it.
When you receive the word, you become more glorious and you take that glory into the world and shine it forth.
What to pray about?
Simply put, everything you pray about must be centered around the propagation of the Kingdom of God. We are partners in Christ to achieve this common goal and so it must be our number one priority.
It is very easy to get lost in making self-centred prayers which only show selfishness which is against the principles of God.
An easy excuse is, ‘I don’t know what to pray about.’ You can pray for your nation that God’s peace will reign. You can pray for your family or friends that they will come to understand the dynamics of the Love of God. Or even for yourself that you will walk in God’s purpose for your life.
There are so many reasons around us to pray. God has shown us His Love, so let that love flow into the world through you.
How do we get the spirit of prayer?
The answer to this question is very very easy – DESIRE IT. That’s what the Holy Spirit wants to see. Once He sees that true desire, that influence will come on you.
Utterance vs Groanings
Utterance(the ability to speak in tongues) is the spiritual language given to us by the Holy Spirit to help us pray more effectively. This ability is received when we receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts.
Groanings are deep expressions of the emotions of the Holy Spirit. This is a higher level of prayer where the Holy Spirit prays Himself through you. To be able to do this, we have to give our emotion to the Holy Spirit and you can do this through worship. Sing songs that stir up your spirit and help you guide your emotions in the right direction.
Conclusion
To sum up, prayer is required for us to really live the life God wants us to live. Prayer helps us control the world and have a lasting impact.
We must pray with the right understanding which comes from the Word of God and this improves the effectiveness of our prayer.
There are different dynamics of prayer: In prayer, we can talk to God as a Father or Friend; In prayer, you can impact those around you and the world as well.
Also, prayer should not be as a result of your selfish ambitions but for the propagation of the Kingdom of God.
Thank you very much for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and understood the message being conveyed. If you have any questions or any contributions you want to make, feel free to do so in the comment section. Also, please share with others and continue passing on the Light.
Peace out.
