“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV).
When we come to the Lord in prayer, it’s good to remember that the Lord looks at our hearts, so speak to Him from your heart. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
A Woman of GREAT Faith
Madame Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717), a woman of great faith and devotion to the Lord, was imprisoned in the Bastille in Paris for her faith after publishing “A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer.” The work was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church at the time. She was a champion for coming to the Lord with childlike faith, with one’s whole heart.
Madame Guyon advocated speaking from our heart to the Lord—not from our head with rich, flowery words devoid of faith and love.
“There is only one requirement, though, that you must follow at all times,” she wrote. “It will not interfere with outward actions. It may be practiced by princes, kings, priests, soldiers, children, and laborers.
“This simple requirement is that you must learn to pray from your heart and not your head.
“The reason for this is that man’s mind is so limited in its operation, it can only focus on one object at a time. But the prayer offered from the heart cannot be interrupted by reason.”
It’s All in the Approach
Part of growing up is learning the correct way to approach authority figures when you want something. Knowing the appropriate way to speak to our earthly father when we wanted him to do something for us, as well as how we spoke with the principal at school or dean at a university, and later your employer, banker, etc. were all part of our education growing up and entering adulthood.
You probably learned to communicate with each one in a far different manner than you would, say, your friends at school or your sweetheart.
Similarly, there is a proper way to approach the Lord. When we come before Him with the right heart attitude, we put ourselves in a far better position to be able to RECEIVE from Him.
As Madame Guyon wrote, speak to the Lord from your heart and not your head. There is an honest childlike vulnerability when we come to the Lord in prayer from our heart, trusting Him completely.
“Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:8).
Put the Lord in Remembrance of His Word
From your heart, tell the Lord exactly what you need and be specific. Bring Him to the remembrance of His Word—His promise to you in Scripture regarding the issue you are petitioning Him in prayer.
The Lord says in Isaiah 43:26, “Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case…”
This bringing God’s promises to Him in prayer is not for His benefit but for yours. When you know that you know you have your Heavenly Father’s WORD on a matter, you have confidence that your prayer will be answered.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have [granted us as our present possessions, Amplified translation] the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
How can we know we are asking for something according to God’s will? Find it in God’s Word, His promises in Holy Scripture, the Bible.
Then before you leave His presence, express your confidence in Him by thanking and praising the Lord for answering your prayer. Believe that the full manifestation of what you are believing for, based on His Word in the Bible, is on the way!
When you are praising the Lord for hearing and answering your prayer, you are acting in faith; faith that is found in His Word (“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17).
Faith gives God something to respond to. Remember He promised you in His Word that whatever you ask in Jesus’ Name according to His will, He would grant you (Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” John 16:23-24.).
Get Excited About It ~ and Keep Praising the Lord!
0 Comments