Prayer and Worship. These are two things the Lord has really ignited my heart for in a new way during my time on the race. First, prayer, He has blown my mind with prayers answered and blown out my box of theology with prayers that appeared to the human eye, unanswered. He has allowed me to see the importance and effect of prayer, and He has been revealing to me what, raw, Kingdom prayer looks like.
This week I sat down with my Bible and just asked God to teach me, I may not be in school but I find that the university of the Holy Spirit has more than enough to offer. Thanks to my concordance I flipped to a story in Genesis 24 about Abraham’s servant going to find a wife for his son Isaac. This unnamed servant goes back to Abraham’s hometown to find a cousin for Isaac to marry (Old Testament style) he is at a loss and is praying that God to make his mission to find a wife successful. He makes a bit of deal with God, he says that he will ask for water from the next woman that comes to the well and if she also offers to water his camels that will mean she is the woman Isaac is to marry. Sure enough this happens and the woman, Rebekah ends up going home with the servant and making Isaac a happy man. This seems like such a silly prayer, this servant makes a bit of a “dealâ€� with God. But God hears his childish prayer, not because of the eloquent words, volume, or clever use of scripture within the prayer but because of the heart. This man cried out, he was desperate and he knew where the provision of this woman would come from. Chapter 24:45 it says “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug…â€� Praying in His heart. He wasn’t praying in his head. He was praying in his heart. I believe there’s a difference.
In 1 Sam 1:9-18 it talks about Hannah pouring out her heart to the Lord in prayer. People think she’s drunk before she has a chance to explain herself. Trusting God has been a huge thing for me on the race, and to pour your heart out to someone I believe you really have to trust them. This is a way God is growing my trust in Him, to pour my heart out to the One who formed it.
Luke 11 talks about shamelessly and persistently knocking at the door. It’s not about making a spectacle of yourself, but it is about shamelessly crying out. We ask God for the desires of our hearts, but are our reputations worth receiving the desires of our hearts? Are we ashamed to cry out because “what will I do if He doesn’t answer?� Are we ashamed to cry out because “What will those around me think of my desperation?� Are we ashamed to cry out?? We cannot be ashamed, I am learning to lean. Learning the joy of desperation, prayer is breath. Receiving God’s best for me is worth surrendering what I think is best for me.
The way Jesus teaches us to pray is even out of a desperate heart listen to it, hear the heart behind it…
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in the heavens.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13
This prayer is bold. Jesus taught us to pray boldly. There is reverence in it too, but there is no “maybe, if you can let your Kingdom comâ€�. No! This prayer is expectant of the Kingdom coming! “Give us today our daily bread,â€� as if to say, “We need you Father!! ” Jesus taught His disciples to pray out of desperate hearts. I am learning the joy of praying from a heart that is in need, a heart that leans on the Father.
