How Christians May Pray Deeper
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:19
God is love, and He loves you. Whether you are His disciple in Christ, or not, He listens and weighs the thoughts and intents of the heart of every person (Acts 10).
The following however are bedrock principles, and this is primarily a message to Christians …
To His followers, both Jesus and the apostles after Him said prayer is pivotal. Growth in God and therefore learning to keep to His will means praying, and we who are born again may do so on a certain basis.
All legitimate prayer seeks the will of God, and seeks to enter into His heart. It is submissive, it is not just a rattling off of random stuff from a list you made up, or what you think needs to happen.
If you want to find the Spirit of Jesus, you must enter into the will of God. Paul said we don’t know what to pray for as we ought to, but God helps in our weakness.
Quite simply, if we are in covenant with Him, and are made acceptable through repentance, faith, and the Blood of Jesus, the Book of Hebrews lays out an important truth we may rest upon:
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Yes, we may come to the throne of grace with boldness, in Jesus – if we have the right motives and heart.
Peter also illustrated a foundational principle:
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7
We may take our cares and concerns to our Father who loves us! James however warned against not asking in faith, and being “double minded.” He speaks in the following passage of asking for “wisdom,” but this need for unity of mind and heart is another principle of coming to God:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:5-8
True, “the just shall live by faith.” But it is not just our own contrived or imagined “faith” that we must employ as we ask God or seek Him in some way.
False “faith” is tantamount to presumption if it is not real God-inspired faith. We can really only have faith in what is according to God’s will, and we must in our heart believe He wants thus and so at that time. And even more, to go deeper with God, we must be able to discern His Voice. “My sheep hear my voice,” said Jesus (John 10:27). This voice comes as an intuition in the heart, where God is – not words in the mind. Words spoken from outside your temple into your mind would be the voice of a “stranger,” and Jesus’ sheep ought to know the difference (John 10:4-5).
The principle of entering into His will is so important, it cannot be emphasized enough.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
1 John 5:14
From start to finish, this life is in faith.
So, thus far, we have said one comes to God in confidence, coming to God as to one’s own Father who loves us. And you may lay your cares at His feet in faith. And if we ask according to His will, He hears us.
God-originated
Jesus said to His followers “without Me you can do nothing,” and this speaks of things of eternal and spiritual value before God, and it would thus include prayer.
There is ultimately a principle of divine origin. That is, valid prayer – or work, for that matter – is entering into the will of God, and is ultimately originated by God. It’s a mystery, but God in you – Christian – would pray to Himself His will. That is, the Holy Spirit moves you to pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. Simply put: God prays to God through God, and we are to be in the midst of this unity.
Our job is to enter in, and trust.
All this said, the heart of God is to love us, and He does let us know when we are on track. Again, often times we must repent.
A word to the backslidden
If we are really coming from a place of sin – or the flesh, or generally worldliness (all of which, actually are sin) – and attempting to come to a place of peace with God, we need deliverance, and one means is to ask God directly.
Paul wrote Timothy speaking of correcting a sinning brother, but we may apply this principle as a petition to God for our own selves, in sincerity, and asking for Him to grant us repentance if we are so led. In any case, we need God to open our eyes, and let us repent of anything that offends, for sin separates. We must truly repent, so He will forgive and cleanse us.
“…if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
2 Tim 2:25
James says also draw near to God, and the devil will flee!
These things are true, and seeking God means opening your heart before Him; but be careful, because it’s not an invitation to introspection.
While there is a place in a qualified sense for self examination, sin is so deceitful, and we have no real perspective as God does. We thus must come to God and ask Him to open our eyes, and reveal real issues.
There are nuances to these things besides, but remember Jesus said “My sheep know My voice,” and they don’t listen to a stranger.
A demon may try to pose as God to the unwitting. There is much to know on this subject, but briefly: pray and make clear to the Lord you address Him, and Him only. Do not invite the entire spirit world to come to you. Be wise. You come in the name of Jesus. Say so.
A Prayer
Oh Lord, I come to you in the name of Jesus! Thank you for your life, Father. Help me to know your will! Help me to know Jesus’ voice, and listen to no one but you. I want to do your will, and your will alone. Please silence the enemy, my God. Thank you that you see me covered in the blood. Thank you Lord Jesus for your precious blood!
Father, let me say no more nor less than I ought to say. Please lead and guide me. Please, as you set a hedge of protection around me, if there is anything you want me to repent of, please make it plain. Grant me repentance and faith as needed. I want to be one with you, and you only.
Let me return to you. Let me know you. Allow me, as it is your will Father. Let me know what it is to love you more today than before. Please open the eyes of my understanding. Please lead me in this prayer, that I may say and do only what is pleasing in your sight.
I am yours Father. Thank you. Praise you my God. Thank you my Father for allowing me to come to you.
That was just an example, but you can say things in your own words – as long as they come from your heart.
And from there, pray on for as long as it takes. God would give us burdens to pray through and discharge. This is true for individuals and groups – but in groups He desires unity – and for now, this is about individuals seeking God; filling your “vessel” with holy “oil.”
Again, it is done only in true faith, believing that your Father who loves you hears you, and you only want His will, and seek to know it, and be aligned with Him.
Seeking God’s forgiveness is a fresh applying of the blood.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
As for all the cares of this life, your Father knows you have these. Jesus said so when he spoke of the “lilies of the field.”
Recap and pointers
Prayer is not just a coming and asking for a bunch of things we’d like to see, and then we think our life would be better. Maybe it would, but it must be done in God’s order. He is the Lord.
He is Almighty God, and we are but mere humans. Yes, we are brought nigh by the blood, but we are no one outside of Jesus Christ, so in Christ we must stand.
God is able to lead you to put into words issues that are besetting you, and show you root causes. Again, this is not you going on a hunt in your psyche trying to call up any wrong, and confess it. Rather, it is letting God lead you.
It is written “In thy light shall we see light” (Ps. 36:9). David knew this, and we must too. We must let the light of God shine on us. He reveals causes. He is the deliverer and healer.
It is God’s will that we be clean, that we have truly white garments that are “unspotted” and He sees and knows all issues. He is waiting there quietly for you.
Unity and the Beauty of Holiness
In all of this, it can become extremely intimate. Sometimes, it need not be about you and your cares at all. And the more you do this, and are set free over time, prayer may be less about you, and more about what God would place on your heart as a spirit-led warrior, a child of the light.
And then, or any time in between, God may also want you to just love Him, worship Him, sing songs of praise in spirit and in truth, or be before Him in silence.
The precious Holy Spirit is there to make this a reality that’s as real as breathing. This takes sensitivity, and a living spirit, made alive through being born again.
He is here to lead us, but again, this is not a word for the unbelieving.
God’s word to the non-Christian is He loves you too, but you need Jesus; you must be born again.
For those who are in Christ, hopefully this has been of some value. There is more to know, but these principles are your means of building on the Rock, and coming to know your God, as He cleanses and heals you from the inside out.
Hallelujah! These things are true!
We may trust our God. He is our Father, He loves us! He desires that we enter into true heart fellowship with Him through His Son. Jesus is our Lord!
Recommended Reading:
Let Us Pray, by Watchman Nee (we’re not compensated for this endorsement).
