When You Pray (Part 2)

Written by Henson Lim (Singapore)

Henson is the founder of Archippus Awakening and author of Say to Archippus and Alignment Check. His heart is to see believers awakened, aligned and assigned for Jesus and His kingdom. A typical day begins with black coffee w/o sugar and ends with a leisurely run around the park. He is married to Serene, and they have seven children.

January 10, 2023

Pattern

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Matthew 6:9

A pattern, in this way that is not to become a vain, rote, empty repetition that means nothing.
Many do not understand what they are praying, but they can repeat the Lord’s Prayer by heart and sing it as well.

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Matthew 6:9–13

Traditionally the passage above is referred to as the Lord’s Prayer.
I prefer to know it as the Disciples’ Prayer.
It is a Kingdom Prayer.

Persistence

Luke 11:5-8 is about persistence for others.
The key phrase: “for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him.”
Be persistent, ask for God to make you a channel of His kingdom blessings.
This is a Kingdom principle.

In Luke 18:1-8, speak of persistence in asking God for justice, to avenge the elect.
Be persistent for justice and righteousness’ sake which is another Kingdom principle.

Keep asking, seeking and knocking for the things of the kingdom (Luke 12:31–32) for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom.

Our problem is that we are missing the kingdom.  Asking for things with wrong motives, for own pleasure

James 4:3

Power

As disciples of Jesus, we need to ask for the Holy Spirit as we pray, we need the Spirit of the King as we move in our assignments (Luke 11:9–13 and Acts 1:8).

After Jesus ascended, the disciples gathered for a prayer meeting, waiting for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
They needed the Holy Spirit.
It is not just about speaking in tongues.
It is about praying Spirit-empowered prayers that are powerful and prophetic.
Pray in the Spirit, cry out in weakness and desperation for the things of the kingdom, for justice, for power, for deliverance by the Spirit.
Otherwise, our prayers will be dead and dry repetitions.

In conclusion…

Present Yourself 

Before prayer is a petition, it is a posture of presentation.
The very first aspect of prayer is presentation, the conscious act of disengaging ourselves from the 1,001 things that distract us that we may present ourselves before God.
This could mean physically walking to the side of the bed and kneeling down, or simply closing our eyes and tuning out the cares of the world.
This posture of presentation enables us to focus on God, acknowledging our great and desperate need for Him.

Rest in Him 

Before you rattle off your prayer list, take a moment to rest in His presence.
Pause for a moment, even if those two or three seconds of quiet might seem like an eternity to you.
But it is important as it allows perspective to move from yours to His.
Strangely, amidst the anxiety and flurry of your thoughts and concerns, you will experience a peace that surpasses your comprehension.
Enjoy the rest.
You need it.
You may not have said anything yet, but your time of prayer has already begun.

Ask Boldly 

Ask, petition, question, complain, weep, cry.
Table your needs, present your case, ask the toughest of questions.
Once again, posture and perspective.
It is one thing to ask and demand like a spoilt brat, fussing and kicking his legs all over the place; and yet totally another to come as a son and a servant who trusts and rests in his Father and Master.
The former’s boldness is misplaced whilst the latter’s rightly positioned and presented.

Yield to His Will 

The prayers of the saints and psalmists in the Bible, always leave room for God to have the last word.
Prayer is not so much getting our way as it is aligning to His.
This may not be what you want to hear, but it just is.
However God chooses to answer — whether yes, no, or wait — it requires a yielding to His sovereign will.
A prayer that closes with this understanding positions the saint for much deeper work in his life because he is ready to surrender and submit to a situation that may not result in the way he expected.
And yet, because he knows that God is in control, he is able to keep on serving faithfully from a position of rested-ness, trusting wholly in the One who holds everything in His hands.

Prayer & Reflection:

  • What is a ‘kingdom prayer’ like to you?
    How can you pray more ‘kingdom-mindedly’?
  • How can you learn to be more persistent in your prayers?
    Ask of the Lord to teach & train us in this aspect of prayer.
  • What are some things with your heart that you need to surrender before you even start praying?

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