The art of Prayer is many things at many levels which indicate the reach beyond the physical to the divine, it comes from the understanding of self-insufficiency and a vast outcry to God. While there are many forms of prayer, we will be focusing on the reams of or prayer as viewed from two plains; earth and heavenly.
The prayer of a believer who just began his/her Christian journey is characterized by much lamentations, emotion-driven and void of scriptural backing. This forms the basis for the first realm of prayer.
- Prayer in the Realm of men, Lamentation;
This is as stated above the outburst of helplessness, this is similar to a toddler’s cry in the phase of helplessness and the inability to intelligently communicate his/her desires and believing the solution to every situation is crying.
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Psalms 18:6-7
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.
Here we see the depiction of the lamentation of the Psalmist and the response of God isn’t prove that the prayer followed God’s protocol and hence was approved. It is the mere instinctive run to the rescue of a mother’s love. God would in such instances not look at the rudiment of prayer such as; Psalms 100:4 “enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His court with praise”. But as God desires our maturity, He will make room or give space for certain events in our lives for our growth; Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”, the word perfect here is ‘teleios’ which means to be matured, grown-up. One of index to know God is weaning up from the place of lamentation is His silence in the face of troubles which He knows shall not consume us.
They cried out, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. Psalms 18:46
This provokes the Christian to find out what promises are entrenched in the scriptures for his/her victory in the face of challenges, through study and meditation, understanding of divine mandates and realities come alive birthing the second realm of prayer.
- Prayer in the Realm of the heavens, Declaration, Prophecy;
Words convey power; “life and death is the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat the fruit thereof”. Ephesians 2:6 makes us understand that we are seated in Christ in heavenly places therefore every situation presented before us underneath, from the place of height, it is only logical to look down as decree as kings and priests of the Highest which we are and make decrees. Kings don’t beg they command things, command the circumstances in your life with the God-given authority you have. Nothing will change unless you change them with your words, the statuesque stands unless challenged.
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare you, that you may be justified. Isaiah 43:26
To put to remembrance is proof of and existent history, the Bible consists of the historical speaking’s, methods and dealings of God. Begin with that and move to remind God of specific words spoken to you either by dreams, visions, prophecy etc.
When you lack words to pray, pray the benedictory words of the bible. We pray to God, learn to pray through God and pray from God.
God bless as you begin to implement the dynamics of prayer.
