Where does your power come from?
Do you feel power from your physical health, or your finances, or you ability to influence others?
What about your spiritual power?
Do you feel any spiritual power?
Does it come from your good deeds, or your consistent attendance of church, or your commitment to reading the Bible?
There’s no need to answer. These are all rhetorical questions.
The truth is, whatever power you perceive yourself as having is only temporary. The only true power anyone can have is the power that God gives us. And the only way we access God’s power is through prayer.
And, to be clear, I am not speaking about power in a worldly way that implies the ability to satisfy all of your own selfish desires. I am talking about the power to overcome the world and all of those selfish desires. I am talking about true, eternal power over despair, and death, and sin. It is the power for joy, and peace, and love. This is a power that worldly people cannot comprehend, let alone wield from their own will. There is only one way to access this kind of power - through faithful prayer to God who alone is its source.
People, myself included, like to quote Philippians 4:6 as a reminder to pray. But we tend to leave off Philippians 4:7, even though that is the best part.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
God wants us to pray. He does not want us to worry or be anxious or fearful. He wants us to open our hearts to Him and place our dependence on Him. And, most of all, He wants us to remember everything He has done, and thank Him for everything He has done. When we do that we tap into His power over this world. He revives and refreshes our spirit from the well of His living water, and He gives us peace beyond understanding. Peace that stands guard over our hearts and minds. Peace that carries us forward in our walk with Jesus. Peace the gives us victory over the trials and tribulations of this world.
Now, if I told you that you could gain power from your physical health, how would you expect to grow in that power; in your ability to wield it, and increase it? You would probably expect me to say something like eat healthy and exercise - and you’d be right. If you pressed me for details I would perhaps recommend foods to eat, and suggest you incorporate regular fasting, and that you do certain exercises, and maybe even that you plunge your body into cold water regularly. These things will certainly help you grow in your capacity and ability to wield physical power.
Now what about your ability to gain and wield spiritual power (which is far greater than physical power)? I would say that you need to pray regularly, of course, but that’s about as generic as me recommending that you eat healthy and exercise. It’s something that’s easy to agree with, but hard to put into action without more details. So let’s take a deeper look at some things we can do to increase our capacity and ability to wield the power of prayer.
First, you have to understand that when I say wield the power of prayer, I mean it in a humble, surrendered way. When we think of wielding physical power we naturally think of ourselves as being in control and dominating. But the power of prayer is different. To wield it we must replace our sense of control with faith, and our sense of dominance with surrender and sacrifice. In some ways they are opposites, but in some ways they are the same.
Just like physical exercise involves intentionally performing different movements, there are things you can do regularly and intentionally to increase your ability to pray effectively. There are different types of prayer, and you can practice each different type at will. God is always there with you, so you can commune with Him whenever you want to.
Types of Prayer
Petitionary Prayer
The first general type of prayer is petionary. This type of prayer involves you asking God for something.
Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT)“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
God knows what you need, and He provides many things for you without you ever having to ask for them, but He also wants you to ask for things. The flip side of that is that we might have a tendency to ask God for things that He does not want to give us. He does not prevent us from asking for anything, but He does not always give us everything we ask for either.
There are several specific aspects of petitionary prayer. We may ask for things for ourselves, or we may ask for things for others. We may ask for things to relieve suffering (such as healing), or we may ask for things to increase our good fortune (such as wealth, or victory for our favorite sports team).
We may bluntly ask for something, just like blind Bartimaeus who would not be quiet but kept shouting “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46-52)
Or we may silently pursue God like the bleeding woman who did not dare to call out to Jesus, but knew that she only had to touch Him in order to receive the healing she so desperately needed. (Mark 5:25-34)
And, amazingly, in both cases Jesus gave credit for the miracle to the people who needed Him by saying “Your faith has healed you.” As if we could do anything without Him! It just goes to show that God wants to partner with us in achieving whatever we ask Him for.
Practice
Do you need to practice this type of prayer? This may be your default type of prayer, but even then you might benefit from some correction to your form, so-to-speak.
Identify something meaningful that you need, and pursue God for it - either calling out loudly or stealthily reaching out to touch Him. Don’t ask for something frivolous - such as victory for a sports team, or a fancy car. Ask Him for something meaningful - either for yourself or someone you know. And simply pursue Him with faith. Write down your request, either on paper or on your heart, and don’t give up asking until He smiles upon you and congratulates you for your faith. And, to be clear, you are not demanding this from God, you are pursuing Him for it.
If you want to take your practice in this type of prayer one step further I would suggest that you implement a system of taking prayer requests, and then praying for them. Personally I have a little box that I keep 3x5 note cards in, and each note card has a prayer request from someone I know. I make a point of taking the cards out of the box and praying for each of them. I also encourage my family to pray through the cards, and sometimes I even pass the cards out in a group and we all take turns praying for them.
How can you more boldly pursue God for the things you, and those you know, need most?
Prayer of Gratitude
Giving thanks is the logical next type of prayer to talk about. I mean, if God gives you what you ask Him for, don’t you think you ought to thank Him for it!
But gratitude goes beyond just thanking God for answering prayers. We all need to count our blessings and thank God for all good things - whether we asked for them or not.
It seems obvious that this is an important type of prayer for us to practice, but, unfortunately, it seems to be an easy one to overlook.
Luke 17:11-19 (NLT)As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Jesus healed ten men of leprosy, and only one of them bothered to thank Him! Is it hard to imagine that 90% of people who ask God for something never thank Him when they get it? Unfortunately, I don’t find that hard to imagine at all - mainly because I am guilty of it myself.
I remember a time when I took God’s blessings for granted. But then I learned the importance of giving thanks - just like Phillipians 4:6 says to pray “with thanksgiving.” Don’t just make one-sided requests to God, always taking and never giving. And don’t try to thank God for things He has not yet given you - because He might not actually give it to you. Instead, when you are asking God for something remember what He has already given you and done for you and remember to also thank Him for those things instead of only asking for more.
And you don’t have to ask for anything in order to thank God for something. Remember to count your blessings. Take a minute to reflect on all the good things God has given you and done for you. Did you sleep in a bed with a roof over your head last night? Did you have food yesterday or today? Do you have good health? Is your family healthy? Do you have faith in God (which, remember, is a gift)?
We all have many things that we can thank God for; definitely enough that we can spend time thanking Him every day.
Practice
To practice this type of prayer you simply need to identify the good things you currently have or have ever had. You can also remember how God has moved in your life - especially when you first received the gift of faith in Him. God places a high importance on our remembering Him. Passover is based on a command to remember. Communion is also based on a command to remember. And many of the Psalms declare memories of what God did in the past. To practice this type of prayer just practice remembering the goodness that God has shown, and is showing, you.
I also have a 3x5 card box for this area of prayer. I call it the praise box. When a prayer from the prayer box gets answered that card moves into the praise box. That way we can also remember to thank God for everything He has done, and remember all the things that we have witnessed God do.
What can you do to better remember all that God has done for you, and thank Him for it?
Worshipful Prayer
Another type of prayer is worshipful prayer.
Really all prayer is a form of worship. When we pray to God we come before Him and acknowledge that He is sovereign, and mighty, and just, and gracious, and generous, and kind, and the source of all good things, and the source of goodness itself. When we remember Him and thank Him we give Him the highest praise by showing appreciation for our personal relationship with Him.
We can also intentionally worship God in prayer by simply praising Him. And every prayer does not have to end in amen. Prayer is how we talk to God, so whenever you shout out “God you are good!” you are praying and worshipping.
Psalm 104:1-4 (NLT)Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.
1 Kings 8:22-24 (NLT)Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed,
“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.
Practice
To practice this kind of prayer make a point to meditate on God. Who is He? What has He done? What does He do? Who am I to Him? And then praise Him for everything. Give Him glory for every accomplishment, victory, and every good thing. This is not a time to be still and silent. This is a time to celebrate! This is a time to be filled with joy, hope, faith, and love! So, raise your heart and your mind to Him! If you are able, raise your voice and get out of your seat and raise your hands and shuffle your feet! Dance and make music however you can! Raise up whatever you can to your Lord, your King, your Saviour, your God!
Contemplative Prayer
Another word for contemplative prayer is meditative prayer.
This type of prayer is where you focus on God with your unconditional, undivided attention.
Psalm 46:10 (NLT) “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
You are not asking for anything, or remembering anything, or trying to come up with something to say. In this type of prayer you are simply being still in the presence of God.
The main point of this prayer is to turn your heart towards God. It’s time for the mind to be quiet (although it never wants to), and for you to focus your heart on God.
You can think of it as a prayer of listening, but you’re not really listening for anything specific. You are just giving yourself completely over to God’s presence. If He wants to talk to you then great, but if not then you are simply sitting with Him in comfortable silence - the way you might do with a loved one on a lazy day.
This type of prayer is perhaps the most difficult - even though it is also the simplest. It requires us to let go of the world around us. We must step out of the flow of being busy, and working, and striving. We must hit pause on life, and be still, and sit in the presence of God.
The enemy hates this type of prayer the most and will never stop trying to distract you from it. It will throw doubts, and worries, and temptations, and any manner of distractions at your mind to try to pull you away from spending this time with your Father.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT)A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.
This scripture is not talking about a physical suit of armor. It is talking about spiritual things. And how do we obey this command in the spirit? Through contemplative prayer.
This type of prayer sounds easy, but it is often where you will fight your greatest spiritual battles. Most of the time the struggle is to even start doing it. There’s always “one more thing” to do before you can settle in for a few moments of stillness. Next thing you know half the day has gone by and you are far too busy now so it will have to wait until later. And then later you are too tired so maybe you will try again tomorrow.
But when you achieve victory in this type of prayer - or rather, when you surrender everything to God so that He can achieve victory for you - you will find it to be your greatest weapon against the enemy. When you can recognize yourself wondering off into impure, selfish, or unkind thoughts you will learn to turn to contemplative prayer instead. A few moments spent focusing on God and filling your heart with His love will recharge your spirit, strengthen your resolve, and re-focus your mind.
Contemplative prayer is not so much seeking God as it is being with Him. It’s not us calling Him forth, but us opening up our heart to Him in faith and love. It’s taking time to rest in His presence; simply being close to Him.
It is the antidote for wondering eyes, impatience, anxiety, a wounded ego, selfishness, and everything that is offensive to God.
If you strive to know God you cannot forego time spent in contemplative prayer. It must become a priority, no a necessity, in your daily life.
Practice
There are many guides that explain how to pray contemplatively. The simplest way is to pick a word to focus on. This word is not so much something that you are trying to define or understand, but it is more like a way to hold the mind still. Pick a word, such as God, love, trust, joy, truth - the simpler the better, and use it to keep your mind still. The word is obviously going to flavor your contemplation, but it is not meant to be the focus of your contemplation. It is simply a way for you to pull your mind away from being distracted by something else.
If you can sit silently in God’s presence without using your word then do that. But if you find your mind wandering and getting distracted repeat your word to yourself over and over again until your mind quiets down. The main point is about connecting your heart to God. If you focus on anything let it be on how open and soft your heart is to God, and how you might open and soften it even more.
And this is not something that has to be limited to a certain time or place. You can practice this type of prayer everywhere and always. In fact, you should be practicing it everywhere and always - otherwise you are leaving your spiritual armor in the closet. Of course, it is easier to get started and grow in it if you intentionally set a specific time and place to always practice it at least once a day.
If you want to grow further in practicing this type of prayer I recommend reading a book titled The Cloud of Unknowing, and then checking out the Christian Mystics after that.
Prayer for Guidance
1 Kings 3:4-9 (NLT)The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
Prayer for Deliverance
Jonah 2 (NLT)Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,
“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’
“I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.
Prayer of Repentance
Luke 18:9-14 (NLT)Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Prayer of Lament
Lamentations 5:1-5 (NLT) Lord, remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We are orphaned and fatherless. Our mothers are widowed. We have to pay for water to drink, and even firewood is expensive. Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted but are given no rest.