I Will Pray for You...oh, really?

Today I am putting the final touches on worksheets and listening guides for a prayer retreat I am priviledged to lead this weekend. As I do this, God has placed it on my heart how important prayer really is...but prayer in its proper perspective. So many times we casually say we are going to pray for something and then go about our lives never thinking of it again. Or, perhaps we want something very badly and "Pray believing, in Jesus name to receive," only to become disillusioned when we don't get what we want. I have been there. In preparing for this retreat, God has shown me that (and I have had head-knowledge of this) prayer is an extension of my relationship with God and is closely related to my worship of God.


Many equate worship with songs and the "stuff" we do before the sermon on a Sunday morning. It is the time we get emotional and heart-opened for His word that day. While on some shallow level this is a part of worship, may I submit, that what the Bible calls worship is much more serious. The actual word itself means, "to be put under the authority of." We see that when we read Isaiah 6. Everything we think, everything we are, all our desires fall down in front of a Holy and Powerful Yahweh. Paul calls it a "living sacrifice!" (Romans 12:1) Only when that is our worship will we be able to respond, "Here an I...send me."


You might be saying, "But what does that have to do with prayer? Aren't we suppose to petition Him for our needs?" Yes, but only after we truly know what our needs are! We have perceived needs from our flesh...but only after we come in line with God's will for our lives, through worship, do we really know what our true needs are. For example, we might think our need is enough money to pay a bill (that's flesh)...but our real need is to become aware of the constant provisions of God and our need is to increase our faith through that bill.(that's spiritual) We often are not wanting our spiritual life to grow in prayer...we just want what we want!! Prayer cannot be separate from worship or it is just a list of "whines." In the model prayer, Jesus states the order...first put God in control...(Thy kingdom comes...) then petitions.

This week I have learned through seeking Him for the words to teach on this important subject, that He is most interested in my relationship through worship...and as my will aligns with His, my prayers become powerful extensions of that. Jesus said while on earth, "My will is to do the will of the Father!" This concept is all over the New Testament: "If we pray, according to His will, He will give us the desires of our hearts." 1 John 5:14 "But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you." Matt 6:33

Osswald Chambers says it like this:

Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray.

Life-changing prayer is serious stuff and comes after serious surrender of our will to His will. So, the next time you say, "I will pray for you," make sure you really know what you are saying. It is hard work...but in that work...we become one with the Father just as Jesus prayed for us in John 17.

This weekend can be an incredible time with God whether you are at the retreat or not! Pray with me, "God reveal to us Your will for we want to be under Your authority in all things! Amen and Amen! "