The Way We Should Pray
As a little girl, I was loved, cared for, and taken care of -- but I didn't grow up with a tight-knit family. As a woman, I've built a village around me that has given me the foundation of 'family' that I've always wanted. Now, as a mother, I've made it a goal to pour love, affection, and precious "girl time" into my three daughters.
YES -- I am that mom...
The one in the crowd, recording & cheering my girls at their recitals. The one shouting plays from the sidelines at their soccer games. One of the sweetest memories I'll have as a parent is watching my girls pile onto my Queen-Sized bed. Whether snagging their designated spot for a movie night, or to sit and chat about their day at school, they find a way to fit themselves in any available space on the bed, with Jeff and I. As we all lay together, laughing and talking, I thank God for giving me the family I've always prayed for.
However, there's a flip side...
I love how comfortable my children are in their own home, but as they're getting older, they have to realize that when mommy & daddy's door is closed, it's closed for a reason. Something they're learning now is to knock AND WAIT FOR A RESPONSE TO OPEN THE DOOR before entering. Anyone living with family or a roommate can attest: There's nothing more annoying than someone busting through your door without the courtesy of knocking...
That got me thinking...
God is my prime example of how to handle my own children. He is our Creator, and our Father -- and I try to 'parent' the way He does. As annoyed as I get when my kids bust into my bedroom, I can't help but think how annoyed my Heavenly Father is when I bust into His "Room" (spiritually, going beyond the veil to pray to Him) without "knocking" on the Door.
In John 10:9, Jesus tells us that He is our Door and the only way to get to the Father. Prior to Jesus, God's children used priests and prophets to access God. Through Jesus, we don't need a third-party entry point. Through Him, we have full access to salvation, deliverance, forgiveness, and communication. What a blessing!
I realized that my prayer requests were literally BARGING through The Door. I didn't enter God's courts with praise -- I entered His courts with my own petitions. It was time to change the way I went to God in prayer...
KNEEOLOGY 101: Knocking
The first way to study kneeology, or the WAY in which we should pray, involves KNOCKING. This must include the Lord's Prayer, in which Jesus tells us to pray in.
Starting prayer off with the intro Jesus told us to use is a great way to KNOCK on the Door God has provided us with -- Jesus Himself. Following up with praise and worship, honoring who God is -- not for what He can do for you, but just for who He Is -- is a powerful tool as well.
KNEEOLOGY 102: Target Prayers
Pastor Paul has a famous power statement that says, "We are all spirits, living to master the human experience." While living in this natural realm, we have real needs. Whether asking for healing, or help with finances, we all need something. Praying target prayers, or specific requests, COUPLED WITH THE WORD OF GOD, will render the best results.
For more details on how to target your prayers, click here for the article post ---> TARGET FAITH
KNEEOLOGY 103: Accept God's Will
1 Thessalonians gives more tools to use while studying kneeology:
1. Rejoicing in your faith -- use it as the foundation of living this human experience
2. Persistent Prayer -- talk to God every chance you get
3. Be thankful -- regardless of the situation or the answer you receive from your prayer request, except joy and gratefulness as God's Will for your life!
Whether it's on your knees, standing in line at the supermarket, in a pew, or in your home -- prayer matters! The study of kneelogy, or the WAY you pray, makes all the difference between saying words and receiving results!
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Mercedes Saintfleur is a wife, mother of 3, an award-winning Event Planner, a professional in the Aviation industry, and a member of Changing Lives Christian Center. When she isn't working or serving others, this 'Creative' can be found dancing, cooking, or studying!
She's diligently studying her Word, and applying the practical, relevant Word she's learning from Pastor Paul B. Mitchell to her life. With honest transparency, she's utilizing her experiences as a Believer to encourage others to walk the narrow path of King Christ..
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