The Dynamics of Prayer

One of the most critical aspects of the christian walk – prayer – is also unfortunately one of the most challenging, least understood and most abused. There have been multiple religious practices that have infiltrated the ministry of prayer, turning it into a spectacle of men showing off their own religiosity instead of a platform for real communion between God and men. Consider the words of the Lord Jesus when He taught His disciples on the subject, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matthew 6:5). Looking carefully at the words of Jesus, we see that these are people who loved praying; they were eager “prayer warriors”, but the motivations of their heart and understanding of the subject was poor. Jesus tells His followers not to be like these people, who pray for attention and without understanding. The Lord did not mean to say there must be no forms of public prayer, because there were many times when the Lord Himself prayed publicly and where His followers heard Him – consider examples of the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and many others, so evidently, He did not mean to ban all forms of public acts of prayer. He only meant to rebuke the showmanship attitude, where men prayed for the applause of other men and not out of their love for God. Apostle Paul taught the church in Corinth, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal…” (1 Corinthians 13:1a) – this is important to understand church – we first and foremost relate to God at a heart level; all transactions begin and end with the heart. So loving to pray but not loving the One to whom we pray is fruitless, as the Lord impresses that all the reward there is to that show of prayer will be given to you by the very men you aim to impress. 

Secondly, we have also made the mistake of reducing prayer to just asking God. No, it ought not to be so! While requests can be a part of our prayer, prayer itself is not only asking God and submitting to-do requests as if He is a negligent Father who does not know the needs of His children and requires incessant begging before He acts. This is why Jesus had to warn sternly, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6: 7-8). God knows what you need, and even more satisfying is the knowledge that in this new dispensation He has gone ahead to provide that which we need for this life before we even came to be (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:3); so our prayer requests are not informing God of something He did not know and already plan for. These are the good news, a report of that which has already happened and knowing this should already unburden us of a lot of pressure in our communion with Him, freeing our time to simply receive that which we need then proceeding to actual fellowship with the Father. Back in the garden, before the fall of men and the rise of sin and toil, God usually communed casually with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8), there were no long list of requests, just sweet communion. And now, being restored in Christ, we simply come to enforce the Lord’s victory and to receive all He won for us on the cross; this is why Apostle Paul admonished, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…” (Colossians 2:6a). 

Additionally, unlike how many of us have understood, this sweet communion is not limited to the “secret place” or closet only. The idea of a secret place and shut doors in Matthew 6:5 speaks to the issue of heightened consciousness of our onessess with the Father, who has made His lodging in our heart (John 14:23), and is perpetually with us at all times (Matthew 28:20). This consciousness can be achieved anywhere where man has set his mind on God; be it in the car, while doing some house chores, while working, and even whilst in the midst of people. God has given us many responsibilities, this life requires one to balance their time across various obligations, but we thank God because we are never apart from Him and do not only get to talk to Him in a closet! He is with us at all times and He hears us at all times! Yes, there is a place for hidden communion, but like any other relationship, various aspects of that fellowship will play out in the open as we carry our daily obligations. The quality of such communion is not in the length or secrecy of such devotion, but in the consciousness and sensitivity of the Spirit – let your spiritual senses be switched on the whole day anywhere you are! Prayer is not an act, but a living relationship between God and man that is not limited by time or space. So it is critical that we do not allow our conscience to accuse us falsely in this regard, making us feel inadequate and lacking. Instead, we must remember the words of apostle John, “…if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things” (1 John 3:20).

Jesus then began to teach them a template for prayer, not in any means suggesting that this is the exact word for word that ought to be repeated to the Father, but instead, He was giving a skeleton for us to follow. It is important to note that in the time of this lesson, the Lord had not risen in glory and the new dispensation had not been opened yet, so in applying this model today, we ought to be mindful of our tenses and the finished works of the cross. Remember what the Lord also said to the disciples, “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you” (John 16:23) – this is because His victory on the cross then becomes the foundation through which we receive from God. So Jesus began His prayer template lesson, opening by glorifying the Father, saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:9-10) –Jesus built His consciousness to the majesty of the Father, which makes every problem pale in comparison. He then continued to bring in His requests (for material, forgiveness and protection), which we know in this dispensation, should be acknowledgement of the works of the cross (v.11-13a). He then closes His prayer by again glorifying the Father, saying, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (v.13b). This is how we should pray, abounding in thanksgiving and praise towards the Father. Our God is not a genie, and we should tie anything to our personal relationship with Him!

Prayer

Father, I thank you for the revelation of your love in me through Christ Jesus and the lessons on what should constitute my times of fellowship with You. I choose to continuously meditate on Your Word, walking in the consciousness of who I am in You. I am strong, I am loved, and I have the victory! In Jesus’ name, Amen!