Prayer requires a door! I love to pray, and feel like I’ve developed a lifestyle of prayer. Not for religious reasons, but because it helps me know more about how God really is.

When we pray, we put our hearts in contact with more of how He thinks, feels and perceives the person or situation. It takes us out of some of our thoughts and puts us in contact with more of His. The two are often quiet different!

Lately, i’ve needed a door to really listen to Him well. When i lived on the road, i could use parks or wherever, but it does require some spiritual concentration to pray. We are listening, turning our whole selves consciously towards Him, and listening attentively.

After prayer, i usually know how to act or help in a situation much more wisely. That is another gift of prayer. Prayer leads to informed action.

It is wisdom to pray, for it is admitting that God is not just good, but is smarter and bigger in His perspective than ours.

Once again praying is always about getting to know more of Him.

I always come away in wonder–wow, He really does have a 1000 daily thoughts towards each of us, and He really is so specific in His loving towards each of us.

Prayer begets or cultivates this awe of who He is.

Life is a balance of in and then out. But prayer places those in the right order. Go in with Him, to go out with Him. Watchman Nee used to call it sitting before you stand and walk. Prayer is sitting very near to God and just getting to know Him by watching how He is intervening with people and situations. When you hang out with Him, you get more in wonder of just how deeply He cares and is actively intervening in all our lives.

God already knows how it’s going with them. We often ask, when we haven’t seen someone in a while–“How’s it going?” Well God already knows how it’s going for that person. When we pray we visit them through God, and so when we meet up, we can address their deeper heart needs. That’s another benefit of prayer.

Prayer is us actively seeking to come more into alignment with His Purposes and perceptions. It changes us, not Him. His children come and sit with Him and listen to how He is caring for others. It changes your life.

In prayer we are not doing something for God, He is sharing something with us–part of His Heart and Ideas and Ways. It changes ours to be in His Presence just listening.

Prophecy is birthed and comes out of prayer. You see this in Jesus’ life on earth, but also you experience it in prayer. After being with Him for another person, you know how to speak His Words, in His Tone! You know how He is speaking to each person or situation. So you can deliver His message in His Tone, if you feel led to. So i would say, prayer precedes prophecying.

Yet, the two are intimately connected. I can’t give words of life to people if i haven’t prayed for them first. That’s how it works for me anyway.

Pray without ceasing, St Paul avers. He was speaking of a lifestyle of being tuned into God as you live. But I also find for focused prayer, it helps to close yourself off, or be alone with Him, so that the roar of the world’s voices does not muddle your listening. There is something about spiritual concentration that requires some solitude. Although, you are not really alone with all the cloud of witnesses already there around you!

After prayer, my trust in Him has grown. That is another gift of prayer–it builds trust that God really is good, kind, patient and caring, and very active in each our lives, whether we are aware of it or not!

Prayer also makes it easier to be intimate with people. Why? Because you have more of God’s Heart for His friends! You want to be their friends too! We come to love more of how and who He loves through prayer. So it actually helps us love people more easily once we’ve been in contact with His Love for them.

These are just a few thoughts on prayer from my prayer cell today. Now, back to praying……..