Prayers are like wishes thrown into the Universe
with a hopeful, expectant return.
Lately, God has been teaching me to pray in a new way. I stumbled upon it while reading Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind book.
That, along with a few other resources have have helped me to pray in a more worshipful, God-honoring way.
First of all, I love praying! It's my favorite ministry at church. I started a prayer group and kept up with it for a lot of years. Whenever someone mentions prayer, I'm in! I have to pay a tribute here to my friend that has gone on to be with the Lord. Prayer with her was always a worshipful experience where you really felt the presence of God. Think of the most beautiful things you have seen, done and experienced here on earth. Then, sprinkle it generously with a covering of holiness. It is super-difficult to describe the closeness, warmth, fellowship you feel when you pray with someone who has an ocean-deep relationship with the Lord. It was pure heavenly.
But I have an embarrassing confession to make. A lot of my prayers were more like whining and complaining. They must've scratched God's ears like an out-of-tune violin. I'm still a bit rusty, but I'm learning not to ask so much, so desperately, needy- and complaining-like. I think it is more now like a refreshing wave of the ocean (to both me and God)! I think He asks us to pray this way, not so much for His sake, but for ours.
This is how I pray now (most times). When I close my eyes and think of a person or situation that needs help or changing, I start with Thanksgiving. I thank the Lord for the person and all the ways they have blessed my life. Even listing the ways out on paper is great! Then, I bow to the LORD in a worshipful way and just look to God while simultaneously lifting the person up to God WITHOUT ANY WORDS. I continue to worship God, thanking Him for what He is already doing in the situation!
Also, praying like this helps me to more get to the bottom of things....like what is REALLY needed. I would say most of my prayers are about people and how [I think], but sometimes it is a yes, truly...that they need to change. When I just close my eyes and think about the person (people) in a thankful way, sometimes I begin to see possible reasons that they may act a certain way. It always lends me to have more compassion for them! Is it previous life experiences that has wounded, jaded or made them think in a certain way? Is it fears of being vulnerable, trusting or opening up?
Another BIGGIE- and I do mean BIG! thing that praying this way has helped- is for me see my own discrepancies...ways I need to act toward them that needs changed! Do I need to be more kind? (the answer is almost always, YES!) And God helps me to be kind, which in turn changes the relationship to more of what I want!
The Payoff: I've seen God has do some real miracles.....It's like the song, "miracles upon miracles". It's amazing! Exciting! Fulfilling! Earth shattering! God is sooo Good! (All the time).
One of the biggest changes I've seen is in my husband and myself and our relationship. I have to admit I was a pretty naggy wife. Of course....these were things that needed changed, but also of course, nagging was not the answer! So...several of his bad habits have been changed! WITH NO WORD COMING OUT OF MY NAGGING MOUTH! Hallelujah! Amen... And, get this! The bad habits only changed after I stopped saying ANYTHING. (it was pretty difficult, but the amazing answers to prayers have spurred me on to more worshipful, thankful prayer and less talking, nagging, complaining both to God and my husband)! If someone could've recorded the look on my face when he told me he was going to stop doing x, y, z! One of the habits ceased because he had to have a conversation with his grandson on why he was doing ____, and he was told simply, because "his pappy did it!".......Out of the mouths of babes! lol. I looked like I swallowed a canary when he told me that! I wanted to laugh hysterically, but of course, I just nodded and smiled with my 'canary' look! :)
