The next step in drawing near to God is talking to Him! Who would've thought, huh? Just as we can't maintain earthly relationships without communication; we most certainly can't maintain a healthy relationship with our Heavenly Father if we don't talk to Him. As we do so remember that we are talking to the King of Kings and it would behoove us to come before Him respectfully, giving Him the honor due Him. Below are three areas of prayer you can start to practice in your own prayer life to either enrich it if you are long-time prayer warrior or if you are new to this journey of learning who your Heavenly Father is and how He wants to know you intimately.
"Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments." - Job 23:3-4
3 Facets of Effective Prayer
(taken from the book, Effective Prayer by Charles H. Spurgeon)
(taken from the book, Effective Prayer by Charles H. Spurgeon)
1. Ordering Our Cause before God
As a petitioner coming into the court does not come there without thought to state his case on the spur of the moment, but enters into the audience chamber with his suit well prepared, having also learned how he ought to behave himself in the presence of the great one to whom he is appealing; so it is well to approach the seat of the King of kings as much as possible with premeditation and preparation, knowing what we are about, where we are standing, and what it is which we desire to obtain. We would do well to come with an unprepared spirit, for to be anxious and thoughtless in the closet is little less than blasphemy, for it is an abomination that anything will do for God. We have no right to what we are seeking and cannot expect to obtain it except as a gift of grace.
2. Filling Our Mouth with Arguments
Not filling the mouth with words nor good phrases, nor pretty expressions, but filling the mouth with arguments, as the ancient saints were wont to argue in prayer. When we come to the gate of mercy, forcible arguments are the knocks of the rapper by which the gate is opened. The arguments to be used are for our own benefit, not for His. He requires us to plead with Him, and to bring forth our strong reasons, as Isaiah says (Isa. 41:21), because this will show that we feel the value of the mercy. There is no need for prayer at all as far as God is concerned, but what a need there is for it on our own account! To pray is to cast off your burdens, it is to tear away your rags, it is to shake off your diseases, it is to be filled with spiritual vigor, it is to reach the highest point of Christian health!
3. Giving Praise and Thanksgiving
If the Holy Ghost shall teach us how to order our cause, and how to fill our mouth with arguments, the result shall be that we shall have our mouth filled with praises. The man who has his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benedictions in answer to prayer. Oh, have your mouth full of prayer - full of it, full of arguments so that there is room for nothing else. Then you shall soon go away with whatsoever you have asked of God. "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He will give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps. 37:4) God says in Psalms 81:10 to "Open thy mouth wide and fill it" - so fill it with arguments and He will fill it with mercies priceless, gems of unspeakable valuable. Let us then open wide our mouth when we have to plead with God. Our needs are great, let our asking be great, and the supply shall be great too.
As a petitioner coming into the court does not come there without thought to state his case on the spur of the moment, but enters into the audience chamber with his suit well prepared, having also learned how he ought to behave himself in the presence of the great one to whom he is appealing; so it is well to approach the seat of the King of kings as much as possible with premeditation and preparation, knowing what we are about, where we are standing, and what it is which we desire to obtain. We would do well to come with an unprepared spirit, for to be anxious and thoughtless in the closet is little less than blasphemy, for it is an abomination that anything will do for God. We have no right to what we are seeking and cannot expect to obtain it except as a gift of grace.
- Speak in plain words before God (after all it is a real conversation), mean what you say and let your words be few.
- Ask for what you now need, and, as a rule, keep to present need; ask for your daily bread.
- Reflect on the blessing you desire, making sure there is no selfish motive as it forgets God's glory and caters only to our own ease and comfort.
2. Filling Our Mouth with Arguments
Not filling the mouth with words nor good phrases, nor pretty expressions, but filling the mouth with arguments, as the ancient saints were wont to argue in prayer. When we come to the gate of mercy, forcible arguments are the knocks of the rapper by which the gate is opened. The arguments to be used are for our own benefit, not for His. He requires us to plead with Him, and to bring forth our strong reasons, as Isaiah says (Isa. 41:21), because this will show that we feel the value of the mercy. There is no need for prayer at all as far as God is concerned, but what a need there is for it on our own account! To pray is to cast off your burdens, it is to tear away your rags, it is to shake off your diseases, it is to be filled with spiritual vigor, it is to reach the highest point of Christian health!
- Pray with God's attributes in mind
- Pray with God's Promises in mind
- Pray with the Great Name of God in mind
- Pray with the Sorrows of God's People in mind
- Pray with the Past in mind
- Pray with the Sufferings, Death, Merit and Intercession of Christ Jesus in mind
3. Giving Praise and Thanksgiving
If the Holy Ghost shall teach us how to order our cause, and how to fill our mouth with arguments, the result shall be that we shall have our mouth filled with praises. The man who has his mouth full of arguments in prayer shall soon have his mouth full of benedictions in answer to prayer. Oh, have your mouth full of prayer - full of it, full of arguments so that there is room for nothing else. Then you shall soon go away with whatsoever you have asked of God. "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He will give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps. 37:4) God says in Psalms 81:10 to "Open thy mouth wide and fill it" - so fill it with arguments and He will fill it with mercies priceless, gems of unspeakable valuable. Let us then open wide our mouth when we have to plead with God. Our needs are great, let our asking be great, and the supply shall be great too.