Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Prayer is very important to Me and it should be to you also. It is the way in which we speak with each other. And it only has meaning for those who know Me by My Word.
And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the Word of the LORD. 1 Samuel 3:21.
I tell you to pray without ceasing and to pray at all times without losing heart. Communication with Me is your lifeline and My line into your life. Most people do not value the opportunity and the honor it is to pray and so they leave it as a last resort in times of trouble when they just cannot figure out what to do on their own or they have exhausted other avenues of help. But I give great honor to your prayers and seek them so I can connect with you and do wonderful things in your life. Prayer authorizes Me to work in your life and the lives of others.
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the believers on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the believers, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Acts 8:3-4.
And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the believers. Revelation 5:7-8.
May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalm 141:2.
When you join with Me in prayer you enable Me to change the world, save souls, stop evil, calm storms, and move mountains.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:16-18.
Jesus always did what pleased Me and He spent much time in prayer, early in the day and late at night at times He could go to a quiet place with Me free from the thronging crowds.
Prayer is the only way you have of communicating with Me. I tell you to draw close to Me and I will draw close to you. Jesus tells you He knocks at your door and if you hear His voice and open the door He will come in and dine with you and you with Him. He tells you that He is your good Shepherd and His sheep know and hear His voice. Without faith it is impossible to please Me for to come to Me you must believe that I AM and that I reward with good things those who seek Me. All these things are done only one way: prayer.
To fellowship with Me, ask questions of Me, receive answers from Me, pour out your heart and tell Me what you want must all be done in prayer. And the wonderful thing is whenever you pray you will find I hear you and am right there with you. Wherever and whenever you call on Me you will find Me there. I AM Yahweh Shammah (meaning the LORD is there—My abiding presence).
Prayer is your time with Me as your audience of one and My time with you as My audience of one.
When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He begun: “Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed (holy and blessed, exalted and glorious) be your Name.” Prayer is done lifted high in the strong tower of My Name. You are safe with Me in the secret place of the watchtower of prayer.
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe (lifted high, inaccessibly high). Proverbs 18:10.
It is there at the throne of grace you receive mercy and find grace just at the moment you have need of it.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16.
And it is there that you are praying in, with, and through your advocate and mediator, savior, kinsman redeemer, brother, good Shepherd, and great High Priest, Jesus, the new and living way into the secret place of the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest can enter, but you are ushered in with Him and in Him for He has made you worthy by His blood to be there. He has gone as your forerunner beyond the veil and brought you in in His great triumphal train, the new and living way of His blood.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22.
Prayer is our sacred time together on holy ground. As I spoke with Moses I told him to remove his sandals for he was on holy ground. Where I am is sacred and hallowed. And in Jesus I have made you that way as well. Deep in your born again spirit, in the deepest place, we meet. Deep calls unto deep. And within we speak in spiritual language that then your spirit puts into your soul to speak in your language as your mind understands.
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 1 Corinthians 2:11-13.
I have drawn you by the fragrant anointing and the love that is better than wine into the banquet hall of the divine table of plenty where you find every answer by grace just when you need it. Prayer is a banquet of My Word set before you where we can dine together.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20.
“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; therefore the maidens love you. Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers. We will rejoice in you and be glad; we will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.” Song of Songs 1:2-4.
“He has brought me to his banquet hall, and His banner over me is love. Song of Songs 2:4.
Prayer is a time for rejoicing for in prayer you find the joy of love, the joy of forgiveness, the joy of revelation, the joy of impartation, the joy of refreshing, the joy of blessing, and the joy of answers. Prayer is a place of answers and of empowerment.
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the LORD and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4.
And now you are that house where I dwell in the beauty of holiness. Your heart should be a joyful sanctuary of prayer.
“Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Isaiah 56:7.
Jesus told all you who are weary and find life burdensome to come to Him and He will refresh you and restore you. He is your Shepherd who leads you to living water, to verdant pastures and healing peaceful waters of grace, and makes you rest there as He restores your soul (your mind, will, and emotions). He leads you in right paths for His Name’s sake and takes you through the dark valley of the shadow of death to the table of plenty set before you to eat and grow strong in the midst of your enemies so that you may dwell in My house forever with goodness and love pursuing you all the days of your life and beyond. Learn from Him, who is My Word, and you will be refreshed and blessed by Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden light. Why? He shares it with you, and not only shares the load but lifts it of you and carries it for you. And all that is done in prayer.
The prayer of faith is a wonderful thing, it turns your life around, it fills your days with beauty and takes away your frown, it turns you into a prophet telling the good news, that I am here among you, making all things new.
You can know Me by My Word but it must be made personal in prayer.
I tell you to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give constant thanks, this is My Will for you in Christ Jesus. And that really tells you how to pray. You rejoice to enter My presence in praise and worship with joyful songs and shouts of joy, then fellowship and pray to Me raised up to the higher levels by the rejoicing, and then you give thanks. The voice of thanksgiving works wonders.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7.
I love you. Come to prayer with joy. Prayer is about worship, about My promises as expressed in My covenant Names, about partaking of My divine nature, about revelation and impartation, about intercession, and about stewardship. And we will talk more about the amazing place of prayer in our next Life Lesson. I give you the opportunity to know Me by prayer.