I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
I tell you that prayer is important, that you should pray without ceasing, that you should pray and never give up, that you should ask and you shall receive, that you should go to your private place where no one sees but you and Me and pray to Me in private, and I who see what no person sees, will reward you.
But most people, even if they recite long prayers, are not doing what I mean by praying. How is that? They are not communicating with Me. They are treating Me like an irrational being that must be bombarded and pleaded with to do something good, kind, and wonderful. This ought not to be. They never knew Me.
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:7-8.
Prayer should be a very meaningful time between us and it can be all day and all night without ceasing as easy as the breath you take. David, who was a man after My own heart, poured out his heart to Me in prayer. He talked to Me about everything going on in his life, seeking guidance, battle strategies, protection, guidance, comfort and joy. He called out for light when things were dark in him, for clarity in confusion, and he knew he would find answers and help. I was his refuge and his fortress, the One he trusted for everything and every answer. He came expecting answers, blessing, help, strength, vindication, and revelation. He delighted in Me and loved to ask questions.
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 delightfulness of the LORD and to inquire in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. Psalm 27:4-5.
And there you are in our secret place where Jesus told you to go to pray! And David sang about prayer as follows:
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; indeed, my innermost being instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your faithful one to undergo corruption. You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:7-11.
He came in confidence to receive blessing as he came to Me with blessing (“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name,” Psalm 103:1), not forgetting even one of all the benefits that were his already by Covenant with Me, but receiving them all (“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits,” Psalm 103:2). He came knowing for sure that he would receive counseling that gave him revelation, that is, enlightened the eyes of his heart (“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” Psalm 119:105) and instructed him in the way to go (“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5). He saw Me as always with him (“The LORD is My shepherd, I shall not want . . . even though I walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4), telling him My secrets and sharing My plans with him (“The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.” Psalm 25:14). And he kept his attention on Me for protection, deliverance, and guidance at all times, never letting Me out of his sight (awareness of heart) (“My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalm 25:15).
You have no need to strive with Me in prayer, as if you had to beg and plead for good things, every good thing given and every perfect gift comes down from Me, your Father of lights, each of you is a light in the dark world if you walk in the light with Me.
“For You light my lamp; the LORD, my God, illumines my darkness. For by You I can run upon a troop (take down an entire army); and by my God I can leap over a wall.” Psalm 18:28-29.
Do you fellowship with Me, that is, pray to Me, like that? You should for My desire is to daily load you with benefits, to fill your days with good things and good health as I renew your youth like the eagle.
Prayer is a place of purification and revelation at My throne of grace where you are seated in Christ at My right hand, the place of power.
As you believe, so then you can receive. No faith, no connection. No connection, no direction. No direction, no perfection. And without connection and direction, you have no protection.
Jesus prayed at all times, or He would not have told you to do so. He lived and practiced everything He preached perfectly. He never broke any of My commandments. How was that? True, He was born from above by My Word, but so was Adam and Adam rejected My Word and sinned. What was the difference? Jesus told you, He knew Me. He spent many hours with Me on the hillside in the night and early morning. What was He talking with Me about? He consulted with Me on the works He was to do that day and the Words He was to say, knowing that meant eternal life to those who heard, And I showed Him. He did nothing on His own initiative, that is, without consulting Me first. Knowing beforehand, He had no confusion or questions, no panic, no begging, just confidence in saying and doing what I had shown Him. When you have a Word from Me, you are fearless to proceed.
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.” John 5:19-20.
In prayer I can show you things and give you plans for amazing works of glory. Remember Moses? In prayer with Me he received the plans for the tabernacle in detail so all could be constructed smoothly exactly as I had shown to him in prayer. He merely had to proceed with no doubts or second guesses.
Moses also received instruction for the whole nation with just and amazing laws like no other nation had or even imagined. And as he followed My direction, first received when he turned aside to speak with Me at the burning bush on Mt. Horeb (Sinai), he brought My people out of the slavery of Egypt and took down the greatest empire of the world at that time along with all their army with his shepherd’s staff and outstretched hand. Moses understood the purpose, plan, and power of prayer. We talked like friends, but he treated Me with respect, honor, and humility, but he was very confident of help, answers, protection, and direction from Me every time he turned to Me in leading and governing the people. He asked questions that I answered, and he listened and wrote down what I told him. He told Me when it was too much for him alone and I gave him people to help him fulfill the plans. If I may say this, he considered Me his very best friend. And I called him My friend as well.
The best, highest and most perfect prayer you can pray for anyone is that My Will be done in his or her life. Why? Because I desire above all things that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers by walking in the truth. I desire that all be saved and come to know the truth that will raise them up and set them free. Because I hate the curse, which is sickness, poverty, and eternal death, I sent Jesus to redeem you from the curse by becoming a curse for you on the Cross so that you could have the blessing of Abraham, which consists of material and spiritual aspects as I increase and multiply you more and more:
For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:13-15; Genesis 22:16-18.
Spiritual riches in accounting you righteous on the basis of faith in My Word. And blessing you in every way to be a blessing to every person on earth. And with the Blessing of Abraham Jesus also gives you the promise of the Holy Spirit by faith. Galatians 3:13-14.
So what is basically the way you should pray to receive all the benefits of prayer? Jesus already gave you the outline of how to receive blessing, enlightenment, and all My many benefits. It is not by “bombarding Heaven,” it is not by begging and pleading, it is not by crying and whining at how pitiful you are, it is not crawling about like a worm begging Me to let you have the crumbs off the table, it is not in beating yourself for your sins. When you pray say:
“Our Father” stop there a moment. I am your Father above all others. I planned you, made you, and prepared a life of good deeds for you in advance. I care for you. I support you from the womb and forever after. I am a good father, the best of fathers. I never give you bad things when you ask for good things. I never shortchange you but multiply your seed sown till your harvest overflows beyond what you can contain. I never take back what I gave you (if you let him the devil will steal your blessing but that is not My doing) and only add more. Grace on top of grace.
And you will notice it is “Our Father,” you are coming to Me with, in, and through Jesus your brother, Savior, Messiah, and Lord. Your great high priest who ushers you in by the new and living way right to the Holy of Holies, to My throne of grace. You are coming with the one who bore your sins and brought you in to receive mercy and find grace in time of need. No begging, coming with confidence to claim your beautiful inheritance.
Most people do not know Me or they would not pray as they do or define Me as they do. They think they have to beg Me to heal them or someone they are praying for but that is not a prayer of faith and it will not be effective. Why? Because I am your healer and in Jesus I have already given you healing mercy. You have to receive it. A gift is not complete until received. If you just keep acting like if you do not have it and begging Me to heal you, then you do not have any confidence that you are coming to Me with and you cannot receive. I am trying to flood you with healing but in your doubt and unbelief you have shut it out.
You cannot receive without receiving. Do you understand what I am saying? I told the Israelites they limited Me. They never received My promises by going forward to take them. I told them to open their mouths wide and I would fill them but they shut them to My Word and said their own complaining, fearful, grumbling words. They spoke stout against Me and never realized they were doing that. They called it prayer when they cried all night in their tents and said I had not told them the truth.
And the “Our Father” goes on to remember My Name, “hallowed by Your Name,” all My Covenant promise Names should come to your mind and all the benefits I give you under each Name and you should call upon the one that fits your need of the moment and expect the promise therein to come to pass in your current need. I set you securely on high because you KNOW My Name. My Name is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are saved (set inaccessibly high). Three of the Covenant promise Names you need often are “The LORD your healer,” “the LORD who looks ahead and provides,” and “the LORD your helper.”
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” This is praying My Will be done on earth just as it is in Heaven. There is no heartache, fear, anxiety, depression, sickness, pain, grief, evil, lack, death, sin, lies, or darkness in My Kingdom of Heaven. It is a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And you know if you pray according to My Will, I hear you, and what you have asked for is yours. 1 John 5:14-15. If you are full of My Word like a branch attached to a vine you are bearing good fruit and you may ask whatever you will and it will be done. I watch over My Word to perform it. Just return My Word to Me and I will do it.
Jesus walked in this manner. He knew My Will is to heal, that I am the LORD who heals you. That I heal all our ills. And He knew He would be scourged and crucified to obtain that for you. You will notice He never stopped when someone came to be healed and prayed that if it was My Will to heal them. When the leper inquired if it was His will to heal him, Jesus simply spoke My Will into the situation, “Be cleansed and made whole” and touched him and out went the leprosy and in came the healing mercy and blessing of restoration. You never need to pretend to someone that their healing might not happen because it may not be My Will for them. That is evil. You are attributing the works of the devil and the curse to Me. I never cursed anyone or will I ever do so. If you are not healed, it is not because the healing is not available. You need to examine your faith, the other’s person’s faith whom you are endeavoring to get healed, and you must look at your heart and pull out bitter roots, resentment, and offense or that will block your healing every time. You cannot let the devil in your heart and keep a healing. He will steal it because you have opened the door of your heart to him.
And that has to do with the part of the “Our Father” prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is very important to receive answers and good things in prayer. Unforgiveness shuts the door of your heart up tightly and no blessing can penetrate that. Also, the spiritual law you are dealing with is that as you judge so are you judged. I am bound by the standard of judgment you use on others and on yourself. If you cannot forgive others or yourself you are saying the blood of Jesus is not enough for you to take away sins, and if that is the case I must judge you with the same standard, which is a lie because His blood is more than enough but you will be bound on earth the way you bind things that come from Heaven to you.
“Give us this day our daily bread,” there is your spiritual and physical provision. The Manna from Heaven. Your daily revelation and impartation of the works and strength for that day in bringing the goodness of My Kingdom to earth. It is stewardship unto prosperity and knowing the works and words I have set out in advance for you to do. It is also the prospering of the work your hands and the creativity of your life in your place of employment, study, or business. It is your work as a member of the body of Christ. Blessed to be a blessing. I give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
We have already discussed the next line concerning your forgiveness of others and yourself. Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give to make whole one who has done wrong. It turns a barren place of no hope to a garden of Eden filled with a future and a hope. It is your vindication and it comes from Me in the gift of righteousness I give you in Jesus. He makes it as if you had never sinned at all. It is gone forever. Once you have repented, I cleanse you in the blood of Jesus of all unrighteousness and it will never be mentioned by Me again. Rejoice in that and share it with others as well as you reconcile them to Me in Jesus.
And finally the importance of not going astray to the deceits of Satan as Adam did. Pray that you not be put to the test for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. It is best not to look at things you have no business playing with that can drag your flesh into sin. Look straight ahead and keep your feet on the narrow road that leads to life that is life indeed. You only have one life to live, don’t mess it up. Let Me help you keep pure in your heart by protecting you from entering into temptation. Jesus told you to pray that but many of you do not. You are like Peter and think you would NEVER deny Me. It is best not to give yourself the chance. Let Me help you guard your heart.
And what is the bottom line in prayer? Say it with Me now: “I believe I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” That is here and now. My goodness is all you need and it is available to you without limit.
How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19.
I love you. I look forward to you joining Me on My holy mountain and making you joyful in My house of prayer. Nothing is impossible if you do it with Me. And that is only by joining with Me in prayer and worship, which is the ultimate level of fellowship. I am Spirit and prayer joins your spirit with Mine in the rest of trust in My goodness. And that is worship in spirit and truth.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews (the stewards of My Word down the ages). But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit (faith) and truth (My Word).” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:21-26.