The life of prayer can be one of excitement, because you never know how great the results of your prayers will be. Such little time invested, with such monumental outcomes! Something so little as prayer can be multiplied over and over in the lives of the people you pray for.
As you put forth your efforts and investment of time in prayer and you call on My Spirit to intervene in situations and influence the hearts and lives of people, it comes back to you in the form of joy, answers, healing, open doors, supply, and on and on it goes.
Part of availing yourself of My promises of the power of prayer is being proactive in your prayers. Commit the needs, goals, and progress of the future to Me in full faith, knowing that I will hear your every prayer and the answers will come at just the right moment, when they are most needed.
What better preparations could you make for any project, program, or achievement than to commit every detail, advance preparations, and outcome to Me? In doing so, you are placing your trust in Me to prepare the way in advance, in the way that I know will be best before you even get there. Instead of being “reactive” to situations as they happen, you can be thinking, planning, praying, and committing them to Me in advance.
There are many times that you will pray reactive prayers, as you respond to the everyday problems, challenges, and situations that arise. But if you commit time to praying proactively, you will open your heart and mind to what lies ahead and what is needed to resolve issues before they become problems.
When you pray proactively you project yourself into the future, and as you do this, I’m able to speak to your heart about what you should pray for. What do you want to see Me do in your life, ministry, and work? What answers to prayer are needed in order to make progress? What progress is needed in your life and relationships with others? Where do you want to be in the future, what have I called you to do? Think ahead, pray about it, project into the future, and then keep praying as I continue to guide you step by step.
It’s never too soon to start praying for something. As you pray in advance, you’ll find the path before you will be clearer, and you’ll be better prepared for the problems and challenges you will face.
Prayers that are full of faith for the future begin the work that is needed to pave the way—setting up events, changing hearts, lives, and minds; organizing logistics. By the time you personally arrive in that future, the most important work has been done, and you can do your part to walk through the doors that are standing wide open for you due to the prayers you sent ahead of time.
Do you like to be prepared? Are you the kind of person who likes to think and plan ahead so that things run smoothly? If so, take those desires for organization and smooth running and translate them into proactive prayers. Don’t just think, pray! Turn your thoughts into proactive prayers. Define the need, claim it in prayer‚ and count it done.
A relationship, not a ritual
When My disciples came to Me and said, “Lord, teach us to pray,” I gave them a model prayer, an example to follow so that they could pray. I didn’t do all the praying for them. So likewise you also must learn to pray without ceasing and to seek My face, and I will answer and speak to your hearts.
In My love for you I answer your prayers and I give you the guidance you seek. It pleases Me that you seek Me. Continue in all your ways to seek Me, and I will lead and guide you and manifest My love to you. I love to lead, guide, and instruct you, so that we can walk together and you can be My hands, My heart, My eyes, and My love to those around you.
So pray without ceasing! Keep the prayer fires burning! Difficult situations require more earnest prayers, and sometimes you must keep fanning the flame, keep fueling the fire, so that it won’t go out. Keep the fires burning until the desired results are met.
Be earnest and fervent, not rigid in your prayers or formal and stiff. Come to Me with enthusiasm and fervor. I seek a relationship with you, not a ritual. I want your heart and your love!
Hope for the future
Take time to meditate on My unfailing Love. For I am your God forever and ever; I will be your Guide even to the end. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you meditate on My loving Presence—to bring your mind back to Me whenever it wanders. Encourage yourself with the words of the patriarch Jacob: “Surely the Lord is in this place.” Rejoice that I am your God forevermore—today, tomorrow, and throughout all eternity.
I am also your Guide. It is easy to be spooked by the future when you forget that I am leading you each step along your life-path. Ever since you trusted Me as Savior, My guiding Presence has been available to you. I am training you to be increasingly aware of Me as you go about your daily activities.
You can draw near to Me at any time simply by whispering My Name. Later, when you have more time, bring Me your prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Relax in the wondrous assurance that I am your Guide even to the end.
Christian hope is strongly linked to My Presence—which is with you now and throughout eternity. So the more aware you are of My Presence, the more hopeful you will feel. Even though you believe that I am with you always, there may be times when you feel distant from Me. This diminishes your hopefulness.
Do not hesitate to ask for My help. For instance, you can simply pray, “Jesus, keep me aware of You.” This prayer is so short and simple that you can use it as often as needed.
Sometimes you limp through a day feeling empty and alone. But I say to you at such times, “You do not have because you do not ask.”
Hoping in Me is the most realistic way to live because of who I am. Since I am the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, nothing can thwart My promises. As you marvel at how great, glorious, and trustworthy I am, your praises will fill you with hope—and with rich awareness of My Presence.1
Published on Anchor January 2020. anchor.tfionline.com
1 Sarah Young, Jesus Today (Thomas Nelson, 2012
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