The Power of Prayer IV

Paul tells us in Philippians 3 verse 10, "For my determined purpose is that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection; and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death."

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better." Ephesians 1:17

Paul got it! And he wasn’t alone. Enoch, great-grandfather of Noah, had such a deep relationship with God, that one day, God just took him to heaven. Then Elijah, a man who lived everyday with devotion to the Father, was escorted to heaven in a chariot of fire. It must have been a sight. Throughout time, God opened himself up to men to initiate friendship. Friends with the Almighty, what a concept.

Anthony DeStefano states, “the fact is that we have a God who loves to communicate. And the reason is that communication is the starting point for any relationship. Everyone has heard it said that God wants to be able to have a relationship with us. There is no truer point in all theology. Indeed, the thrust of God’s communication with mankind over the course of history has always been relational and not conceptual. That’s why he actually prefers it when we come to have faith in him through prayer, instead of through logical arguments alone. God doesn’t just want to satisfy a curiosity we have, he wants to enter into a friendship with us.”

God called King David, arguably one of the greatest kings who ever reigned on the earth, a man after His own heart. David poured out his love, respect and humility before God throughout the Psalms.

"Oh God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

God designed us to thirst for Him. It is a thirst that many try to quench with physical desires which is a hopeless quest with no resolve.

"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."" John 4:13-14

What if this is the last generation before the coming of Christ? How would you live? When you stand before the throne, do you want God to know you – really know you in deep friendship - or will you be a stranger? Are you going through the routine of your Christian walk without experiencing friendship with Elohim? Through prayer, your eyes will be opened and you will have a relationship that is indescribable and completely fulfilling.

Dr. Henry Blackaby says in his book, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, “How deep is your relationship with the Lord as you pray? Do you pour your heart out to Him with complete confidence and trust in His help, because you’ve come to know and experience His love? It takes time, like any relationship. The more time you spend with Him, the more you’ll come to understand His ways, His heart, and His will as you pray.”

It is my hope for you that when you have completed this study on prayer, you will never view prayer the same way again. The next time you fall to your knees, clutch your hands and speak before the throne of the Most High, you will experience true intimacy with the Almighty.