<!-- --><!-- --><style type="text/css">@import url(http://beta.blogger.com/css/navbar/classic.css); div.b-mobile {display:none;} </style> <body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar/19051372?origin\x3dhttp://de-liveforgod.blogspot.com', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>
about entries links leader of the month tag
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
i read this article 'Prayers That Move the Heart of God: How to cultivate a meaningful conversation with the Lord. by Nancy Guthrie' sometime ago back in march.

I felt it was meaningful so im gonna share my summarized points and thoughts here.

I. Secret Formula Prayer vs. Seeking Prayer
When we pray and ask God for something, its not about wearing him down to get what we want, its about a conversation with our loving God. There's always so much that we want, but asking, seeking and knocking alone ('secret formulas') alone aren't what we want from God; on the other hand they're ways to get more of God. Instead when we truly want to move God's heart we should put aside these secret formula prayers and instead begin to practice prayers that seeks the Giver more than the gifts, that when we ask, when healing doesn't come, when all still doesn't go well, we will still know that he is enough, his presence is enough and his purpose is enough.

II. Superficial Prayer vs. Significant Prayer
Sometimes, when we pray, we rarely ask God for our spiritual needs.We ask God to heal physical ailments, provide safe travel, and to "be with us."Of course God cares about these things. But prayer is spiritual work toward a spiritual end. God wants to rub off our rough edges and clean up our character. So why do we settle for talking to him only about the superficial stuff? When our prayers move from the superficial to the significant, we invite God to do no less than a deep, transforming, igniting work in our life and in the lives of those for whom we're praying. So when we pray we shouldn't pray alone for superficial things, but also to ask God to change us, to mold us into who he wants us to be.


III.Showy Prayer vs. Secret Prayer
"showy prayer"—prayer that's more for others' ears than for God's. Jesus warned against this: "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the doors and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:5-6).

Showy prayer uses put-on voices, lofty words, and spiritual-sounding phrases; simple prayer is authentic and humble. It's in that secret place with him where you and I find our most blessed reward—not impressing others, but cultivating true intimacy with him.

IV.Insistent Prayer vs. Submissive Prayer
Nothing's taught me more about prayer than Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to Hebrews 5:7-8, "during the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered."

I've learned that submissive prayer is prayer that welcomes God to work in and through my suffering rather than begs him to take it away. It's thanking God for what he gives me rather than resenting him for what I lose.


Our heavenly Father has no need for a show or secret formulas, and he's not interested in keeping things superficial. He loves it when we come to him—and he simply wants to talk with us. So let us keep this in mind in future when we pray, and keep praying for prayer is power and a source of strength!

♥ elizabeth

Labels: