The Pursuit of Prayer

"Nothing happens in the affairs of man except in response to prayer."

This is the thing I am learning. Prayer is not just talking to God. In fact, prayer is usually the most boring when we end up praying TO God and not WITH God. It was always meant to be a partnership, never a one way conversation.

I've learned over the past year that the prayer closet changes the world. And contrary to popular belief, if you don't pray for something to be accomplished on the earth, it will not get accomplished. Yes, God is sovereign, but for some reason He has "handcuffed" himself (to quote Bill Johnson) to our prayers. He will not force His will on the earth. We must first say, "yes" to His will, and then declare it on the earth. God has given authority to mankind to do His will.

I find it interesting that the only time the disciples ask Jesus to teach them something, they ask, "Lord, teach us how to pray!" His response? "Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It was declared prayer - one that would bring heaven to earth (where it rightfully belongs!)

This is prayer: The interaction with heaven in order to affect this reality with God's reality.

Prayer becomes more than just "let me sit here and talk to God." That is a part of it (a very good part of it!), but there's a fight that needs to be won when we go into the prayer closet. Prayer is about forcing your way into the reality of heaven in search of a breakthrough. Once you get to the other side, you are qualified to give the declaration. Prayer is enduring... pressing on until you get the breakthrough.

Prayer shapes history. Or, in some cases, the lack of prayer will shape history. Bill Johnson gave an example (in his sermon "Prayer Partnering with God") about James vs. Peter (Acts 12). James was killed by Herod, but Peter was saved. The difference? Peter had the church continuously praying for him!

So, I've been learning all of this over the course of the last year, but even more recently I was listening to Bill Johnson explain it. His explanation clearly laid out everything I was trying to wrap my mind around about prayer. I went to bed last night with all these thoughts running through my mind, but unfortunately I fell asleep before finishing the sermon. So I took my iPod to the gym today and finished it off. It really was amazing though, because in the middle of my workout the Presence fell on me so heavily that I started praying in tongues! I'm really glad the guy working out next to me had earphones on, otherwise I'm pretty sure he might have thought I'd lost my mind.

As for the real encounter: Today I decided to lay aside everything and pursue God in prayer for my family. It was the most intense worship and prayer I've ever been in! At one point I was praying that the reality (victory won in my life that I live and walk in now have become spiritual realities or "houses" for me) of heaven would fall on them, and a shock wave went rushing through my body in such a way that I jumped back and had to stop praying for a moment.

The Lord did an amazing work in me. I was weeping and forcing myself in prayer in a way I'd never done before -- and I believe I did somehow break through to heaven. It was incredible.

I will never again pray any differently.

But there is so much I have to learn. The one burning passion on my heart right now is "Lord! Teach me to pray!" The desire of my heart is to change the world around me. It's also a calling on my life. In order to fulfill it, I'll need to learn to pray and continue on in violent prayer, because prayer changes everything.

So for me in this next season, I'm off on this journey - the pursuit of prayer.

Matthew 11:12 - "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."