A Heart of Prayer

In Matthew chapter 21, Jesus is teaching about the power of prayer and provides a powerful illustration that can inspire us as we come before Him. We can read:
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

As we will talk about later, based on the words of a prayer leader, we can strive for more intensity in our prayer life.  Prayer can be something in which we engage in consistently, and we can make sure we don't approach it casually.  We can be devoted to seeing God move in our lives and in the lives of those for whom we pray.  It can and ideally needs to be a priority in our lives, and He calls us to adopt the proper attitude when we approach His throne.

+++++

Jesus instructs us in the 11th chapter of Luke that we can come before Him in prayer, and outlines some of the dynamics of our approach to Him. He says:
9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

This time next year, we will have just completed the 20th anniversary commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001.  The events of that day can remind us of so much, including the value of life, the vulnerability we have in the face of those who wish to do us harm, and the valor that so many people have displayed in responding to the tragedy of the day. 

And, who can forget the unity that we saw in the aftermath of that day?  What happened to it?  Don Pierson certainly observed it.  He was the chaplain coordinator for Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief at that time and was sent to New York following 9/11.  A Baptist Press article says that Pierson saw, "as the dust lingered, so did the hurt, anger and fear."  The piece goes on to say:

But according to Pierson, that potent combination of emotions pushed people to find more strength and unity in prayer than he had ever before experienced.

He says, “Of all the bad that was done through 9/11, it did unify churches and denominations. It wasn’t just Southern Baptists that were praying … there was unity in prayer in our nation that can only be known in a time of crisis like that.” The article notes that, "There was hunger for the comforting presence of God."  He believes that there was an "urgency" for Christians to pray intensely, something for which they had been prepared.

Pierson went on to become prayer strategist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention and now he pastors a church in Flintville, Tennessee.  But the events surrounding 9/11 have certainly stuck with him.  He ministered in the area near Ground Zero, providing counseling and serving meals; afterward, he had the chance to go to the Middle East, to Gaza, working with Southern Baptist missionaries, ministering to Muslims - Muslims who were angry.  Pierson recounts:

“I believe God said to me, ‘Don Pierson, it’s more important for you to listen than it is for you to speak. And what you hear may not be what you want to hear, so make sure you keep your emotions in check as you listen.’,” Pierson said. “Anger was high in America during that time. It was in our churches, it was everywhere. People said things during that time they probably wouldn’t say today, and so I think I learned to listen better. I learned to choose my words more carefully.”

And, his perspective on prayer was altered. He says, “I still believe our God is a God who loves the world and is not willing that any should perish,” adding, “Praying for the lost has to be for those that look like you, and those that don’t look like you.”

When we come before the Lord, we can always be open to adjustments in our prayer life.  We can be encouraged to allow God to change our perspective on prayer.  That can include seeing people who are lost, even those whom we may consider our enemies, as candidates for salvation.

We can also consider this question: What does intense prayer look like?  I would certainly think that time is a key element.  We can also be cognizant of the direction of our prayers, allowing the Spirit to guide us.  Another component that comes to mind is freedom from distraction: our minds can become so cluttered with the cares of this life and the execution of our daily schedule.  We also have to keep in mind that we should take prayer seriously.  And, our hearts have to be right - we come before the Lord with a repentant mindset, allowing Him to cleanse us.