HEARTFELT PRAYER

03/29/2024

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]" (James 5:16).

Someone once said that “powerful is what moves the heart of God”. But what exactly constitutes a "powerful prayer?" A powerful prayer is one that is heartfelt and in agreement with God's Word. It's not enough that you prayed according to God's Word; your prayer must also be heartfelt.  Without this heartfelt component, even if your prayer aligns perfectly with God's Word, it lacks power and, therefore, is as ineffective as idly lounging with a pillow while mindlessly watching TV.

Did you know that God doesn’t answer all prayers? The ones that capture His attention are those that spring from the depths of your heart. This is because your heart serves as an altar where spiritual things take flight and find their destination.

The second thing you might yet need to grasp is that prayer is labor. You press in prayer until your heart has been affected. This is why Jesus said, " And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses" (Mark 11:25). The mechanics of your heart cannot carry any other weight when you want to pray in a result-oriented manner. You cannot pray with a grudge, anxiety, or even excitement about something else apart from God. In the place of prayer, only God's presence can mantle your heart. 

But what happens if I am distracted while praying? Someone might ask. It means that you haven't reached the point of prayer, and you are still being primed for the actual prayer. Don't stop; keep speaking in tongues until you reach the point of prayer. For some, and in some situations, they start speaking in tongues and immediately, they get to the point of prayer. They are carried into that heartfelt prayer mode. For others, particularly if the busyness of life has gotten in their way, it may take some time to enter the point of prayer. 

What is, however, most important is that when you pray, your heart is engaged and unencumbered by any cares or unforgiveness. A pliable and unencumbered heart is the state of the heart that allows you to soar with the Lord into dimensions and realms of glory.

May the light of God shine in your heart today, causing a flood of light to crowd out every uncertainty. You find clarity today in your decision-making and an abundance of peace. In Jesus' name. Amen

Faith-Filled Confession

My heart is a readied altar for the prosecution of God's plans, pursuits, and purposes. The mechanics of my heart is so attuned to the workings of God that so much is accomplished by the Lord in and through me, today. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

PRAYER POINTS

Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” Isaiah 2:2 also says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”

• Pray against fear, violence, wickedness, and all forms of injustice, declaring peace, progress, stability, and prosperity, for the furtherance of God’s kingdom. 

• Pray that all malicious and antichrist policies and laws crafted to hinder the gospel, be voided; that the name of the Lord be glorified. Amen.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: Judges 1-2; Luke 7:1-30