Moving Mountains

1. Prayer is a partnership with God, not just asking for help

Prayer is not simply asking God to do stuff. Clearly.

Prayer as collaboration. Prayer is not merely requesting divine intervention, but actively participating in God's work. This partnership involves aligning our will with God's, invoking His kingdom, and enforcing His authority on earth.

Understanding prayer dynamics. Effective prayer requires understanding how the spiritual realm operates. Like physical laws govern the natural world, spiritual principles guide prayer. Recognizing these principles helps us pray more effectively and see tangible results.

Key aspects of prayer partnership:

• Aligning our will with God's
• Invoking God's kingdom on earth
• Enforcing divine authority
• Understanding spiritual principles

2. Understanding God's nature and our identity enhances prayer effectiveness

You are a son or daughter of the living God, a friend and ally, wielding his authority to get things done.

God's nature. Grasping God's character - His power, love, and sovereignty - is crucial for effective prayer. This understanding helps us approach Him with confidence and expectation, knowing He desires to partner with us in His work.

Our identity in Christ. Recognizing our position as God's children and co-heirs with Christ fundamentally changes how we pray. This identity gives us authority and access to God's resources, enabling us to pray boldly and expectantly.

Key aspects of our identity in Christ:

• Children of God
• Friends and allies of God
• Wielders of divine authority
• Co-heirs with Christ

3. The Prayer of Intervention: Invoking God's kingdom on earth

We invoke the kingdom, from heaven to earth.

Partnering in God's mission. The Prayer of Intervention involves actively participating in bringing God's kingdom to earth. It's not passive waiting but dynamic engagement with God's purposes.

Practical steps. This prayer involves proclaiming God's truth, invoking His authority, and enforcing His will in specific situations. It requires boldness, faith, and persistence, often leading to dramatic breakthroughs.

Components of the Prayer of Intervention:

• Proclaiming God's truth
• Invoking divine authority
• Enforcing God's will
• Persisting in prayer

4. Daily Prayer: Aligning ourselves with God's will and authority

Jesus—I present myself to you again, right here, right now, in this, for this.

Daily realignment. Daily Prayer is about consistently aligning ourselves with God's will and authority. It involves surrendering our plans, seeking His guidance, and drawing upon His strength for the day ahead.

Practical application. This practice often includes elements like confession, thanksgiving, intercession, and declaration of God's truths. It sets the tone for the day and positions us to partner effectively with God.

Key elements of Daily Prayer:

• Surrender to God's will
• Seeking divine guidance
• Drawing upon God's strength
• Declaring God's truths

5. Listening Prayer: Hearing God's voice for guidance and wisdom

Jesus—what should I pray in this?

Two-way communication. Listening Prayer involves actively seeking God's guidance in prayer, not just speaking but also listening. It's about cultivating a conversational relationship with God, allowing Him to direct our prayers and actions.

Practical steps. This practice often involves quieting our minds, asking specific questions, and being attentive to God's responses through various means - internal impressions, Scripture, circumstances, or other people's insights.

Steps for Listening Prayer:

• Quieting the mind
• Asking specific questions
• Being attentive to God's responses
• Confirming received guidance

6. Praying Scripture: Leveraging the power of God's Word

The Scriptures are mighty and Spirit-breathed, and they will lend both precision and power to your prayer life.

Power of God's Word. Praying Scripture involves using Bible passages as the foundation for our prayers. This practice aligns our prayers with God's will and infuses them with divine authority and power.

Application. This can involve personalizing Bible verses, praying through entire passages, or using scriptural promises as declarations. It provides a rich vocabulary for prayer and strengthens our faith.

Ways to pray Scripture:

• Personalizing Bible verses
• Praying through entire passages
• Using scriptural promises as declarations
• Meditating on God's Word during prayer

7. Warfare Prayer: Combating spiritual forces and claiming victory

We are at war, whether you choose to believe it or not.

Spiritual reality. Warfare Prayer acknowledges the existence of spiritual battles and engages in active resistance against evil forces. It involves using our God-given authority to confront and overcome spiritual opposition.

Practical application. This type of prayer often includes elements like identifying the enemy's tactics, renouncing lies, breaking curses, and declaring God's victory. It requires boldness and a firm understanding of our position in Christ.

Components of Warfare Prayer:

• Identifying spiritual opposition
• Renouncing lies and breaking curses
• Declaring God's victory
• Using our authority in Christ

8. Inner Healing Prayer: Restoring the soul through God's presence

The essence of healing prayer is always to facilitate the presence of Jesus into the specific places of damage.

Holistic healing. Inner Healing Prayer addresses emotional and spiritual wounds, recognizing that healing often needs to occur at deeper levels than just the physical. It involves inviting God's presence into painful memories and broken places in our hearts.

Process of restoration. This prayer often includes steps like identifying wounds, forgiving offenders, renouncing lies, and inviting God's truth and love into those places. It can lead to profound emotional and spiritual transformation.

Steps in Inner Healing Prayer:

• Identifying emotional/spiritual wounds
• Forgiving offenders
• Renouncing lies
• Inviting God's truth and love

9. Physical Healing Prayer: Invoking God's life force for bodily restoration

We are invoking the life force of God into the afflicted body to restore it.

God's healing power. Physical Healing Prayer involves calling upon God's life-giving power to restore health to the body. It recognizes God as the ultimate healer and source of life.

Practical approach. This prayer often includes steps like consecrating the body to God, invoking His life force, and commanding healing in Jesus' name. It may also involve addressing any spiritual roots of the illness.

Elements of Physical Healing Prayer:

• Consecrating the body to God
• Invoking God's life force
• Commanding healing in Jesus' name
• Addressing spiritual roots of illness

10. Perseverance in Prayer: Maintaining faith amid unanswered prayers

Have you reconciled yourself to the partial?

Mature perspective. Perseverance in prayer involves maintaining faith and hope even when prayers seem unanswered. It requires a mature understanding that not all prayers will be answered as we expect in this life.

Practical application. This involves guarding our hearts against disappointment, continuing to trust in God's goodness, and recognizing that spiritual growth often occurs through perseverance in difficult times.

Keys to perseverance in prayer:

• Guarding against disappointment
• Continuing to trust God's goodness
• Recognizing spiritual growth through challenges
• Maintaining hope in God's ultimate purposes

Last updated: November 19, 2024