I can see now that my prayers are not as ineffective as I sometimes think. Nor are yours! I don’t care if you only have 3 words to say to your Heavenly Father, He is waiting to hear your voice! If this outline works for you, please use it.
There is something else that I should share with you or you might think this is all there is to it when I comes to getting what you want from the Father.
The whole thing comes down to a trusting relationship back and forth between us and our Heavenly Father; His Son, Jesus (our Lord, Saviour and soon coming King!) and the Holy Spirit. If you ever have an opportunity to ready my book, Voices Crying in the Wilderness, A call to prophesy, I share my testimony of salvation and a rather unusual Father/daughter relationship that began instantly.
I was so privileged to experience a personal visitation the day I called out to Jesus and asked if He was really there. I was 31. I was sitting in our public library reading a book my mother sent me entitled, The Power of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peal. There was a mention in Dr. Peal’s book that people often turn to God for help and the reader might consider this. I asked and Jesus showed up! Right there in the public library! An undeniable presence suddenly enveloped me. I sat motionless while people browsed through magazines and strode back and forth before me. I was afraid to move in case the presence left. I couldn’t hear a thing around me, only the sense of this consuming presence. I don’t know how long I sat in the arm-chair, but suddenly had an urge to go and find a Bible. I mean a Bible I could purchase. I went off to I can’t remember where, and purchased the biggest King James Bible I could find. People today complain that the KJV is too difficult for new believers. Not this new believer! I began to read and could not stop. I read, and read, and read, often for 8 hours a day. Revelation poured out of the pages and it felt as though I had been thrust forward in time…years ahead. After three years alone with my Heavenly Father, He instructed me to find a church. So off I went, knowing only from the Bible that I needed a church that “immersed”. Meaning, a full dunking baptism. I took out the Yellow Pages (in the 70s that’s what we used to find a telephone number or an advertised business or service.) I found a 7th Day Adventist church after calling a few numbers. “Yes, we do full immersion.”
“This must be the one,” I thought. And off I went that Saturday to locate my new Church. (My family was raised Anglican, but I knew after reading my Bible and receiving so much revelation, that this was not what God wanted for me.) On my way to my new church I was passing by another church set back a bit from the street. I had a sudden urge to pull into the parking lot and sensed God wanted me to go inside. This was Saturday and I knew this was not a Saturday kind of church, but I moved on into the building. There were a few people standing around between the pews, a few with guitars casually tuning and singing bits of songs. I went over to them and asked, “Do you immerse?” They all kind of chuckled and assured me they did. I asked if I could come to their church and they welcomed me heartily, informing me of the service times the next day. I told them I didn’t know anything about their church and would I need to kneel down? They all laughed again, assuring me that I would not need to kneel unless I felt led to do so.
So for 3 years I had already been communicating with my Heavenly Father. I spent many hours on our local beach which spanned several miles along a sandy shore. Here I met with my Father for long walks and talks. I talked to Him and He answered, mostly through the scriptures. If you check out David’s relationship with the Father it is a running conversation: God said, David said, God said.
90% OF MY TIME SPENT WITH THE FATHER WAS IN THANKFULNESS AND TALKING ABOUT MY MARRIAGE AND WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO MAKE IT BETTER. It wasn’t about “Gimmee, gimmee, my name’s Jimmy” (another one of my mother’s “no, nos”). I continue in that attitude today. Thanksgiving just naturally flows from my lips. I think this came from my mother. “Be thankful.” “Be thankful.”, was her response to any whiney kids or complaints. It is so natural I don’t even notice I am doing it. It comes forth from my heart all through the day and night, even when things are not going in the direction I think they should. Holy Spirit has spoken a number of times over the years…”If the crops fail, if there is no grain in the barn, yet I will praise You (paraphrased). Not only that my heart pours out my praise to Jesus for everything He has done. I talk sweet-talk to Him and He talks sweet talk back. There is no doubt that His banner over me is love. I might think I am inadequate, others might think I am inadequate, but Jesus has never once implied or spoken to me that I am inadequate, even with the many, many chastening Words.
I hope without me saying so, you can see the intimacy between me, my Father, my Lord Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Sometimes this is all God is concerned about and our requests come directly to His attention. He looks into our faces as we look into His and He is more than willing to answer our cries for help with His love and acceptance. Why pray? I know you are never too tired, too defeated, or too low to come boldly before your Father’s Throne in time of need, He will strengthen you, He will help you. Love Him by following His Word and He will swiftly reply to your pleas. Papa, please help me! Amen.
I have been healed more than 25 times.. Some definitely life threatening. Intimacy, intimacy, intimacy. If you are a father, you will surely relate to the joy in your heart when you hear your child’s voice. So it is when He hears your voice. (My brother called me yesterday. I was so excited just to hear his voice! Can you imagine what it means to our Heavenly Father when we call Him?!)
He has bestowed so many blessings on my life that I can’t even count them all, many from unspoken prayers. He loves to give us the desires of our hearts. Do not be afraid to come boldly before your Father and ask. He loves, loves, loves you!
God bless you as you turn your face toward His and tell him what is in your heart…good or bad. He has the answers and He wants to show Himself strong on your behalf.