How to Pray – Talking With God

There is a pattern of things laid out in heaven that we ought to follow when we need to approach the Throne of Mercy. A blood sacrifice of a scapegoat called The Lamb of God is expected from each of us by a Levite priest in the outer court as a prerequisite to acceptance by God. The absence of his blood denies us access into the tabernacle thereby mercifully protecting us from instant death from the wrath of a terrifying God who cannot stand sin.

Under normal circumstances, earthly parents expect to hear from their biological children each day. This is a natural instinct in all species of living creatures. The absence of any form of communication from our dear children makes us suspect something has gone amiss. When Adam went quiet, God knew something was seriously wrong. This is factual in modern times where men and women who have a blood relationship with God, continue living a life void of any form of dialogue with God. It will not be surprising to be disowned when we finally stand before our creator.

Parents receive honor and recognition when their children talk to them. It would be worth the while if we asked ourselves “Are we really children of God, if so, how come we do not talk to him?”

Every human being needs to spare some quiet quality time of the day or night which will be his secret place, void of noise and disturbances that distract us from God, thereby robbing us precious seconds of communication with God. God passionately desires this of us. God himself can help you discover the place and time at your request.

“Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead not into temptation but deliver us evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever amen”

Many Christians recite the Lords’ prayer as a duty without giving much thought to what they are saying? Prayer is supposed to be very serious and meaningful, not a passive duty. Do we really communicate with God? How would we like our children to speak to us?

God makes it clear in scripture that not all human beings are children of God. He told Scribes and Pharisees “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer … he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). It is only those who are born again and led of the Spirit of God that can say “Our Father” without feeling condemned.

Restoration with God

Man’s natural efforts can never please God. Prayer acquaints us with the Spirit of God and His perfect will. God becomes our friend. He becomes our father. We are restored to a son’s status. Prayer keeps us under the cloud of God’s glory.

Access to the most powerful being

We can only get to God via fellowship through communication on his own terms. The Holy Spirit links us to God through prayer especially when we pray in the Spirit where the spirit helps us to pray according to God’s will with groaning that we cannot understand. God meets our needs via prayer through which we have access to Him.

Revelation knowledge

When we need to know God’s plan for our lives, prayer opens an avenue for correspondence through which he ministers spiritual knowledge to his children concerning spiritual issues and life in general.

Increased wisdom

God knows everything. Man is limited in knowledge and wisdom. King Solomon requested for God’s wisdom above all other things and God granted this request. God can increase ones wisdom when requested to do so in prayer.

Solution to our daily problems

Life is full of needs the crop up with the passage of time. Every day has enough evil to occupy each person. The word of God urges us to present ourselves to him in times of need. We need to ask God in prayer for solutions to our problems each day.

Love

God is love. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit leads to a loving father-son relationship. God’s unconditional “Agape” love can only descend to us when we establish a rapport with him. Failure to do this makes us embrace lesser kinds of love pertaining to “Eros” and “Phileo”.

Hope

Every Christian lives with a hope of seeing and living with God eternally. Jesus Christ in us is the hope of glory. He strengthens our hope in God towards fulfilling his promises to us.

Acquisition of power (Faith)

Every child of God practically knows how God transmits his power through simple communication to his children. God does note send a package to our mail box labelled “Power Pack”, to be consumed three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Power is restored so that the inner man gains spiritual strength.

The anointing - unction

Moses glowed when he came from the presence of God. Angels who behold God’s presence daily receive part of what God is. God is a Spirit. We are also spirits. In prayer, we inhale the Spirit of God and exhale our flesh to enable us to walk in the Spirit while crucifying the flesh and our worldly norms.

Many others

There are so many more benefits that come to worshippers when they willingly approach the Throne of Grace such that we cannot enumerate them totally because God creates new things for each day.

Jesus Christ was born of the Spirit. We must also be born of the Spirit of God to qualify to belong to God’s family of Spiritual beings fit to be citizens of the kingdom of God. Every citizen is marked and sealed by Jesus with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit controls everything in God’s kingdom.

Jesus was crucified to wash away our sins. We cannot approach God without having a shower in the blood of the Lamb that was shed at the cross which was the altar of sacrifice by our Lord Jesus Christ (Benny Hinn).

And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven (1Corinthians 15:45, 47).

Adam, the first man sinned and turned away from God. God found a way via the second Adam, Jesus Christ from heaven, who came to die in order to restore Adam’s descendants back to God. Approaching God without receiving Jesus is an abomination to God such that he cannot even look at us. Any speech to him is empty and guilty of Adam’s sin. We must be holy and righteous in order to stand in front of the Almighty God. Jesus brings holiness and righteousness when he walks into our spirits at our request. He makes us acceptable to God.

Spiritual music or songs have unction and a divine origin in heaven and ordained for God’s praise. Teach your spirit how to distinguish between secular, gospel and Spiritual music or songs. We approach the throne of grace with music or songs in praise and worship. There are more than 100 scriptures that testify to this fact.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Psalms 71:23, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16).

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrew 9).

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it (Exodus 25:8, 9).

When God commanded Moses to build The Tabernacle of the Congregation, a pattern was revealed which God expects us to stick to in worship. Any man or woman who dared to enter the tabernacle with sin or iniquity died instantly. A cleansing is therefore necessary before we enter into the presence of God.

Man is also physically created like the tabernacle ready for spiritual worship (Body-outer, Soul-Inner and Spirit-Holy Place). God makes us Royal Priests to minister to him, ourselves and others once inside His tabernacle.

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1Corinthians 6:19).

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (2 Corinthians 6:16).

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14, 16).

Every individual who is born again is washed in the blood and is a priest to God and the people with authority from Jesus to enter the Spiritual tabernacle of God.

Our key obstacle has been dwelling on things that relate to our outer bodies instead of going deeper to more significant things of the spirit considering that we are spirits. We have forgotten that the body is simply a vehicle that carries the important spirit that we really are.

A man’s architectural make-up is designed by God for spiritual worship or fellowship with God and other sons of God. We are spirits that dwell in a body, rewarded with a soul for habitation on earth. We are conscious of both heaven and earth, and the communities in which we live.

The body is similar to the outer court of the tabernacle. The soul is more like the inner court while the spirit is higher and more conscious of the Lord. God commanded the construction of his sanctuary in this format such that the outer court, is where the sacrifice and sprinkling of blood was offered by Levite priests in preparation for ministering to God and the people.

The inner court after the first veil had the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread could only receive a high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. The High Priest had a rope tied to his ankle to pull his body out for burial in case he died due to venturing into God’s presence with sin. The holiest place contained the Ark of the Covenant (God’s mercy seat).

God’s children ought to pray in a secret place where only they and God knows. The mode of communication conforms to the order of the sanctuary described above.

Outer court

In a spiritual perspective, this is the altar of sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins and iniquities. We crucify our bodies and immerse ourselves in the Spirit. This is the stage where we need to ASK to have our sins cleansed by the washing and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus each day (Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our sins). We thereafter put on the whole armor of God by faith and utterance, ready for spiritual battle. Spiritual labour is accomplished in the outer court.

Holy Place (Inner court)

When we get born again, we become a royal priesthood with authority through Jesus to venture into the inner court, not once a year, but each day to serve God and man. We offer our bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. We can seek the Lord’s face according to all the promises he has given in the Book. This is where the Holy Spirit guides our prayer to God as we seek Jesus as the bread of life.

Most Holy (The Holy of Holies)

This where we knock on the door called Jesus Christ. It is a place of total silence where God commands “Be still” so that he can talk to you. It is a place where God’s mercy seat is, in all his glory. This is a place for spiritual breakthrough into the spiritual realm with praise, worship and prayer in the spirit. A place of restoration. The ultimate place of pure spiritual worship and finally victory for overcomers (Psalms 46, Psalms 56:9:).

“Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple” (Jonah 2:4)

Those who ordinarily live in the neglect of God, cry unto God in their trouble, and endeavor to purge their consciences from the guilt of their sins.

The Lord said “When you pray, pray like this; Our Father who art in heaven….” The context suggests communication between a father and a child. For a person to be regarded as a son, a father’s blood needs to be flowing in their veins. Would you dare walk into your neighbour’s house and call them “My father” knowing that you have no blood relationship?

Such an act is considered to be sacrilegious and punishable if the wife or husband is unaware of the existence of a son. Does God know you as a son and are you sure you are God’s son before you utter “Our Father who art in heaven?” Do you risk being disowned in your prayers? Do you wonder why your prayers have never been answered?

Let us ensure answers to our prayers by first being born of the Spirit of God before entreating God the father. This is being sincere with ourselves without deception. Let us make sure God is our relative first.