"The fervent (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous
power available - dynamic in its working." (Amp. - James 5:16)
Every day we face the weight of opposition thrown at us by the enemy - ever present - ever seeking to derail our determination in doing the will of God. Amidst our fighting without, we sometimes find a war within, a struggle with our own flesh that can rise up from time to time. Jesus said, "I always do those things that please him [the Father]" (John 8:29). That should be the heart cry of every believer - doing what is on the heart of God. I find it very interesting that the Lord's Prayer contains a most vital aspect to our spiritual responsibilities as a Christian, when Jesus himself said we are to pray - "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." That one line has been a resonant sound deep within my heart as long as I have been a Christian. Every time I read it, I hear a call to destiny. If there is anything that should deepen our resolve or heighten our awareness to the purposes of God, this is it.
Everything that touches our life should be weighed and measured in relationship to the will of God. The moment we let it slip from view we risk everything. We cannot afford to presuppose any course of action to the duties of life without considering "what is God's will in the matter?" Obviously, we have the Word of God to determine the answer to many of the questions we face in life, but the one thing that is meant to bring clarity and discernment to it all is our willingness to surrender to the will of God. And that is where the real test comes - and where prayer plays such a major part is us being willing to do what he wills us to do?
Among the different prayers that were prayed out in the New Testament, which we can find listed all throughout the epistles, the aim to know and do the will of God is by far, the single most important issue. For instance in Paul's epistle to the church of Colosse, he makes mention of them in his prayer, stating: "For this cause we also since the day we hear it, do not cease to pray from you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (Col 1:9). Not just knowing his will, but being filled with the knowledge of it! Epaphras, a fellow companion of Paul's, is also found laboring fervently in prayer for the church that it may "...stand perfect and complete in "all" the will of God" (Col. 4:12). The very idea that Paul, by the mercies of God, beseeches us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God - to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, is all for this purpose: "That we may prove (discern) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God!"
Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray and not faint" (Luke 18:1). He also said to, "Watch therefore, and pray always..." (Luke 21:36). We are admonished throughout the Bible that prayer itself is a vital part of doing the will of God. It alone, encompasses a major part of our Christian life. We are to be a people of prayer. Our assemblies are to be a house of prayer. Jacob of old, called the house of God the gate of heaven. Through prayer we are able to pipe down to earth the will of God!
If we were to categorize the realms of prayer, it would basically fall under these four things: consecration, communion, commission, and covenant. The truth is all forms of prayer find their purpose in one of these categories. What is most striking is how each of them aims at the will of God. Consecration aims at our discovering the will of God. Communion aims at our surrendering to the will of God. Commission aims at our enforcing the will of God, and covenant aims at our partaking of the will of God. We all have the duty to pray. We have the obligation to pray. We have the responsibility to pray. And when we pray, we are participating in the will of God in one form or another, whether it is to be separated for his purpose, to be enlightened to his plan, to be an instrument in establishing his objectives, or simply to receive the intervention and appropriation of all he wants to do in our lives.
Prayer is the most vital aspect of being in the will of God. It is where we find our strength, our resolve, our determination, and our purpose. If there is any area in your life where God's will is unclear, then finding it is surely found in prayer. One more thing, the more you make prayer a priority in your life, the more it will help to shape your life around his will. Those areas you struggle with won't be a struggle any longer. Everything about your life can and will come into divine order as you pray.
