Day 82 – Surprised by Our Prayer

Brother Lawrence wrote, “We would be surprised to know what the soul sometimes says to God, who is so pleased with these conversations that he grants it all its desires, providing it is willing to remain with him always, and in its center.”

Have you ever been surprised by your own words in prayer?

Perhaps the words you prayed, the spirit and passion in which you prayed them, the authority in prayer you exercised, the Scriptures that came to mind that were interwoven in your prayer – all these surprised you.

You may have asked yourself: Did I pray that? Was that the Holy Spirit praying through me?

While we work at prayer, prayer is also the work of the Holy Spirit who enables, energizes, and directs our prayers.

In praying for others or with others or praying in a public gathering, I often ask the Holy Spirit how he wants me to pray on that occasion or for that person. I wait and listen for the voice of he Spirit to direct my prayer.

As I think of the person or the situation, my heart goes out to that person or that situation. I see in my mind’s eye by faith what God wants to do. Scripture verses may come to mind. Words well up within my soul to pray, sometimes stammering, sometimes surprising.

That is the Holy Spirit and the prayer God delights to answer.

Brother Lawrence wrote that the conversations he had with God can be surprising.

Yet God delights in these expressions so much that God doesn’t want them to end. In fact God brings such a sense of his manifest presence into our conversations that we don’t want them to end either.

Action Step: Recall an occasion you were surprised by the words and depth and spirit of your prayer. Hear the words of Jesus: “Come back often. Stay as often as you like.”

This is God’s Word for you today,
Pastor Dave