To read Part One, click here.
I love hearing those famous words, "You've got mail!" I receive or send an email or instant message to my dear friend, Mary, nearly every day. Sometimes we talk about mundane life things; other times it's heartfelt chitchat about being a Christian woman, wife, raising kids, seeking God, living by faith and overcoming challenges. I'll bet you have friends like that, too!
How did we all survive before the worldwide web, email and instant messaging? As wonderful as all this technology is, the amazing reality is that God has always been Wi-Fi and available for email and instant messaging-through prayer!
Perhaps, like many people, you're thinking, "Great, I'm ready to log in with God ... but what do I say?" We know we should pray, but often we are stumped when it comes to the actual doing of it! In this article, we're going to talk about specific ways Jesus told us to upload our hearts in prayer.
Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer as a model prayer-an outline and pattern. Let's look at this in a fresh light and see what Jesus wants us to know.
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13, KJV)
Years ago, Dr. Paul Yongi Cho and Pastor Larry Lee introduced the idea of using the Lord's Prayer as a pattern for prayer. Let's revisit this model prayer and see if we can identify "Six Instant Messages" we can send to God 24/7.
Instant Message #1: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Take time on your knees to send a message of thanks, praise, worship, and song to the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Praise the Father for His goodness, mercy, faithfulness, and everything else you can think of! Worship Jesus for Who He is and the power of His Name. Praise Him as your Savior, Lord, Healer, Redeemer, and soon coming King! Give thanks to the Holy Spirit as your Helper, Strengthener, Counselor, Comforter, Revealer, Truth Guide, and more!
In sending Instant Message #1, we can spend five minutes or 50 minutes blessing the Lord. Psalm 100 gives us a great framework for worship! Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing...Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:2-3, 4)
That's the whole point of Instant Message #1, taking time to say "My Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name."
Instant Message #2: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
In this Instant Message we can take time to talk to God about His plan, purpose and will for our lives and planet earth! Did you know that God has a perfect will in heaven that He wants done on earth? When we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as in heaven," we are simply asking for God's plan-which is already blessed-to be manifest on earth in our lives.
God has a specific will for you-spirit, soul and body. For your destiny, your relationships, your kids, your marriage, your family, your finances, you name it, He's got a plan. So, how would you pray about all these things-to get His will in heaven working in earth? God has revealed His perfect will in his Word. When we send God an Instant Message in agreement with His Word, He hears us and responds. Let's look at a prayer from the Bible that is indeed God's will for all believers. We can pray this prayer today!
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:16-17, NIV)
Can you see how huge this prayer is? Think about it. What would it be like if God filled your heart and mind with wisdom and revelation? What if He uncovered things that you had never seen before? What would it be like if God helped you to know Him better?
We've only gotten to Instant Message #2 and can you see how easy and refreshing prayer can be? Spending time on your knees shouldn't be boring drudgery or obligatory, it should be as joy-filled as a rich relationship and more enjoyable than exchanging Instant Messages with your best friend! In our next article, we'll look at a few more ways to Instant Message God.
For further study, I recommend my Bite-Sized Bible Study, "What To Say When You Pray" (Coming soon!)
To read Part Three, click here.
Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.
