The School of Prayer Key Principles Extraordinary outcomes to prayer results in common men of faith being thrust into positions of power and influence. Propelled by encounters with God, they impact nations. History pivots. Such outcomes are rarely on the radar screen of these great men; they happened as they pursued God and obeyed Him. Too much discussion about faith is framed in terms of what we can get, but the great acquisition in prayer is God himself. The greatest change that comes to us is the transformation from trying to convince Him to please us, to a growing desire in us to please Him (John 8:29; 2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 1:9-10). The rewards of praying are greater than the answers to prayer. Points of Emphasis Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1. According to Hebrews 11:6, God "is a rewarder of those who diligently seek".. . answers? breakthrough? revival? No! He rewards those who diligently seek. . . Him! God himself is the great reward of prayer. 2. Lay hold of the One who answers instead of merely laying hold of an answer! Seeking answers and not the One who answers is like leaving the well with a cup of water, when we could have had the well itself. Jacob was changed as he wrestled—not with the promise, but with the One who promised. 3. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (v. 6). Do you attempt to get God to please you in prayer, or do you ask to do what pleases Him? A benchmark for healthy prayer is, "Father, I want to please You!" Are you a God-pleaser? Or a man-pleaser? The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 1

The School of Prayer 4. "He who comes to God" that's a prayer term—"must believe that He is"! Prayer is not merely self-talk. God hears (John 11:41-42). Prayer impacts real things. The person who comes to God must also believe that He is "a rewarder," that He is a good God. How does your perception of God affect your prayer life? 5. The attack of the Evil One against faith is usually not against the existence or even the ability of God. It is against the character of God. Satan will whisper, "God can, but He won't!" In Genesis 3, he can be heard asking, "Did God say that?"—as if to imply, "You don't really believe Him, do you?" Such intrusions of doubt say, "You can't trust God!" 6. Perhaps the most important question is the question of God's love. In Romans 8:33-39, a parade of resistance lines up to "separate us from the love of God." Jude urges us to build ourselves up by prayer, keeping ourselves in the love of God (vv. 20-21). Paul asserts, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). Nothing derails prayer or wounds faith like doubts about God's love. 7. Sometimes we use answers to prayer as a means of measuring God's love. If answers come, we feel loved; if they don't, we doubt. We may pray, "God, if You love me, do this or that." An arrangement that puts God in the position of having "to prove" His love is manipulation. Love precedes prayer. Faith soars when you know God loves you. If I really believe God loves me, I have few doubts about His provision. My Father will hear and answer. 8. We sometimes get discouraged when answers don't come to prayer. God does answer prayer. Of 650 definitive prayers in the Bible, there are 450 recorded answers .1 But prayer is more than a divine requisitioning system. God rewards us for seeking Him. And rewards are not the same as answers. The rewards of pursuing Him are greater than the answers.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 2

The School of Prayer Insights Matthew 6:6 (NKJV) 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

In Matthew 6, Jesus promised a "reward" for praying. "When you pray," He said, assuming we would pray, "go into your room" (v. 6). He expected us to maintain a secret place for prayer. There God would meet us. When we go to our secret place for prayer, God races ahead of us. Sometimes He doesn't even disclose His presence. Jesus notes that "your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Matt. 6:6). God hides in my closet and then manifests with me in the public square. The private moments of surrender translate into public God-moments punctuated with His presence.

Indicators of a Healthy Personal Relationship With Christ

1. You talk with Him daily. You pray. You live in His presence. 2. You are conscious of His presence and your conscious desire to please Him, to do His will. (2 Cor. 5:9; John 8:29) He rarely leaves your mind. You are preoccupied with Him. You are "walking in the Spirit." 3. You are in love! You are not merely doing religious things, keeping traditions, living by rules, and honoring religious customs. No, you are in love! You know God is real. And you would do anything for Him.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 3

The School of Prayer

4. You delight in the Lord, and therefore you embrace disciplines and duties that are not always delightful. You do so, out of love. "If you love me, keep my commandments!" In the Old Testament, duty demanded that one keep the law. In the New Testament, love constrains us to do right. Our motivation has changed. Holiness, the end result, has not changed. 5. You want to serve. You are ready to be a bond-slave. Prayer makes us available. Prayer is the intentional and daily check-in experience. In prayer, we punch the divine clock and notify God that we are on-duty and ready to serve. 6. There is an overflow of your life, outward to others. The evidence of the inward love for God is read by others. They see it. You can't hide it. Prayer explodes outwardly in some manifestation of God's glory. His presence marks a life. This is "the glory!" How can you be silent? The love of God is shed abroad in your heart. 7. The speech of an overflowing Christian is marked by thanksgiving and praise. The inner flood spills out onto others around you. They are the benefactors of our satisfied hearts. The inner happiness becomes a river of joy tasted by others.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 4

The School of Prayer Eleven Ways To Deepen Your Communion With God 1. Sit quietly. Enjoy the very real sense of His presence. Let Him lead. Don't rush the moment. Let His peace renew your soul. 2. Listen. Listen deeply. Tune your soul to His stillness. Listen to the rumblings of your own soul, and let God quiet your inner storms. Be still before Him. "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer" —Mother Teresa 3. Yield to God's action. Let Him come near. Let Him move around you, encircling you. Put yourself in a "Here am I!" position. 4. Let God speak. Avoid the temptation to break a holy silence. He may speak through scripture, through a life-experience, or through the memory of some history you share with Him. Listen for any word the Spirit might bring. 5. Keep a prayer journal. Record your impressions and thoughts. Note scripture references. Write down promises you make to God and those you sense Him making to you. Make notes of action items, things you are led to do; and change points, things you are led to change. 6. The essence of the prayer relationship is love. Let God love you. And then, express your love to Him. Let Him lead with love. Let Him love first. 7. Take a walk. Drop everything. Go and get alone with God. Or, take a drive. No agenda. No list Just a spontaneous encounter with God. 8. Then go to your secret place. Get your journal. Write. Record the fresh insights.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 5

The School of Prayer 9. Sometimes you may find yourself at a parallel to some moment in Scripture. What is happening to you has happened to David or Paul or some other Biblical character. Let the Bible give you language that expresses the depth of these encounters with God. The Psalms are especially helpful in cultivating our prayer vocabulary. Athanasius, the fourth-century Egyptian theologian, said, "Scripture speaks to us; the Psalms speaks for us.” 10.Sing. Shout joyfully. Dance. Celebrate His presence. Glorify Him. Give voice to the deep sense of His presence. Be spontaneous. Be grateful to and for a God who pursues you. 11.Weep. Weep deeply over the wonderful grace of His embrace. Tears have a way of cleansing the soul. Weep joyfully. Weep over the wonder of why He loves you so.

Use The Bible as a Prayer Book Lectio divina is a commonly used form of praying Scriptures. It demands that the head and the heart hear. Here are the steps: 1. Read a portion of Scripture. The Psalms are particularly good for these exercises. Read the passage slowly. Read it from several versions, but don't get lost in heady study. Read to your heart. Don't rush. 2. Reflect. Ask, "What word or phrase, what verse leaped off the page when I read this?" Listen for God's word in that word. Is He speaking to you? Images may flood your mind. Memories may come alive. Other scriptures might intersect with this passage. What is the word of the Lord to me, now? Be open to fresh insights, to light into and for your own soul. Don't just read the passage, let God read you. Be still. Keep yourself from overanalyzing and yet, take an inner inventory of feelings and thoughts.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 6

The School of Prayer 3. Respond. Let the Scripture touch your heart. God's word may be piercing, but it is always healing. It involves surgery. Talk to God about what you are hearing, feeling, sensing. Let the Spirit pray with you, for you. Give God permission to change you. Let Him melt and mold you. 4. Rest. Simply receive His presence. There is quiet even in His thunder. In His presence is joy. He has spoken. He knows who you are. He cares. He is watching over you. He wants the best for you. Rest in that. Let peace come. Comfort always accompanies divine conviction. Admit error and receive grace. 5. Become. Ask God that you do not have a mere brush with Him in prayer, but that His word changes you. Tell Him you want to "live out" the implications of your prayer time. You want to incarnate truth. Ask for grace to change, to become.

Equipping Your Prayer Closet Here are the kinds of things a prayer room might have:

1. Maps of the world for mission praying. Particularly, maps which detail the nations yet to be reached with the gospel. 2. Missionary enterprises, mission causes, and missionaries for whom you feel called to pray. 3. Maps of the United States to pray for specific cities of America to see a revival and a great awakening. 4. Lists of national/state/county/city officials who need prayer! 5. A map of your city/county. Note the location of schools and even churches. Mark areas that are prone to high crime. Begin your own The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 7

The School of Prayer "spiritual mapping" project. Make the map a study of the city you live in and for which you have been called to intercede. 6. Family pictures as reminders to pray for children and grandchildren, and beyond them, for great-grandchildren. 7. Pictures or paintings that inspire prayer and intercession. 8. Prayer helps and guides. 9. Books on prayer, the devotional life, various translations of the Bible. 10.Carpet that invites prostration. 11.An altar for kneeling. 12.Space for prostration before God. 13.A chair for seasons of waiting. 14.Note pads to write and record insights. 15.The capacity to dim the lights. 16.The capacity for worshipful music, when desired.

The School of Prayer is a compilation of various resources found in Prayer, The Heart Beat of the Church by, Dr. P. Douglas Small. Page 8