Simple prayer – the key to God’s heart
A songwriter wrote, “Prayer is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayers and ended with prayers, prayer is the master key.” The master key opens all closed and locked doors; Jesus, the Son of God knew it. Throughout His earthly ministry, He created time to pray to God, His Father. As a matter of fact, He made it a priority to communicate with His Father, seek His face and favor, obtained His approval and asked for power and strength to accomplish each day’s task. Jesus was careful to return thanks to God for all His goodness and mercies. Through prayers Jesus continuously abided, yielded and submitted to His Father. At one time He revealed to His disciples and followers that He and His father are one. This explains the relationship and intimacy between them. He understood what it meant to love. Jesus knew God is love and to love is to abide with God and keep His commandment. He who loves well prays well. Those who pray in faith obtain answers to their prayers.
Prayer is a relationship with Godhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Prayer is an act of worship, where we offer praise; adoration and thanksgiving to God and in the process make our request known to Him. Through prayer we reciprocate expression of love to Him who first loved us. Prayer is to the soul what air is to the body. A prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian. Simple sincere prayer will keep you abiding with God. You will long to be with Him always; seeking to know Him more through His Word. The more you search His Word and do them the more you gain His power and favor as well as His love; even though His love is unconditional and sacrificial.
Jesus knew not only the importance of prayer but also the key to simple prayer. Little surprised that the disciples observed the difference between their prayers and Jesus kind of prayers, they asked Him to teach them how to pray his own kind of prayer. Jesus prayers were simple and direct, touched God’s heart and obtained uncommon results. It portrayed love fellowship with the Father. A child who does the father’s wish enjoys uncommon favors from the Dad. Jesus prayed with authority and power, with confidence and assurance; brought down God’s glory and accomplished tasks [John 17:1ff]. Sometimes it was agonizing and in other times it was simply prayer of thanksgiving and intercession. He acknowledged God as the maker, provider, sustainer and satisfier; even when all things were created through Him and for Him.
Throughout the scriptures, all Old Testament prophets knew prayer was the way to God’s heart. God’s servants like Moses prayed and fasted for days even when he felt less of God’s presence. He faced the Red sea not knowing what else to do but God granted him favor and the sea divided into two and the children of Israel passed through dry land. Through prayer, Elijah became a terror to the worshippers of Baal and even King Ahab and his kingdom. He asked God to defend Himself as the only true God before a large crowd of witnesses and the fire of God came down. He solicits God’s power to holdback rain for three years and prayed back the rain at due time. He revived the widow’s son from dead. Daniel prayed and honored God by not eating the King’s delicacies and he and the three Hebrew boys looked healthier than those who ate the meals. The three Hebrew boys refused to bow to man made God and God sustained them in the furnace. Other prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Joshua etc related to God through prayers. The New Testament Disciples embrace prayers because it was the way of the master and they witnessed Him obtained uncommon results. Paul and Silas prayed, sang and a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundation. The door opened and the chains fell down from all prisoners [Acts 16:25-26]. Paul prayed for the Ephesians’ saints, ‘God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that His Spirit will make you become strong followers and Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith [3:16]. Peter and John prayed in the name of Jesus and a man born lame became healed.[Acts 3] Prayer invites God’s love and grace to overshadow our iniquities and grant us forgiveness; bring us back home. Don Hooser of Good News Magazine writing on the privilege and power of prayers likened prayer to phoning home. Parents want to hear from their children the same way God wants to hear from us because just as parents love their children even more does God loves us.
Richard J. Foster writing on Prayer- Finding the heart’s true home, said: We have been too long in a far country of noisy crowds, in shame, regrets, fears, intimidation and frustration. We should come home; His arm stretches to receive us and like ten lamps of fire, ignite warmness into our bodies and souls. This is a home of serenity, peace and joy; of friendship, fellowship and openness; a home of intimacy, acceptance and affirmation. In prayer God welcomes us to a living room of his heart where we can put our racks and old torn slippers without fears and shame, share freely in His love and mercies. He invites us into a kitchen of His friendship, where romance, kisses and hugging are extended to us; where chatter and batter mix in good fun. He invites us into the dinning room of His strength, where we can feast to our heart’s delight. He invites us into the study of His wisdom, where we learn, grow and mature in His grace and mercies; use His wisdom to seek His mercies, love and provisions. He invites us into the workshop of His creativity, where we can be co-laborers with Him – working together to determine the outcome of events. He invites us into bedroom of His rest and newfound peace, where we can be naked, vulnerable and freed; a place of deepest intimacy, openness and affection. The key to this home- this heart of God is simple prayer while the door is Jesus Christ, by Him anyone can gain entrance into Gods heart.
Today as ever, the heart of God is an open wound of love inviting us to come home. He longs for our companion and stretches out wide his arms to receive us to where we belong. We should keep out our shyness, fear and intimidation; stop grieving over our past, our obsession with ‘muchness’ and ‘manyness.’ We need to go to God, just as we are. He awaits our response to his love and friendship. We need to return in close communion with our Creator.
It’s common to see people imitate their Pastors and mentors in prayers. Some end up praying other people’s prayer. Some even imitate speaking in strange tongues and end up praying artificially, from the mouth and not the heart. This is common in corporate prayers where the congregation speaks out their prayers. Some say what they do not mean and mean what they do not say. Yet simple prayer is the most common in the bible. God already knows you, the way you speak and the language you speak and your heart cry. You need not pretend in prayer that was the way of the Pharisees. You do not need to speak in foreign language for God to answer you. God even hear the speechless prayers in your heart. You’re therefore welcomed to the throne of grace in time of need. Real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth but from falling in love. Prayers must be sincere and genuine; not just saying right words but must be authentic and true. God looks beyond words into attitude of the heart. God hates hypocrisy, showmanship or pretence. Our prayer must be frank not fake. When our emotions are genuine, they touch the emotions of God. Our Spirit is lifted up to reach the Spirit of God and that provokes God’s mercies and He responds. It does not depend on repetition of words but practicing God’s presence.
Perhaps you have never prayed before except in panic, terror or when you perceive danger or in profound disappointment, disillusion or difficulty. It could be you pray for formality but have no faith in your communion; you need to develop a love relationship with your Creator and Redeemer. For love has no fear or doubt, but total trust. It’s important to know that no one calls Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit of God. God’s heart is open to our love. He understands our feelings, shame and guilt. Our prayers express the love of God and simple prayer from the heart offers uncommon result. Pray short and sincere to God in the name of Jesus. Avoid repetitive and complex prayers. You’re not praying to impress people around but to God who is omniscience and omnipresent. Let your mouth speaks what your heart believe. We often ignore simple prayer and expect something miraculous, strange and spectacular to happen. We neglect simple prayer and expect God to act. Prayer ought to precede everything we do. Unrehearsed prayers tend to be more real and honest, come from the heart and are spontaneous. The kingdom’s rule mandates us to ask to receive, seek to find and knock to have door opened. These work depending on our level of surrender and intimacy with God. Be assured that God hears and appreciates the simplest of prayers even the meditation of our heart and gives more than we ask or even desire. Always pray simple prayers for uncommon results; Prayer is the key to the heart of God
Evangelist Ogbonnaya Godswill can be reached at email: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.