The Principles of Prayer X

 We take it upon ourselves to define what God will accept. We take it upon ourselves to define what God deems pleasing or acceptable, and if the Word teaches us anything, it is that God determines His standard; man doesn’t do it for Him.

Both Cain and Abel brought offerings before the Lord. He was pleased with one, and displeased with the other, respecting Abel’s offering, but not respecting Cain’s. There is a lesson to be learned from this event that many are reticent to learn, because all they’ve ever known during their Christian walk was the tithe, and having to offer it up, no matter the mindset and heart condition with which it is offered.

If I present my body as a living sacrifice grudgingly, or with some ulterior motive, God will see through it and judge it unworthy of respect. If the heart is right and consecrated unto God, everything flows from that singular point, whether a greater understanding of Him, a more robust prayer life, or greater authority.

The heart must belong to God fully so that He can do with it as He wills, removing the dross, the dust, the unnecessary, and the harmful so that He might fill it with His Spirit and light. God will not build holiness upon a foundation of sin. God cleanses us of all sin and unrighteousness and sanctifies us, giving us holiness in full measure.

Everything hinges on the full consecration of the individual, body, mind, soul, and spirit because only then can God proceed to mold, to fashion, and to prune, bringing us ever closer to the image of His Son Jesus. It’s not something we’ll get around to once God has done our bidding, but the one thing we must strive for first and foremost. If God shows you no further favor from this day until the day you breathe your last, if you never get that promotion, or that new house, or that new car, what He’s already done by sending Jesus is enough to warrant our worship, devotion, obedience, and faithfulness a thousand lifetimes over.

We’re fond of taking certain verses out of context and running with them as though we were auditioning for a remake of Forrest Gump. If that wasn’t bad enough, we also insist that everyone else gets on the same bandwagon and sings the same tune, and if anyone dares to dig a little deeper and put the pieces together to form a Biblical understanding, they’re readily labeled a wet blanket, or someone who is trying to stifle the Spirit.

Never mind that the Scripture taken out of context only gives temporary relief, then ends up being the cause of bitterness because things didn’t work out the way they thought they would or should, we keep right on repeating the same practices, getting the same results, then wander about befuddled as to why nothing has changed.

John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father might be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

And out comes the laundry list. New car, new house, perfect lawn, more money than I know what to do with, stuff upon stuff heaped upon more stuff, and sure enough, we ask it in His name, yet still struggling to make rent on the double wide every month. But how can this be? We did the thing. We asked for all these things in His name, but they never materialized!

Because Jesus was addressing those who are consecrated to God, and once we are consecrated to God, the composition, focus, and topic of our prayers inevitably change. When our focus and desire are the things above, we do not pray to receive the things of this earth, but more of His presence and power.

After being beaten and threatened not to continue preaching a risen Jesus, the disciples gathered together and prayed not that the Pharisees and high priest be struck down with plague, but that they receive boldness to continue doing what they’d been called to do, even in the face of persecution.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the core of His prayer was that the Father’s will be done. Being full of pain, He prayed even harder. Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. He prayed for the strength to see His purpose through to its rightful end, even though He was fully aware of what that end would entail.

When a heart is not fully consecrated to God, the prayers that flow from it will have the individual as its central theme and focus. Whether their health, their wealth, or their lot in life, they will center around making things easier for the flesh. When one is consecrated, however, their prayers will center around giving God the glory rightly His, and for the necessary strength to carry out His will even at the detriment of the flesh.

If you’ve ever wondered why so many pray selfish prayers today, now you know.

I was in a church service a while back, and ended up sitting next to an elderly lady. I noticed that she had a tattered notebook next to her Bible, and when it was time to pray, she opened it and began reading from it. I was intrigued, and after the prayer ended, I asked her about its significance. She smiled and said, “This is a list of all the people that have asked me for prayer, and all the things I know I should be praying for regarding the needs of others.” There were names, situations, even entire nations that she diligently prayed for every time she went before the Lord, and although she was using a cane and was noticeably slow in her movements, none of the prayers were about her.

God searches the heart and tests the mind. He sees what motivates and animates us, and when we put others before ourselves, when our prayers include more than requests that would exclusively benefit us, we have moved away from the predisposition of being self-centered, and self-obsessed to the realization that it’s not all about us, but about His will working through us.  

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr. 

Posted on 23 April 2025 | 11:27 am