Welcome back to Wilderness to Wisdom.
This is part two of Talking with God.
In the last episode,
We talked about the prayer that Jesus gave us,
Known in the world as the Lord's Prayer.
Today,
We'll talk more about praying as a new creation in Christ.
I want to be clear that this isn't a comprehensive study that covers every single aspect of prayer,
So please don't consider it a final word or the end-all be-all about prayer.
As we walk out our journey,
Each of us will continue to grow in our prayer life in different ways.
What I'm sharing is foundational and what I've learned from my experience.
Prayer isn't just for emergencies or religious obligation.
Prayer is a privilege,
An opportunity to bring everything—the good,
The bad,
The joy,
And the fear—to God,
Knowing that He hears us.
And it's not one-sided.
We talk,
But then we should expect to hear from God as well,
And we'll talk more about hearing from God in the next episode.
So prayer is simply conversing with God.
There's no required posture,
Tone,
Or setting.
It's simply about connection,
Not about a performance.
We speak to God as our Father with reverence,
But there's no need to try and sound holy.
I want to start with 1 Thessalonians 5,
16 through 18.
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
Give thanks in all circumstances,
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Praying without ceasing isn't about a continual verbal prayer.
It's about your awareness of God's presence.
You have the Holy Spirit living within you,
So you can be in communication with God at all times,
Whether it's verbal or nonverbal.
And one thing I also want to talk about is having a religious spirit.
In Matthew chapter 6,
Before Jesus tells us about the Lord's Prayer,
He gave instructions on how we should pray.
Verses 5 through 8 says,
And when you pray,
You must not be like the hypocrites,
For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners,
That they may be seen by others.
Truly,
I say to you,
They have received their reward.
But when you pray,
Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret,
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray,
Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do,
For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Do not be like them,
For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
So,
This is just simplifying it for us.
While there are times when we may pray with or around others,
Jesus made it clear that prayer is meant to be personal and sincere.
Also,
There are times when we may use a lot of words when we don't truly know what to say.
That's okay.
God understands what is in our hearts.
These verses are about praying in front of others and putting on a performance.
It's letting us know that none of that is necessary.
In every area,
We must have an awareness of why we're doing what we do.
In my own life,
I began to examine things that I was doing and ask myself why.
Two things that come to mind are praying over meals,
Especially publicly in restaurants,
And also praying as set times.
Regarding praying over meals,
I'm not telling anyone not to pray before having a meal.
I would just suggest that you consider whether it's more of a ritual or outward expression for others to see,
If you're out at a restaurant,
For example.
Would you feel guilty for not praying before a meal?
If the answer is yes,
Then I would consider that there may be a religious spirit driving the behavior.
In my own life,
I've always felt uncomfortable with praying in public where others can see,
And it was simply because Jesus instructed us to do so privately.
I don't know of any scripture where we were told to pray outwardly to be seen by others.
If I'm in a private setting amongst believers,
That's different.
Did Jesus pray publicly?
There were a few times where he did,
But it was never for show,
But rather for the sake of others.
There were times where he gave thanks to God publicly.
Then,
When he raised Lazarus from the dead,
John 11 41 and 42 says,
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said,
Father,
I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I knew that thou hearest me always,
But because of the people which stand by I said it,
That they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Then,
In John chapter 17,
He prayed amongst his disciples before he was arrested,
Then crucified.
Then,
On the cross,
He prayed,
Forgive them,
Father,
For they know not what they do.
I've only experienced a few moments where I needed to pray publicly with someone for some reason,
So please don't take what I'm saying as a rule.
As always,
I say let the Holy Spirit lead.
Regarding praying at set times,
It's fine to have structured times.
I mentioned that when we talked about reading God's Word,
Remember,
Communication with God can happen anytime,
Anywhere.
It's about understanding that true prayer flows from relationship,
Not rituals and not routines.
This is about breaking free from the religious programming that doesn't align with the Word and may be hindering our prayer life.
Our goal is to walk according to God's Word,
And that requires a willingness to confront things that we do and ask ourselves why we do it and if it lines up with the Word of God.
Let's take a look at how faith and authority shape how we pray.
Hebrews 11 1 says,
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
The evidence of things not seen.
So,
Once something is received,
Faith is no longer needed for it.
We have faith until we have a manifestation.
Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7 says,
Do not be anxious about anything,
But in everything,
By prayer and supplication,
With thanksgiving,
Let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
Which surpasses all understanding,
Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So,
According to God's Word,
We don't need to be anxious.
So,
Don't speak faith one moment and doubt in the next.
James 1 6 through 8 says,
But let him ask in faith with no doubting,
For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.
He is a double-minded man,
Unstable in all his ways.
Again,
I'll mention here that James didn't teach on how to walk as a new creation.
So,
When I read,
Let him ask in faith,
Understand that there are some things we will ask for and other things we will command because of the authority we have.
As you continue to study God's Word,
You'll gain a deeper understanding and know what to ask for and what to command.
Believe and speak the same thing.
Align with God's Word,
Not emotions,
Not appearances.
We should not concern ourselves with the way things look in the natural world.
When you don't see results immediately,
That's the testing of your faith.
Stand firmly on the Word of God.
Waiting isn't inactivity.
It's a chance for us to learn confident expectation.
We must understand our identity,
The power and authority we have,
And we need to learn to walk in it consistently.
2 Peter 1 verses 3 and 4 says,
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
Through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
So that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
Having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Prayer isn't about getting God to move.
It is about aligning with and thanking him for what he's already provided.
We must learn to walk in the authority we've already been given through Jesus.
We have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness,
And we just need to partake in the divine nature of Christ that is within us,
Through the Holy Spirit.
So we're not begging.
We're standing in faith,
Knowing it is done in the spiritual realm.
Begging produces unbelief,
Not faith.
Faith does not beg.
It thanks God for what he has already done,
And we're looking for it to come forth in the physical realm.
In Acts 28,
Paul didn't pray when he was bitten by the serpent.
He acted in faith and shook it off.
The people who were with him were expecting him to swell up or fall over and die,
But he simply shook it off and kept it moving.
Paul understood the authority he had,
And that he didn't need to pray to God to do something that God gave him the power to do.
We pray to the Father and bring forth our requests,
But we command in faith.
So for example,
When rebuking sickness or fear,
We don't ask God to remove it.
We use our authority in Christ to command it to leave.
So when we command sickness or fear to leave,
We're not being bold in ourselves.
We're standing in faith on what God has already said is true.
We can't let the facts of this natural world outweigh the truth of God's Word.
One example is when we're praying for healing.
Don't ask for it.
Thank God that it's already done.
What you observe,
You empower.
If you focus on sickness,
You give it strength.
And this is not New Age thinking.
Romans 8 6 says,
For to set the mind on the flesh is death,
But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
We want to focus on what the Word of God says.
And I know this can be hard to process,
Because as a result of sin in the world,
Fear,
Financial hardships,
Broken relationships,
Sickness,
Disease,
And death of our current physical bodies is very real in this natural world.
It can be hard to believe that you have something you need when you don't see it.
There may be times where we prayed for someone to be healed and they still died.
That may challenge our faith.
We have an attachment to our physical bodies.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't want to live,
But we have to remember that the death of the physical body is just a transition into the spiritual realm.
We have eternal life.
There may be things that we need and haven't experienced the manifestation yet.
That can make it hard to walk this out if we don't stand firmly on God's Word.
1 Peter 2 24 says,
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
That we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
This can also be found in Isaiah 53 5.
Many times we're asking God to heal and the Bible tells us that we're already healed.
By his wounds you have been healed.
It's already done.
Also remember,
We have the power to command sickness or any spiritual oppression to leave.
So we're not waiting for healing.
We are healed.
We want to get to the point where we're walking in it in the physical realm.
If the manifestation doesn't come to pass in the physical realm and you're still dealing with something,
Don't get frustrated and give up.
Even if it doesn't happen,
Don't back down from what the Word of God says.
In 2 Corinthians 12 7,
Paul speaks of a thorn in his flesh.
This doesn't mean it was something physical exclusively.
There are other scriptures that use the word thorns metaphorically to represent anything causing affliction.
I'll read verses 7 through 10.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,
A thorn was given me in the flesh,
A messenger of Satan to harass me,
To keep me from becoming conceited.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this,
That it should leave me.
But he said to me,
My grace is sufficient for you.
My power is made perfect in weakness.
Therefore,
I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
So that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ then,
I am content with weaknesses,
Insults,
Hardships,
Persecutions,
And calamities.
For when I am weak,
Then I am strong.
Paul understood who he was as a new creation,
But he still dealt with the attacks from the devil.
He pleaded with God and God just said,
My grace is sufficient.
So don't get discouraged and let it rattle your faith.
Talk with God and he'll help you to have peace and guide you through any situation you're dealing with.
When our faith gets rattled and we worry,
That worry is like saying God,
I don't trust you.
So even when we know the truth of God's Word,
Our flesh resists faith.
Our flesh is focused on things in the natural world that we're actually experiencing.
And God deals with the Spirit.
The real issue isn't our flesh,
It's our unrenewed mind.
And this is why renewing our mind is so important.
We must allow the Word to renew our thinking and it will change our responses to the things we encounter in the world.
We'll learn to stand on the Word with confidence.
Because we're navigating life in the flesh,
We may have moments of fear or worry,
But don't feel bad about it.
Remember,
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
This is a perfect opportunity to talk with God about it.
We know that God didn't give us a spirit of fear,
So when we feel fear or worry,
We know it's from the devil.
This is a great opportunity to talk with God as your Father who loves you and understands the things that you are dealing with in the world.
Next,
I want to talk about persistence.
Should we pray about something once or pray about it over and over again?
This is something I previously questioned because I wasn't sure how to pray when I've already prayed about something but haven't yet seen the manifestation.
At one point,
I kept praying about the same things over and over and wondered,
Am I really praying with faith or just repeating these words out of worry?
Sometimes the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 is referenced to encourage people to continue praying about the same issue.
I'll read Luke chapter 18 verses 1 through 8 from the King James Version and I'll explain why after.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
That men ought always to pray and not to faint,
Saying,
There was in a city a judge which feared not God,
Neither regarded man.
And there was a widow in that city,
And she came unto him saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while,
But afterward he said within himself,
Though I fear not God,
Nor regard man,
Yet because this widow troubleth me,
I will avenge her,
Lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said,
Hear what the unjust judge saith,
And shall not God avenge his own elect,
Which cry day and night unto him,
Though he bear long with them?
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless,
When the Son of Man cometh,
Shall he find faith on the earth?
There were a couple of things in this parable that I hadn't previously understood.
Depending on the version you read,
It can be understood differently.
Verse 3 in the King James Version says that the widow came unto him,
And the English Standard Version says she kept coming to him.
Then in verse 5 the King James Version says,
Yet because this widow troubleth me,
I will avenge her,
Lest by her continual coming she weary me.
But the English Standard Version says,
Yet because this widow keeps bothering me,
I will give her justice,
So that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.
I'm not saying that the King James Version is the best translation.
It has its issues,
But if you are ever questioning something,
Check different versions of the Bible and see what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
Remember,
The Holy Spirit is your helper and guide who leads you to all truth.
My understanding now is that the woman came to the judge so boldly that after she left,
It continued to resonate with him.
So he chose to avenge her,
So that she wouldn't come to him again.
Also,
This man was an unrighteous judge who neither feared God nor regarded man,
Yet he still granted the woman's request.
If the unrighteous judge granted her request,
Whether she came once or many times,
How much more will God,
Who is not an unrighteous judge,
Do for his elect?
We may cry out to God day and night when we're going through something,
And that's okay.
Verse 1 says that Jesus spoke the parable to them so they would understand to always pray and not lose heart.
So rather than continually asking God for the same thing over and over,
I'm learning to ask once and then thank him that it's already done,
And ask him to help me to stand firmly on his word when moments of doubt try to creep in.
It's standing firm in faith until what's promised manifests.
If I continue asking God for the same thing over and over,
I don't believe I already have all things pertaining to life and godliness as the Bible says I have.
I'm not saying that because this is my understanding,
You need to do the same.
In my own walk,
I was questioning myself about why I was asking God for the same things over and over,
Rather than trusting that he heard me and that I just need to do my part by having faith.
Now let's talk about praying with others.
Matthew 18 19 says,
Again I say to you,
If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask,
It will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
There are times when we may gather with other believers to pray,
And that's fine.
There is strength in united prayer,
But this cannot be a crutch for us.
Our personal faith has to stand even when we're alone,
So we can't depend on other people's faith to move mountains.
We have to use the authority God has given to us.
When Peter was in prison,
Acts 12 5 says,
So Peter was kept in prison,
But earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
An angel came and told Peter to get dressed,
Put on his sandals,
Cover himself with a cloak,
And then follow him.
The angel then led Peter out of the prison.
Peter thought he was having a vision during that time,
But after the angel led him out of prison,
He went to the house of Mary,
The mother of John,
Who was also called Mark.
The people were gathered there praying for him.
I'll read Acts 12 11 through 17.
When Peter came to himself,
He said,
Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.
When he realized this,
He went to the house of Mary,
The mother of John,
Whose other name was Mark,
Where many were gathered together and were praying.
And when he knocked at the door of the gateway,
A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
Recognizing Peter's voice,
In her joy she did not open the gate,
But ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
They said to her,
You are out of your mind.
But she kept insisting that it was so,
And they kept saying,
It is his angel.
But Peter continued knocking,
And when they opened,
They saw him and were amazed.
But motioning to them with his hand to be silent,
He described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
And he said,
Tell these things to James and to the brothers.
Then he departed and went to another place.
It's amazing that they were praying for Peter,
But didn't believe that he would be released.
Only one person,
The servant Rhoda,
Believed it when she heard his voice.
When she ran to tell the others,
They thought she was out of her mind.
And these were so-called believers who were praying,
But we can see that only one person believed that the prayer would be and ultimately was answered.
So again,
Praying with a group of believers is fine,
But you must have your own faith.
Romans 5 2 says,
Therefore since we have been justified by faith,
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
So faith accesses grace.
Grace is God's unmerited,
Undeserved favor.
Grace provides,
Faith receives.
So we can't walk in doubt,
Fear,
Or strife and expect grace to flow.
When you fall short,
Grace still abounds.
Faith is what allows grace to impact your situation.
So we have to stay in the Word.
The more you stay in Scripture,
The easier it becomes to believe.
Because doubt will shrink where the truth grows.
Faith comes by hearing the Word.
Romans 10 17 tells us that.
So faith comes from hearing,
And hearing through the Word of Christ.
Faith and grace work hand-in-hand.
So as we continue to talk with God,
Our prayer life naturally grows stronger.
I want to share a few simple ways to grow in your prayer life.
First and foremost,
Pray Scripture.
Turn what you're reading into personal prayer.
That way you know that your prayer aligns with the Word of God.
Be consistent.
Remember,
Whether verbally or non-verbally,
You can talk with God at any time.
Feel free to set certain times if you want,
But be careful that it doesn't turn into a religious ritual rather than authentically connecting with God.
Then listen.
Ask God if there's something He wants to show you and expect to hear from Him.
And be honest.
God can handle your doubts,
Questions,
And your struggles.
There are also times when we may feel so overwhelmed that we don't know what to say.
Remember that you have the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8 26 and 27 says,
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit,
Because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Over time,
This consistency builds deeper intimacy.
You'll begin recognizing God's voice through His Word,
Through people,
And everyday situations.
Before we close,
I want to give you a few questions to reflect on.
Ask yourself,
How do I currently approach prayer as a conversation or obligation?
Take an honest look at your habits.
Is prayer something you do out of duty or is it a moment of connection with God as your Father?
What keeps me from being authentic in my prayers?
Think about whether fear,
Guilt,
Or desire to sound right has ever stopped you from being real with God.
How do I respond when I don't see immediate answers to my prayers?
Am I waiting in faith and thanksgiving or do I let worry and doubt take over?
And finally,
In what areas of my life am I still asking God to do something He's already given me authority over?
Reflect on whether it's time to move from asking to acting in faith,
Speaking God's Word,
And standing in your authority.
Although prayer is simple communication,
I still find myself feeling a little hesitant about this topic.
There's so many things I still have yet to understand and I still ask God to teach me how to pray when I'm unsure about something.
One area I still wrestle with is how to pray for others in certain situations.
So for example,
When I see someone walking down a path that isn't good for them,
I may want to pray that they open their eyes and see the truth.
But at the same time,
I know that they have free will.
They have to choose to open their eyes.
So when I'm unsure,
I just talk with God honestly about it and sometimes I simply sit in silence reflecting on what's in my heart.
The beautiful thing is that God already knows and the Spirit intercedes for us when words fall short.
So I don't have it all figured out.
There are times where I still pray about things I've already prayed for.
There's times where I'm still asking God to work things out when I know He gave me the power to speak to the mountain.
I thank God for His grace as I continue to learn.
Thank you for joining me on this episode of Wilderness to Wisdom.
Let's thank God for His Word,
His presence,
And the ongoing conversation we can have with Him every day.
I'll look forward to the next episode where we'll talk about hearing from God and obedience.
