(part 2)
The following is a short synopsis of each of the 12 aspects of prayer.
1. Praise - is an act of commitment to God. Through praise we acknowledge God for who
He is, exalt Him with our words, our whole being and our attitude, in prayer. All prayer should
start with praise. Psalm 115:1 says: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the
Glory, because of Your Love and Faithfulness". We praise Him for His Name, His Justice,
Love, Holiness, Omnipotence, Greatness, Faithfulness, His Word, His Creation, His
Redemption, etc. You can for instance, use a different theme each time in this time span of
Praise and Worship. Expand on this them as much as possible, meditate on it, weigh the
practical implications of it on your life and the lives of others. Watch out, though for a mere
repetition of words.
2. Waiting on the Lord - is an act of silent love or adoration of God. It incorporates
worship and praise to God for who He is. It is to worship God and to praise Him for who He is.
During this period of silence we tune in to (adjust ourselves to) God Himself, we direct our
whole being to Him and commit ourselves to Him anew. We rejoice in and over His Presence.
Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still and know that I am God." We can say that this is a very intimate
form of communication between God and ourselves, it is I, as the limited (shackled) and finite
being before God who is the Unlimited and Infinite Being. We make sure at this point that we
are in contact with God. This time of waiting on the Lord cannot be hurried, there is no place
for impatience and haste here. During this time you think of nothing else but God The Father,
His Son Jesus your Redeemer and The Holy Spirit. You need not express your thoughts in
words. Concentrate on your relationship with God and your love for Him.
3. Confession is the condition to admission to God. This is a time of self-examination
(introspection) and allowing the Holy Spirit to point out any unconfessed sin to you. I
acknowledge my sin and sinfulness before the Lord during this period; I confess my sin and
turn my back on it; I break with my sin and accept the Lords' forgiveness. Confession is the
cleansing of the Christian. Sin builds a wall between us and God so that God will not hear us
(Isaiah 59:1-2). Our sins are paid for and forgiven solely through the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ on the grounds of his death on the Cross. I don't ask God to change the circumstances
during confession but that He will forgive and change me. Confess each form of failure,
negligence and sin.
4. Praying Scripture - To be able to pray in a balanced way, I have to spend time in The
Word. I must get to know God's promises and pray them to God. The Promises of God create
faith. In the first place The Bible is a Book that has to be believed and obeyed. During this
period I ask: "Lord what promises can I make my own; what commands must I obey, what
warnings must I pay attention to?" The Word is our prayer manual. We must remind the Lord
of His promises in His Word day and night. As you read Scripture, ask the Lord how to apply it
in your life and in your prayer time. Your prayers must become quotations from Scripture more
and more.
5. Watching - a time of spiritual perception (observation) to be spiritually aware of matters
to pray for. It will lead to praying for the needs of others and some of your own needs. You
tune into the Lord and ask The Holy spirit specifically to draw your attention to specific matters
so that you can pray for them. Be especially wary and alert for the onslaughts of the evil one
during this time. Pray and ask The Holy Spirit to show you the plans, methods, strongholds
and strategies of the evil one. Paul teaches us to watch and pray with thanksgiving. "Devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" (Col.4:2) Satan will certainly try to keep you
from praying and confuse you so that you can not concentrate. Be wary, rebuke and resist
him. Be sure to pray purposefully. What are the problems people experience while teaching
the Gospel? Pray for that. Are there things reported in the newspapers, things that we hear
on the radio or see on the television that we should pray for; things like economic problems,
political unrest, wars, etc.
6. Intercession - to intercede for others, to pray for other. In intercession we concentrate
on the needs and distress of others - we stand in the gap for someone else. Intercession is
God's method to get His children involved in His plan for the World. We become involved in
World evangelization during intercession. When you intercede you stand at God's side and you
work with Him for the salvation or the benefit of some else. By faithful intercession you can do
as much as those who are physically in the field. Work out a systematic plan for intercession,
start with your own household and family, then your friends and church, then your town, your
country and lastly the whole World. Every Christian should have a burden for lost souls and a
World in need. Remember the church of the Lord also needs intercession. Intercession is not
only on behalf of unbelievers. Spiritual warfare is an element of intercessory prayer that
deserves a specific place in our prayer time. Pray and ask the Lord to show you through the
working of The Holy Spirit where the powers of evil are working. Binding evil forces in Jesus'
Name, break their strongholds and resist them. Resist the devil, don't give him a hold in your
life. Jesus conquered the evil one on the Cross. We as believers must proclaim his victory in
each area of life. Spiritual warfare will also be part of your prayer time during Watching and
Petition.
:blush3:But I still find it easy to spend an hour or even all my day with God--talking to Him, thinking about Him
