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| Niagara International Prophetic Ministries Inc. |
| NIP |
| Releasing the Rivers in You John 7:38 |
| NIP Ministries Prayer Training |
Prayer Training: What is Prayer?
Ask anyone this question and you will get a different answer from each person you ask. People develop their own concepts
about prayer based on personal experiences, lessons, and the results they have obtained in prayer. The bottom line is prayer
means different things to different people, but what is prayer to God?
A few years ago I actually asked God this very question. His answer I published in my book "God Whispers".
"Prayer is a call from your heart to mine, after there has been a submission of your will to mine, recognizing not your power
but mine, with no assurance in your name, but mine, confident not in your sinlessness but mine, resulting not in your glory, but
mine."
From this simple little God whisper we find profound truths about prayer. I believe these truths lay a solid foundation for
Biblically correct prayer. With that goal in mind let's carefully examine each of these truths.
about prayer based on personal experiences, lessons, and the results they have obtained in prayer. The bottom line is prayer
means different things to different people, but what is prayer to God?
A few years ago I actually asked God this very question. His answer I published in my book "God Whispers".
"Prayer is a call from your heart to mine, after there has been a submission of your will to mine, recognizing not your power
but mine, with no assurance in your name, but mine, confident not in your sinlessness but mine, resulting not in your glory, but
mine."
From this simple little God whisper we find profound truths about prayer. I believe these truths lay a solid foundation for
Biblically correct prayer. With that goal in mind let's carefully examine each of these truths.
1. "Prayer is a call from your heart to mine..."
In order to understand this concept your must first know the composition of your human spirit, soul and heart. Your human
spirit is made up of your conscience, intuition and a special organ that enables you to commune with God which I call
communion.
Your soul is comprised of your mind, will and emotions. Your heart is a combination of each of your soulical components, plus
the conscience from your human spirit.
Praying to God from your heart means to call out to God from your thoughts, will, and desires in good conscience. God is
actually inviting you to come before Him, telling Him what you want, why you want it, along with your thoughts and feelings
about it; without your conscience, which is a part of your heart, condemning you (1 John 3:19-22).
spirit is made up of your conscience, intuition and a special organ that enables you to commune with God which I call
communion.
Your soul is comprised of your mind, will and emotions. Your heart is a combination of each of your soulical components, plus
the conscience from your human spirit.
Praying to God from your heart means to call out to God from your thoughts, will, and desires in good conscience. God is
actually inviting you to come before Him, telling Him what you want, why you want it, along with your thoughts and feelings
about it; without your conscience, which is a part of your heart, condemning you (1 John 3:19-22).
2. "After there has been a submission of your will to mine..."
Here we see we are invited to come into God's presence to present the requests of our heart to Him. Then we must submit our
will for God's will. I think the Lord Jesus gave us the best example of this when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
will for God's will. I think the Lord Jesus gave us the best example of this when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
"And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast and, kneeled
down, and prayed. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup
from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there
appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being
in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:41-44)
down, and prayed. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup
from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there
appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being
in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:41-44)
Jesus expressed His personal will to God the Father and desired to know His Father's will in the matter. Once Jesus was certain
of God's will He submitted His personal will to be in complete obedience to God's will. Knowing God's will settled the matter
for Christ and it should settle the matter for you.
of God's will He submitted His personal will to be in complete obedience to God's will. Knowing God's will settled the matter
for Christ and it should settle the matter for you.
3. "Recognizing not your power but mine..."
True prayer rests on the power of God to bring it to pass. In true prayer you recognize your inability, but God's ability to
bring about your petition. If you were able to obtain or achieve your request then chances are you would just do it rather than
pray about it.
bring about your petition. If you were able to obtain or achieve your request then chances are you would just do it rather than
pray about it.
4. "With no assurance in your name but mine..."
A name carries a certain amount of authority. Authority is different than power. Not only must you realize you are powerless
to bring about your prayer request you must also acknowledge your own authority can not bring about your petition. Both the
power and authority belong to God alone.
to bring about your prayer request you must also acknowledge your own authority can not bring about your petition. Both the
power and authority belong to God alone.
5. "Confident not in your sinlessness but mine..."
In prayer we must turn to the work of Christ on the cross. It was His sinless sacrifice that cleansed us. We do not deserve the
things we ask for based on our own personal sinlessness. We come to God with our petitions based on the sinlessness of
Christ. What good news this is for the one having trouble with a particular sin. Such a one can pray in confidence by simply
exchanging the sinless sacrifice of Christ for their own sinful self. This does not of course excuse sins one willingly commits.
things we ask for based on our own personal sinlessness. We come to God with our petitions based on the sinlessness of
Christ. What good news this is for the one having trouble with a particular sin. Such a one can pray in confidence by simply
exchanging the sinless sacrifice of Christ for their own sinful self. This does not of course excuse sins one willingly commits.
6. "Resulting not in your glory but mine..."
From these truths of prayer you will find a common element throughout: Exchange. In every aspect of prayer you must
exchange something of yours for something of Gods. How powerful it is that the Creator of the universe would allow us to
make such an exchange. How submissive we must become in order to allow such an exchange to take place with each prayer we
utter.
With these foundational truths you are on your way to having a powerful prayer life. Prayer will become a time of selfless
union where you make a great exchange.
exchange something of yours for something of Gods. How powerful it is that the Creator of the universe would allow us to
make such an exchange. How submissive we must become in order to allow such an exchange to take place with each prayer we
utter.
With these foundational truths you are on your way to having a powerful prayer life. Prayer will become a time of selfless
union where you make a great exchange.