A Holy Fellowship with the Father: Prayer

[BeStill&Know]

Lord Heavenly Father spoke in my spirit when I began to pray yesterday.
He said, Prayer is Holy.
A Holy act, communing with Him as one.
I never thought of prayer that way before. It is something we are told to do for others as well as ourselves, but I never saw it as Holy.
Any comments of what the Lord has revealed to you about prayer?

 

[brinny]

That it is delightfully holy. For our Father is delightful in His holiness and we learn to delight in His holiness in His presence.

Precious.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Essentially what you said. Prayer is holy. Prayer is communication with the Father - God Himself. (I'm a Triune guy.) Communication is back and forth, by they way. God leads us, directs us and even 'speaks' to us in various ways (I very seldom 'hear' actual words) during and following our part of prayer.

Other neat - really neat - things about prayer:

* One can never approach God about a problem and have God answer by slapping Himself in the forehead and say, "Wow! I've never heard that before! When did that happen?" His response is always closer to "I've been expecting your call. Here's the plan..."

* One is never told "All operators are busy but your call is important and someone will assist you as soon as possible".

* No extra charge for long distance.

Okay, my last part is fairly light-hearted. But it's still true and dependable.

 

[brinny]

Regarding my above post, i am praying that God enables me to delight in Him and His Word.

I use the word "delight" a lot LOL!

That's because our heavenly Father is delightful in His love for us.

I find that delightful.

On another note, this quote helped me when i didn't know how to pray or what it was so i avoided it. It helped me to realize that we can bring anything to our Father, and that prayer is simply a "conversation" with God:

“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart, it's pleasures, and it's pains, to a dear friend.

Tell him your troubles, that he may comfort you; tell him your joys, that he may sober them; tell him your longings, that he may purify them; tell him your dislikes, that he may help you coquer them; talk to him of your temptations, that he may shield you from them; show him the wounds of your heart, that he may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

If you thus pour out your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back, neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intimacy with God.” ~Francois Fenelon'

 

[musicalpilgrim]

Any comments of what the Lord has revealed to you about prayer?

I have read the wonderful posts on this thread,
My own thoughts are the reality of our prayers, placed in the Golden Bowls in Revelation 5, never lost, always given to the Father and heard by him.

Revelation 5: 8 Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Thank you Father...

 

[BeStill&Know]

Prayer is communication with the Father - God Himself. (I'm a Triune guy.)

I am to.

Communication is back and forth, by they way. God leads us, directs us and even 'speaks' to us in various ways

I have found that to be true.
Difficult to explain that to an un-believer who has never known the Lord.

(I very seldom 'hear' actual words) during and following our part of prayer.

Actually, I did not hear words. After a very quick vision (eyes closed), came knowledge that prayer is Holy because we are in......... seems I can't think of the right word other than union, partnership, covenant with the Lord.

 

[BeStill&Know]

Regarding my above post, i am praying that God enables me to delight in Him and His Word.

I use the word "delight" a lot LOL!

That's because our heavenly Father is delightful in His love for us.

I find that delightful.

On another note, this quote helped me when i didn't know how to pray or what it was so i avoided it. It helped me to realize that we can bring anything to our Father, and that prayer is simply a "conversation" with God:

“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart, it's pleasures, and it's pains, to a dear friend.

Tell him your troubles, that he may comfort you; tell him your joys, that he may sober them; tell him your longings, that he may purify them; tell him your dislikes, that he may help you coquer them; talk to him of your temptations, that he may shield you from them; show him the wounds of your heart, that he may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

If you thus pour out your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back, neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intimacy with God.” ~Francois Fenelon'

Yes, Beautifully Inspiring, and so much more realistic for one to speak to their Creator in whose image we are made.
I have never physically come face to face with Jesus but their is no doubt He Is Delightful : )

 

[BeStill&Know]

I have read the wonderful posts on this thread,
My own thoughts are the reality of our prayers, placed in the Golden Bowls in Revelation 5, never lost, always given to the Father and heard by him.

Revelation 5: 8 Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Thank you Father...

Thank you MusicalPilgrim.
So much to remember.
I had forgotten about the Gold Bowls filled with our prayers which are to our Father a sweet fragrance.
I looked up the rest of Revelation 5:9..........
“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it; for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. 10 And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth.”

We are GIFTS to GOD, bought by JESUS.

 

[BeStill&Know]

I've been in a dry season, especially prayer. As I tell others, hang on, over-come, wait like the Shulimite Bride in Song of Songs.

 

[Greg J.]

Lord Heavenly Father spoke in my spirit when I began to pray yesterday.
He said, Prayer is Holy.
A Holy act, communing with Him as one.
I never thought of prayer that way before. It is something we are told to do for others as well as ourselves, but I never saw it as Holy.
Any comments of what the Lord has revealed to you about prayer?

Consider how people prepared themselves in the Old Testament before entering the presence of God. Why did they do it? In the New Testament, we see people behaving under grace and not Law, but the God of the OT is still the same God. Whatever he used to be like and deserve, he still is like and deserves no less. We are free to enjoy the fellowship that comes with being brothers and sisters of Christ—just remember who it is we are praying or talking to.

 

[BeStill&Know]

Consider how people prepared themselves in the Old Testament before entering the presence of God. Why did they do it? In the New Testament, we see people behaving under grace and not Law, but the God of the OT is still the same God. Whatever he used to be like and deserve, he still is like and deserves no less. We are free to enjoy the fellowship that comes with being brothers and sisters of Christ—just remember who it is we are praying or talking to.

B/C I don't have much time, would you elaborated? I would like to learn.

 

[Greg J.]

B/C I don't have much time, would you elaborated? I would like to learn.

There's a huge amount in the OT that shows us the holiness of God through what people needed to do when interacting with either God or something strongly associated with him (like the Ark).

The high priest would die if he went into most holy place without properly preparing. The Jewish people would die if they set foot on the mountain where God was meeting with Moses. All of the ceremonial Law (and more) is directly about this.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 10:1-2, 1984 NIV)

This is what justice is for those who fail to treat God as holy. Short definition of God in his holiness: great, pure, deserving of all honor, glory, power, worship, and reverence.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3, 1984 NIV)

 

[brinny]

I've been in a dry season, especially prayer. As I tell others, hang on, over-come, wait like the Shulimite Bride in Song of Songs.

Been there. It's at these times that we are perhaps most depleted and simply need a hug from our heavenly Father. Reminds me of the time He ministered to a very weary and discouraged and depleted Elijah. He fed him and prompted him to sleep.

Jesus demonstrated God's heart for us, when he gathered all of the children that came running to Him and delighted in each of them. Our heavenly Father delights in us the same way. And He SINGS over us.

Now here's the part that is delightful to me. Our holy God, Whom we are to have a holy "fear" of, DELIGHTS in us. This "fear" of this holy God includes "joy". There's a book that expounds on this called "The Joy of Fearing God" by Jerry Bridges.

 

[BeStill&Know]

There's a huge amount in the OT that shows us the holiness of God through what people needed to do when interacting with either God or something strongly associated with him (like the Ark).

The high priest would die if he went into most holy place without properly preparing. The Jewish people would die if they set foot on the mountain where God was meeting with Moses. All of the ceremonial Law (and more) is directly about this.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 10:1-2, 1984 NIV)

This is what justice is for those who fail to treat God as holy. Short definition of God in his holiness: great, pure, deserving of all honor, glory, power, worship, and reverence.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3, 1984 NIV)

Hi Greg, I'm tired so I don't know if I am understanding what you are saying exactly?
Are you just sharing that God is Holy and should be treated with fear, respect?
Are you saying there is something in my post that is dis-respectful to the Lord?
Are you saying that we should follow the example of the verses and do the rituals in order to fear and respect the Lord?
Or all three?

 

[Greg J.]

Hi Greg, I'm tired so I don't know if I am understanding what you are saying exactly?
Are you just sharing that God is Holy and should be treated with fear, respect?
Are you saying there is something in my post that is dis-respectful to the Lord?
Are you saying that we should follow the example of the verses and do the rituals in order to fear and respect the Lord?
Or all three?

Neither of the latter two. God is holy, and as we learn what he is really like through living in obedience, that truth will work its way into our heart. From such a heart we will recognize who he is better and treat him with great honor and respect, with deep reverence and we will be overwhelmed in our awe of him ("fear"). Then obedience is much easier, in part due to the fact that along with knowing him that well, we will trust him that whatever he wants us to do, it is so he can bless our socks off. Why people sin becomes incomprehensible, because it will be obvious to you that obeying is such an amazing delight (because of who he is and what he is like).

But regarding your original post, yes, prayer is holy. I would call it a holy communion with the great and awesome God. It is choosing to enter into a kind of unity with God. Being able to persist in prayer is even better (and has rapid results, too). IMO, your life becomes different with 1 hour/day of prayer, and it's very noticeable with 2 (no need to do it all at once). There is much breadth and depth to what prayer is.

There's lots of books on prayer for everyone; I'd recommend classics, though. The first one I ever read was Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds (but I don't remember how good it was ).

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

There was a thread somewhere about does the bible come alive in your hands or something like that title. That's where I find communication with Him. But first comes prayer and a reverence for His way of communicating, or sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with a verse number and looking it up that would speak to me. Other times He just makes me laugh with the oddest thoughts (that I know are Him!) because His sence of humor is awesome..

 

[BeStill&Know]

Neither of the latter two. God is holy, and as we learn what he is really like through living in obedience, that truth will work its way into our heart. From such a heart we will recognize who he is better and treat him with great honor and respect, with deep reverence and we will be overwhelmed in our awe of him ("fear"). Then obedience is much easier, in part due to the fact that along with knowing him that well, we will trust him that whatever he wants us to do, it is so he can bless our socks off. Why people sin becomes incomprehensible, because it will be obvious to you that obeying is such an amazing delight (because of who he is and what he is like).

But regarding your original post, yes, prayer is holy. I would call it a holy communion with the great and awesome God. It is choosing to enter into a kind of unity with God. Being able to persist in prayer is even better (and has rapid results, too). IMO, your life becomes different with 1 hour/day of prayer, and it's very noticeable with 2 (no need to do it all at once). There is much breadth and depth to what prayer is.

There's lots of books on prayer for everyone; I'd recommend classics, though. The first one I ever read was Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds (but I don't remember how good it was ).

Oh! WOW! Greg, Brother we are definitely on the same page. I second the motion. Yes a Holy Communion, I sensed its like a marriage covenant. A loving faithful marriage communion.
Unless the Lord enables me, for long hours of praying. What He is guiding me to recently, are several shorter times of communion throughout the day.
Bless you and yours

 

[BeStill&Know]

There was a thread somewhere about does the bible come alive in your hands or something like that title. That's where I find communication with Him. But first comes prayer and a reverence for His way of communicating, or sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with a verse number and looking it up that would speak to me. Other times He just makes me laugh with the oddest thoughts (that I know are Him!) because His sence of humor is awesome..

Over the years i found Jesus is very comfortable to be around with His Great love and acceptance of His children. And Yes he has a wonderful sense of humor. Through these traits,
I understand why the woman at the well story and the woman caught in adultery, children and sinners flocked to be near Him.