Prayer: A Quiet Time

                              PRAYER:
                        A QUIET TIME

                                            

               MERVYN NAIDOO

 
                             

Mervyn Naidoo is an accomplished author and teacher of the Word of God. He is based in Cape Town South Africa.

 

To Teach and Encourage the Church to Pray

 
Permission granted for personal and non-profit use Commercial use of any form prohibited.
All scripture quotations from the New International Version unless otherwise stated

                                          

 
CONTENTS

1.A Life of Prayer
2.The Lord has Spoken
3.A Quiet Time
4.The Place
5.Be Still!

 
1. A LIFE OF PRAYER

The life of Prayer is one that requires much faith. With faith comes much work. In all of this the believer must understand that prayer has God’s designed written all over it. With all things of God prayer must be seen has God sees it. For too long we have assumed things in the spirit and shown much stubbornness to things relating to the spiritual realm. The reason is simple for we have refused to see things the way God would have us see it. The life of prayer cannot continue consistently without us knowing, what is prayer. Although prayer may begin with faith there must be an understanding of this calling from God. Our understanding of prayer as God sees it will only grow by our obedience. And so we have the prayer by faith. Knowing what is prayer. The decision to pray and the consistency of it make prayer the most important decision for the church. It is important that we do not leave praying to be something that we expect to come to us like some fallen thing from heaven. The believer must learn and follow the essentials to this great task. It must be that which we are willing to give our heart and soul too. If prayer is hearing from God, then why should this not be the greatest of all tasks? Just as breathing is to continuous living so must prayer be to the life of each believer. When prayer is understood well, it will then be understood of the enemy’s’ age old plan to destroy praying. When we pray we are then able to see more clearly. That which comes first to the believer is the advantage the believer has in coming to God. Yet herein is the other side, he the believer comes to know the force against prayer.
That which sustains the believer in the midst of much attack is to know and follow the essentials to effective praying. Like medication that must be followed properly, like some holy custom that must be adhered, the believer must also hold on to and know of the essentials to prayer.  The believer ought to know there is no way he can walk this earth with spiritual negligence. You cannot pursue the physical or the emotional if your spiritual house is not in order especially the things of God. The same goes for our recovery from anything in the physical and emotional. Prayer is that which has been initiated by God. The origin of prayer lies with God. It is God that has intended and so desired that His people come to Him in prayer. The call to Pray has gone out a long time ago. If man were to initiate prayer it would be long in coming and would never have the right motive in place. ‘Come unto me and I will give you rest.’ It is the duty of the believer to now take that initiative.

 
2. THE LORD HAS SPOKEN

The decision to pray is an important one. In fact to decide on the matter of praying will see many pray. For a large part many of us do not pray simply because we have not come to the conclusion that we will pray. This decision is one of the most important that the believer will make. Having made a decision to pray sets the course for us to pray. Decision is what sets all things in motion. Solomon may have been synonymous as the one who built the temple yet his father David was the one who had in his heart to do so. It started with the desire in David’s heart even though God had Solomon build it. God blessed David and the initial provision came from him. The house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence... ‘Therefore I will make preparations for it.’ 1Chronicles 22.5 David had ordered the work to begin on the temple. ‘...Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.’ 1Chronicles 22.16
Decision gets things going. For the believer however there is an element of trust that goes with decision. It is when we make a decision like this that God then aids us along the path mapped out by Him. It is also a confirmation from the Lord for two things: 
1 We will be guided by His Spirit John 16. 13 ‘But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth’. 
2 Having made a decision we has believers have an advantage for we through faith are rewarded with confidence that we will make it through. Genesis 22.5 Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’’
We must make that firm decision that we will pray. Prayer is a continuation of what we have after we leave earth. If we are able to communicate well with God here we will certainly be able to further that which began
here on earth. Our communication with God never comes to an end. Earth is a good place to start.  Firstly all believers are called to Pray. Secondly the believer has little or no relationship with God if he does not pray. Many are there who are waiting to be ’led to Pray’.  That hour or day never comes for most, simply because God leads when one first takes the initiative to Pray. The promptings of the Spirit is always there. One must make that decision to Pray. It is then that God steps in to lead us.
The word ‘lead’ is for one to show the way, it is to guide and direct in the manner we are going. The word initiate though means to begin. God has already begun this process of prayer. God offers prayer to us. We are called to take up this offer. It is our duty to ‘continue instant in prayer’. Romans 12.12
When we take that initiative to pray, God then leads us in the manner of ‘how to pray’. The believer must be willing to hear from God. The decision to pray lies with us. Many are waiting for a directive from God to start praying yet neither the day nor that hour presents itself. We must understand that the Lord has already spoken. We must show to God that we desire to be drawn away from the affairs of the world that has so gripped us. It is never the character of the Holy Spirit to force or impose upon us anything. There are however many things that burdens the Holy Spirit. Gods’ word tells us that the Spirit of God grieves. That which grieves the Lord is given to man to pray back to Him. This is Gods’ order of things. If man desires to see this burden removed then this thing must be given back to God. That is the purpose of prayer. The burden that Jesus had was given back to the Father through prayer. Only a man who prays can be trusted with the burdens of the Lord. Are you a man or woman who can be trusted with the burdens of the Lord? Can you remain still before God for Him to speak? If so, God shall reveal to you His heart for a neighbour, a nation or His church. It starts with a little. The more faithful we are with little the more will be entrusted upon us. The key is show to God our concern for others and not be selfish in our praying. There is much that God is concerned for. Do you know what they are? How many people can you immediately start praying for?  This is what pleases the heart of God.  When He sees a man or a woman who is willing to be ‘led’ to pray – through their firm decisions and already active prayer lives – He (God) will then gently nudge them to take on the things pertaining to His perfect will. That man is one whom God can trust to bring to Him that which is important to His heart. For many of us we have failed to recognize and be sensitive to this gentle act of persuasion by the Holy Spirit. The result has been a neglecting in our communication with the Father and what He is saying to us now.
The writer of the book of Romans understood this well and was very much aware of how we can become insensitive to the call to Pray. The activity of daily living is one of the main culprits. In fact we are more hard pressed to perform other duties that steers us away from praying. It is absolutely important that we are not more into activity and in so doing place more emphasis on the activities. Over the years various activities in the body have been just cover ups initiated by the enemy to stop the people of God from praying. The enemy knows fully well that if the believer were to be more active in praying, by arming himself in prayer, and moving ahead together, more harm would be done in strategic areas of his (enemy) kingdom than years before. No matter what the day holds for us unless we are going to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this regard nothing will change. Our response to us being ‘led’ to pray must be taken seriously if not we will not be used of God.  Our disobedience to pray reveals to God that we cannot be burdened with that which grieves Him. The person who is led is the person who can be trusted by God. Many will be tested in this matter as believers.
To 'Continue instant in Prayer' Romans 12.12This means we are to be steadfast and unwavering. We must have a determined purpose to Pray. We must have our heart and mind set on the will of God. This is an encouragement to God's people to respond immediately to the call to Pray and not leave it for later. For ‘later’ never comes nor does the anointing that was initially present when you were being nudged and gently persuaded to hear what God was saying then.
The bible says that the ‘Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force’ this is so because the heart of man is stubborn and self-pleasing. Man must make that firm decision that he desires what God has and not what the world has to offer. The only way that the heart of man can be drawn away from the things of the flesh is for the heart to be settled that it desires what is Heavenly. In other words the heart of man must be fixed on heaven. Man must vow he will settle for nothing less. It must be resolved that no matter what earth has to offer and how attractive it may be or sound – Heaven will still be the choice that man will make. John 7.63 – 64 ‘It is the spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing.....But there are some of you who do not believe...’ That firm decision that I speak of will mean you will have to stand in faith without wavering. When we go to God in prayer, we are helped not only in us receiving what we ask for but we are also helped to stand whilst our table is being prepared. Prayer is therefore all encompassing. By this I mean that prayer helps us to wait on God, prayer helps us to fight the good fight and it helps us not to be sluggish. It also helps us to gain peace even before we receive what is ours in Christ.   Prayer goes even further by helping us to use what has been given. For God to release that which is in heaven, He must first see that the heart is willing to have what heaven has to offer. If God had to force on man that which is in heaven, it would violate a principle of God which is the ability given to man to choose. As children of God we are never forced but may be gently persuaded to do what God desires of us. This gentle nudging comes through the leading of the Holy Spirit. The more we are found praying the more we become sensitive to the leading of His Holy Spirit.  Hopefully you will be led by the Spirit to know more of Him and His plans for your life here on earth today. The more time we spend in Gods’ presence the more familiar we are with His voice and His leading. This time with God is a time of prayer.
There are significant essentials that any believer must know when it comes to the life of prayer. They are the essentials needed to keep one focussed. There are many prayers by many people that are really not the fragrance intended for Gods’ presence.
The prayer of a Godly heart reaches the God of heaven.
The desire to know God is the first step on the road of one acquainting oneself to Him.
To know the desires of God for you is important. Remember that you are unique in the eyes of the Lord. Gods’ purpose for you is therefore special, of which He holds the key. Psalm 139.16 - 17 ‘..........all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God, how vast is the sum of them.’
Three essentials are the order to the life of prayer. To have these essentials would do the believer well, for without them the life of prayer is non-existent followed by excuses not pray.