Thoughts On Prayer

21“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.25“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26“And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17: 21 - 26 NKJV

We've spent quite a bit of time lately discussing prayer.  Not just our own prayers but those prayers of others as well.  Sometimes I get some pretty confused looks when I now relate my thoughts on my prayers to God.  I guess I should say, my communication with God.  I mean, that's really what our prayers are right?  When our backs are against the wall or we simply need to feel our Lords presence we all too often seek to bend the Fathers ear that we might bear our burdens upon Him.  Now, I see nothing wrong with this at all.  However, I have changed my own thoughts on how it is I pray.  This comes from my own realization that I am no longer lifting my prayers up to a unseen God in heaven.  See, I no longer see my heavenly Father as simply sitting on His throne in heaven gently but sternly watching over His children.  That is how I used to see things, but things have changed.  My prayers now are not to a God removed, but to a loving Father who shares every aspect of my daily life with me.  The prayer of Jesus in the garden which we find in John 17 gives a hint as to where our own prayers should be directed today.  If you read into this prayer of Christ, you can see that His very desire was that we, those who followed Jesus, would be ONE as He and the Father are one.  Think about that, the prayer of Jesus is that Gods children would share in the union that He shared with the Father.  So, the question we have often asked in our own group is...was that prayer of Jesus ever answered?  Well, I can honestly tell you that YES, the prayer of Jesus in the garden was indeed answered.  That is, today you and I enjoy that same union which Christ and the Father have shared from the begining.  Our own proof of this comes from the apostle Paul, who proclaims in Galations that it is the Spirit of Christ that lives through us today.  This is the union we now share with He and the Father.

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2: 20 NKJV

So, knowing that we now share in the union with Christ, how is it that we are now "supposed" to pray?  Well, first of all, I would be the last person who would tell someone how they should pray to the Father.  Prayer is such a intimate and personal conversation with God that I don't believe that we can ever place conditions on it.  There can never be a "ought to, should have" or "you should do this" conditions placed upon our prayers to the Father.  To do so smells of the institutional church and seperation theology, and I think we all know by now my feelings on that matter.  No, I see our prayers as much of a intimate conversation as if we were talking to a close friend.  Do we place conditions on those conversations we have with our friends?  I would hope not.  When we began to see ourselves as being in union with Christ, our prayers will take on a new meaning.  This is what changed my own views on prayer.  I now see my prayers as a intimate conversation with Christ who is closer to me now than He has ever been.  Not only that, along with my union in the Father, He knows my words even before I speak them.  What valley, mountain or situation will I ever face that God is not intimately involved with?  I can't think of anything.  Knowing that the Spirit of Christ Jesus now shares every aspect of my life is a good feeling.  So, what does that union mean in regards to our prayers?  Well, for one we can stop thinking of "lifting up" our own prayers to God.  We are in union with Jesus and the Father, God is in heaven, but He is also in us.  I would say that where we once lifted our prayers, we are now speaking directly with the Father.  It seems that we've cut out the middle man and now are going directly to the source.  My advice to anyone on prayer would be this...talk to Jesus, He's waiting to be with you.

14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3: 14 - 19 NKJV

~Scott~