The promise of prayer is a transformed heart. Through the ongoing flow of prayer we are brought into contact with the Father’s heart. As we behold His glory, we are changed into His image. Our lives begin to reflect Him. Our desires begin to reflect His desires. The promise of prayer is a heart that matches His.
God’s heart is the beginning point of prayer. Powerful, earth-changing prayer starts in the heart of God and flows through the hearts of His people. True prayer is when God’s heart is expressed through your words. In its highest form, it occurs when the words I articulate, with my mouth or in my mind, are merely the containers for God’s thoughts and desires. His desires poured into our hearts so that they become our desires—this is the secret of powerful and effective prayer. Through a consistent, daily intake of His Word, God will reveal His heart and direct us. His Word becomes the mold in which our prayers are shaped.
Scripture for Reflection:
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).
“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them” (Ps. 25:14).
“I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand” (Isa. 51:16).
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
“The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Prov. 21:1).
Challenge:
If your thoughts wander during your prayer time, instead of trying to force them back into your pre-set agenda, try following them. Perhaps the Lord has another agenda.
