Practical Prayer Practices – Tip 1
by Rev. Gwen Dreger
2 Kings 5:11-13 (KJV)
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Step one: Presence
I don’t recall that I have ever met someone who hopes that their prayers are never heard or never answered. I have only met people who desire answers. Desire is a good thing. God wants us to know His will, and it can be found in His presence.
Remember as you enter the presence of God to seek His plan, that it is for YOU, not your neighbour!
2 Kings has a powerful recollection of seeking God, even when you are from the wrong kingdom.
Naaman, was a captain of the host of the king of Syria. Israel and Syria had been at war for many years. Naaman had been struck with leprosy. A little girl (an Israelite) who served his wife, mentioned that if there were a prophet to be found, he could be healed. The King of Syria heard about it and told Naaman he would write a letter to the King of Israel on his behalf to seek a prophet that he may be healed.
Now think about this, warring between to kingdoms, a prophet he doesn’t really believe in, and now a king speaking on his behalf? This seems a crazy plan. There is not one indicator why any of this should work. It is beyond reason. Except this… they sought God instruction!
Many times, in life, we ask God for things, for help, for deliverance, and it seems He just doesn’t get it or maybe you just didn’t pray right. Whatever the case, your prayers did not seem to work. You decide you are going to press on. Then, when you have quieted yourself, the Holy Spirit is able to reach you. He provides some instruction. Then, praise God, things come together!
Elisha, the prophet of God in Naaman’s story, had instructions for him. The instructions seemed very odd, but not undoable. They were odd because the Jordan river was not a ‘clean’ body of water like the beautiful waters in Syria. Besides all of this, he had a picture of just how he thought God would heal him and dipping was not it!
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
Naaman had framed his prayer answer and placed a limit on how it would take place! Praise God, he was able to still hear from those around him.
2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, would thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
At the end of a year, and beginning of a new, many pray who have not always had a regular prayer time with God. They set things in motion with a plan, a limit, an idea, of what they perceive that they want to take place in the coming times. I want your prayer times to have the satisfaction of being answer times.
Step one in Practical Prayer Practices is Presence. Make time to seek the Lord. Not just for instructions, but to get to know Him and His ways. Consider the story of Naaman. Prepare yourself to hear and obey.