Practical Prayer Practices – Tip 3

A clean heart is a passionate content heart.

Passion – James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Fervent – having or displaying a passionate intensity.

Never have I been so bored in my life as when I have been in a prayer meeting that lacked passion!

No, I’m not surprised when people tell me that no one goes or attends some prayer meetings. Honestly, I am a busy person and sometimes push a little too hard and end up kind of tired. For me, those kinds of prayer meetings are open doors for nap time!

Prayer meetings filled with whining and begging, may sound intense, but lack the kind of passion that rises from a faith filled heart. Sometimes the begging is present due to a long period of prayers that seemed to lack effectiveness or answers. Disappointment is a big thief of ‘thought life’ time. Allowing the mind to regurgitate what appeared to go wrong will only produce more doubt.

Think about the prophets in the Old Testament. Many of the words that they spoke, never came to pass for years and years! What if your prayers took that long to be answered? Would you still be in faith?

Perhaps our first pressing need is to confess the fault of lack of patience. Then, work on how to walk in this daunting fruit of the Spirit called patience. Seriously folks, I believe we could all use some healing in order to walk in more patience. The problem is not that it is unavailable. The problem lies deeply within the roots of a secretly rebellious heart. Patience cannot flourish where small, hidden secrets are buried.

Its time to come clean, get healed, and be washed of the hurts, hatreds, and disappointments of yesterday!

A clean heart is a passionate content heart.

When you have a clean slate, there is room for patience to have its perfect work. Patience longs to come alongside our prayer life to hold us through to answers. Patience and passion are partners for victory.

Passion in prayer will increase as you mediate on God’s ability to turn what is impossible with man into His possible. It will also increase in the places you have a special drawing towards. Some folks feel very impressed to pray for certain groups of people, nations or the lost. Others have a drawing to pray for those who need a personal boost!

There are many kinds of prayer and it is important to realize that you may be called to pray a certain way and for certain groups that others are not. That is perfectly ok. Just release those, without criticism, who do not share your passion. Find those who do share your heart, gather with them and be in agreement.

There will be times when you will be gathered with those who have other leadings. Be sensitive to the message and calling of that group. Guard your passion and keep praying!