So, where are you in your prayer life? Are you like most pastors who don’t even pray for 5 minutes per week? That’s not a typo. I said, “PER WEEK.” Unfortunately it’s true, and they are, in my estimation, beginners in pray-er.
Or, are you a “Pray-er” who prays often, but it feels like, “You’re just throwing up a hope and a prayer.” The idea here is that an intermediate pray-er, may pray often, but they do not have confidence they will get what they pray for.
Our goal is for you to pray with EXPECTATION, every time you pray, which is the mark of an advanced pray-er.
Knowing Where You Are
First, know that we are always here to help. Mark’s cell number is found at the top of every page.
Our goal on this page is to give you some definitions and then direction so you (and the Lord) can improve your Prayer Life.
BASIC
Don’t let my words above, about pastors, scare you. And don’t be hard on them. They are never taught about prayer in seminary. But if you are ever on a committee to select a new pastor, ask them, when you can look into their face, about their prayer life.
A person’s Prayer Life is a “Basic Prayer Life” if prayer is unimportant to them.
Be careful, you may say it’s important, but if you don’t “do prayer often” I’d challenge how important it is to you.
INTERMEDIATE
The next stage of prayer is where pray-ers fool other people (often without realizing it).
Do you pray a lot? Do people consider you a “Pray-er” they can count on? Then what makes you an intermediate pray-er and not an advanced pray-er? It’s actually quite simple. . .
. . . ARE YOU PRAYING GOD’S WILL? Until you know that you are, you are not an advanced pray-er.
ADVANCED
An “Advanced Prayer Life” is marked by a person who prays confidently, because he (or she) knows what God says about the subject they are lifting up in prayer.
Let me say it more significantly, an advanced prayer, “KNOWS HE WILL RECEIVE WHAT HE’S JUST PRAYED ABOUT.”
The advanced pray-er, like Jesus, NEVER GOES INTO PRAYER looking for a yes, or a no, or a maybe. He always expects YES, because he prays God’s will.
Moving Forward
We would like to spread just a little more light on what you can do, practically, in each of these areas.
BASIC
Praying God’s will — Praying with expectation — Praying with confidence. This is where we’re going.
But you gotta start!
The Nike Shoe Company has an applicable motto for you, “Just Do It.”
INTERMEDIATE
So you’re praying!
Praise the Lord. And I mean that!
An intermediate prayer recognizes he or she needs to undergird every decision, thing, person, event, etc., with prayer.
Yes, that means you are praying all the time. Often, your prayers are merely thoughts, up to the Lord. But the Bible says, “God saves them (your prayers) because they are like incense, to Him.”
It’s time to be consistent in prayer. The Bible says, “Pray without ceasing.”
Keep a journal, somewhere, and record your prayers, just brief notes. And periodically review your prayers. You will start seeing them answered.
Mark often teaches that the biggest hindrance to praying, is unanswered prayer. That changes when you start recording your prayers, and then see God’s answers.
Moving to an Advanced Pray-er requires the Word of God to be a major part of your praying.
ADVANCED
Praying with confident expectation comes from praying God’s will.
How?
Simple (not easy, but simple). Often, an Advanced Pray-er has their Bible open when they pray. It is God’s word which direct’s their prayers, not someone else’s will, or even their own will.
You may think you “already know” God’s will on a particular subject. I would suggest that an Advanced Pray-er looks up the passages on the prayer-subject, and reads the verses before the passage in question, and the verses after it and then they let the Word of God direct them how to pray regarding this subject.
The advanced pray-er, like Jesus, NEVER GOES INTO PRAYER looking for a yes, or a no, or a maybe. He always expects YES, because he knows God’s will.
Spoiler Alert! The Advanced Pray-er often humbly acknowledges to the Lord, they know very little about prayer.
