A Prayer Primer

A Prayer Primer

What follows are some basic biblical foundations that, when understood in succession, ought to release faith for this partnered intercessory prayer; birthed through the power of love. We will begin to believe in this partnership as we know and believe in our partner and in His love.

Indeed, I tell you truly, the one believing into Me, the works which I do, that one shall do also, and greater than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you may ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:12-13

In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will petition the Father about you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:26-27

1. Our God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit is love. 1John 4:16
2. He fully knows us and loves us Psalm 139, John 1 & 3:16
3. We didn’t start out broken and we don’t end up that way either. We were made for Love. Genesis 1 & 2, Revelation 21
4. As much as we hate the idea that we could be responsible, we, as a race, are responsible for bringing sin and suffering into our world. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to everyone, because all have sinned. Romans 5:12
5. The result of sin is death and injustice and it affects all of Creation.There was no way we could fix the problem, and no way to stop it. So God, who is Love, came to our rescue. For He made the One who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Our Father endured the painful tearing of separation; a broken heart if you will; in order to inflict the full wrath of holiness judging/conquering sin upon His deeply loved Son instead of us. In that act, He made us sons. That gave Him great pleasure. Isaiah 53:10
   
   Take a close look now at Isaiah 53 before we go on.
   
   Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed? For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor magnificence that we should see Him; nor form that we should desire Him. He is despised and abandoned of men, a Man of pains, and acquainted with sickness. And as it were hiding our faces from Him, He being despised, and we did not value Him. Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain; yet we esteemed Him plagued, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each one turned to his own way; and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgression of My people, the stroke was to Him. And He appointed Him His grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death; though He had done no violence, and deceit was not in His mouth. But Jehovah pleased to crush Him, to make Him sick, so that If He should put His soul as a guilt offering, He shall see His seed; He shall prolong His days; and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul; He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge the righteous One, My Servant, shall justify for many, and He shall bear their iniquities. Because of this I will divide to Him with the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil; because He poured out His soul to death; and He was counted with those transgressing; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for those transgressing.
   
   Take the time to hang out with Isaiah 53 and look into Ephesians 1-3. They are crucial passages for us to consider because they reveal this foundational truth: Jesus took on all of our iniquities, transgressions and sins. “Iniquities” refer to our nature of perversity; i.e., our downward bent away from God and toward sin. “Transgressions” refer to our willful rebellion; our choices that say “we will not obey” to God. In Isaiah 53:10 we are told that the “stroke was to Him”. In the King James Version, the word is translated “stricken” for our transgressions. The word “stricken” is the same word used to describe leprosy. In essence, He became a leper for our sakes as He took our sins upon Himself. We’re also told that He took upon Himself the iniquities of us all. He endured crucifixion and took the full blow of judgment; conquering all of our enemies, including sin and death. He demonstrated that Love is not just as strong as death, but stronger than death and because of that, He is worthy and the only One strong enough to break the seals of Revelation and bring about the redemption of creation. God is to us a God of deliverances (salvation) and to God belongs escape from death. Psalm 68:20, Song of Songs 8:6-7
7. This Beautiful One; this Bridegroom-Redeemer loves us so much He always makes intercession for us, even now. And the Holy Spirit; the comforter, teacher and power of God in action, reveals the truth to us, lives in us and makes intercession with us so we can be in union with God. Isaiah 52:10, 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, John 3:16, John 1:29 John 14:16, Hebrews 10, Romans 8:26, Revelation 5
8. When Jesus, our forever High Priest, paid fully for our sins, iniquities and transgressions, He completely clothed us in His righteousness and He has taken away our shame. He didn’t just pay for those sins we committed before our born again encounter, He also paid for the sins we still struggle with as we work out our salvation. We can boldly approach the Throne of Grace to find mercy and grace because we are IN Him and Christ is in us (plural, corporately) the Hope of Glory. John 1:29, Colossians 1, Hebrews 10
9. Our destiny as the Body and Bride is to operate from the same identity as our Bridegroom-Redeemer, Jesus. Our original DNA (both inherited and perpetuated) carries a sin bent nature and a destiny of death. In the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we get the opportunity of a lifetime so to speak. We are identified with Him in faith and that original identity is crucified with Him in an event that transcends time and space. We emerge from that death into His love bent nature and a destiny of eternal life. We are born anew into/with a new identity. We are a brand new creation. We are clothed with Him and given His DNA. We are in essence and in truth, completely immersed in His name/character/identity. (As a matter of meditation, we are actually baptized in the name/ character/ identity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Chew on that one for awhile.) To be baptized in a name means we are fully immersed in; wet with; clothed with; covered in . . . in this case God. Therefore, we are called to live and love from this identity.
   
   But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer; for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is no slave nor freeman, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are of Christ, then you are a seed of Abraham, even heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:25-29
   
   That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of…revelation…that you may know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…which He worked in Christ when He raised Him…and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places… He put all things under His (Jesus as a Man) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him… Ephesians 1:17-23
   
   Raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ... Ephesians 2:6
   
   For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. "For this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." Gen. 2:24 The mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ and as to the assembly. However, you also, everyone, let each one love his wife as himself, and the wife, that she give deference to the husband. Ephesians 5:30-33
   
   But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter. Hebrews 1:8
   
   Son though he was, he learned obedience through his sufferings and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:9-10
   
   They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelation 5:9-10
10. God is good. The Hebrew word “good”, when describing God’s goodness, isn’t a small word or concept. It doesn’t mean “nice”. It means “wildly good”; tremendously, extravagantly good. His goodness and lovingkindness is completely full and bent toward His own. We can rest in that always. . . . The Lord is good; His loving-kindness endures for ever, and his faithfulness unto all generations. Psalm 100:5
    
    For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them that fear him. Psalm 103:11
11. He is unfathomably rich in grace and mercy. We may draw upon the riches of His grace and mercy every time we turn to Him, even as we struggle with the remnants of our pre-Christ nature; i.e., our sins, again and again. When we confess our sins and repent, He is incredibly faithful and quick to forgive us; He is our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word; the kiss if you will, of our testimony. As a result, we can ascend the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. Ephesians 1-3, 1John 1:9, Psalm 24:4, Revelation 12:11
12. The Father loves us and loves us and loves us . . . . and hears us because of the gift of righteousness we receive in Jesus. 1Kings 8, 2Chronicles 7:12, Psalm 5:2, John 3:16, John 11:41-42,1John 3:1
13. We are seated at the right hand of God with Christ Jesus and we can and ought to pray from that position (Heaven to earth) Ephesians 2:6
14. We are given governmental responsibility for the earth. Genesis 1:27-31, Psalm 115:16 That responsibility is rightly released through love/justice/humility and prayer.
15. We engage in that responsibility with authority by agreement with God and each other in prayer Matthew 17:21,18:20, John 17, James 5:17, Revelation 8:3
16. We are made from the fabric of Creation. It has been subjected to futility because of us until the sons of God are revealed. Creation’s destiny is entirely tied into us. Genesis 1- 3, Romans 8:18-23 Walking in our true identity and agreeing with God in prayer makes all the difference.
17. The sons of God are identified as “the peace makers”. Matthew 5:9 We become “peace makers” as we embrace our identity in “the Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6 and are conformed to His image as the image bearers. Genesis 1:27,Romans 8:29
18. Jesus taught us that as “peace makers” we could choose to love our enemies, and pray for those that persecute us; so that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45. That means, through the gift of prayer in love, we don’t have to expend useless energy maintaining our anger, our bitter wounds and the chains of un-forgiveness. What a relief! And, as we forgive, we are forgiven. As we are merciful, we receive mercy. It’s the sowing/reaping model of Kingdom living.
19. Love and prayer are intimately connected. Prayer is our love language. It is how we engage with God throughout our day; how God helps us with our choices; and how we release love/justice; transforming the scenarios we face. More than that . . . love can be prayed into people and situations. And this is my prayer that your love will keep on growing more and more in full knowledge and perfect insight. Philippians 1:9
20. Our hearts are softened in prayer. (That is at least one reason that we are called to pray for our enemies – so that they won’t be our enemies anymore. One less thing to worry about.)
21. God likes prayer. Prayers are incense (a pleasing smell) before the Lord. The elders around God’s Throne have harps and gold bowls filled with the prayers of the saints. Our prayers are mixed with the fire on the altar and hurled toward the earth with the purposes of God directing them. Psalm 18, Revelation 5:8, 8:1-5
22. God receives thanksgiving and praise because of answered prayer and through that our joy is made complete. Until now you asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full. John 16:24, also see Philippians 4:6
23. Our Father’s House is to be a House of Prayer and in the House of Prayer we will find joy. Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13