Someone has asked me to comment on the five elements of an effective prayer life which I mentioned last time. The ‘Prayer Closet’ must be a specific place you go, which has a door that you can close and lock the world and its distractions out while you pray. Adam went into the garden (gan) an enclosed garden with a gate, which the angel guarded after they were cast out. Jesus told us to enter into our “closet and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father who is already in the secret place and He shall reward thee openly.” Matt. 6:6. A ‘Prayer Journal’ is not a prayer list, but a book you can add too and mark answers to prayer so you can praise God for His answers. But as it grows you may pray for things on different days or different weeks. You may add verses, or thoughts or prayers to it, it’s a journal and will become quite lengthy. A ‘Prayer Plan’ is a way to enter into prayer with God, some people like to use the “ACTS” acrostic ‘Adoration – Confession – Thanksgiving – Supplication.’ Maybe you like to read a chapter of Proverbs every day, there are 31 of those, or two or three Psalms, sing a Hymn from your favorite hymnal, read a devotional like “My Utmost For His Highest” anything to get your heart and soul ready to enter the “Holy of Holies.” Remember the words, ‘Listen & Silent’ have exactly the same letters, and you must be silent to listen to God’s voice too, but those who fail to plan, plan to fail. A ‘Prayer Time’ is a specific time to meet God for prayer, Jesus got up a great while before day break and departed into a solitary place and there prayed, before the cock crowed. I like early morning before the busyness of the day crashes in on you, but that is up to you. However, make it regular, make it habitual, make it specific, make it special, and make it holy! It’s prayer time and it’s God’s time! A ‘Prayer Partner’ is not someone you pray with, although you can pray with that person on occasion, it is someone you are accountable too. Someone who can check up on your prayer life and see how you are doing and it should not be your spouse and you should not be their prayer partner either, that way there are four of you in the basket, praying for and watching out for each other. I hope that helps, and remember it is just a plan, and a plan is only as good as the plannee!

However, the key to all this is, ‘GOD’ and He should always and forever be in the center of our lives, especially our prayer lives! That should be the first thing we check out in the morning, not do I have my lunch and homework, or do I have my keys and tools, or is my hear done and my clothes neat. But is God, Yehovah Elohim at the center of my life? Is He before me as I begin my journey today? We should always encamp around Him and His ‘Tabernacle of Meeting.’ At night when the pillar of ‘Fire or Cloud’ stopped, they set up the ‘Tabernacle of His Presence’ and then set up their camp all around Him. So, He should always be at the center, the apex of our lives when we rise up, when we journey, when we set up, and when we rest, why? Because He desires to dwell in the midst of His people. God the father desires to dwell in the very midst of your life and mine and you know what? He deserves it too! Listen, unless God is at the very center of our lives, our prayer lives, just like the children of Israel, will mean absolutely nothing in the midst of our wanderings. Now, how do we make Him the center of our lives? The Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matt. 6:33; It says we are to, “Set our affection on things above…” Col. 3:2; It says we are to love the Lord our God with, “all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind…” Luke 10:27. But how do we do this? Let’s look at some Biblical examples and try to draw some lessons for our lives.

Abraham made God the center of his life, Gen. 15:6, “And he (Abraham) believed (said Amen) to the LORD (YaHWeH); and He (the LORD) counted it (imputed it) to him (Abraham) for righteousness.” Abraham looked up into the heavens at the stars and said, “Aw-mane!” A confirmation that he believed God, and God imputed it to Abraham for righteousness. This is the first occurrence in the Bible of the vital and sole condition of salvation. Man is without righteousness of his own, Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:23; Therefore if man is to be just in God’s sight, God must reckon His own righteousness to man’s account through man’s trust in Him. No wonder he was called, “The friend of God,” in James 2:23. So, how did Abraham make God the center of his life? He totally, without hesitation or reservation believed God! God said it and that settled it for him! He took God’s word literally and stood on it, period! How about you?

Moses made God the center of his life too, how? By spending time in His presence, alone, prostrate, interceding for others, 40 days and 40 nights. Some of us have a hard time with 40 minutes. He did it twice, and maybe three times. In Ex. 32 you have the ‘Golden Calf’ and in Ex. 33 God tells Moses that His presence would not go with him anymore and Moses said, “If Thy presence goes not with me, carry us not up from here.” v. 15. Then he says in v.18, “I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory!” Then God hid him in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand while He passed by. So how did Moses make God the center of his life? He spent a lot of time with Him in His presence, ALONE! Hudson Taylor said, “The Lord Jesus Christ, as counted on as never absent would be holiness complete.” I just reached up on my shelf and took down a small pile of books by “Brother Lawrence” entitled, ‘The Practice of The Presence of God.’ Nicholas Herman was converted at 18 while staring at a dry, leafless tree in the snow, and endeavored constantly as he put it, “to walk as in His (God’s) presence.” His simple book is just a compilation of letters and conversations, his principle for life however has captivated millions for decades. His poem, “Lord of all pots and pans and things…; Make me a saint by getting meals; And washing up the plates.” Whether washing a pot or serving communion this Carmelite monk of 1666 practiced the presence of God from morning til night. Next time we will pick up with David, Peter, Paul, and some other examples of men and women who have had God living in the center of their lives or practiced the presence of God. But until then we will see you “…Between The Lines…”

“Prayers In The Desert” – ‘Num. Ch. 1-6’ Part #2 – 3/23/13