Jesus Christ Himself experienced what it means to have a heart preparation for an effective prayer in order to get heavenly attention.
“… (He) Jesus began to be sorrowful and very heavy.Then saith he unto them, my soul is exceedingly Sorrowful, even unto death; tarry here and watch With me” – Matt.26:37, 38
“I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” – Rom. 9:1, 2; 10:1.
You see Apostle Paul had a burden in his heart for the Israelites, that is why he was able to pray a heart moving prayer for them that they might be saved from whatever condition that has made them not to follow the Lord and serve him how they ought to.
We are taught to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17), and without fainting (Lk. 18:1). We are even enjoined to pray all kinds of prayer (Eph. 6:18). We are to pray with understanding and also without understanding (1 Cor. 14:14, 15). Infact, everything, every situation must be brought to God in prayer (Phil. 4:6).
Prayer requires a heart preparation, prayer that would hit the heavens and get the whole of heaven’s immediate attention and response must need a heart preparation. To have a heart preparation is to have a burden in our hearts. Burdens drive one to a place of seeking God’s face for answers. Heart’s burdens are described in the Scripture in various terms such as ‘a sorrowful heart, heavy heart, very heavy heart, exceedingly sorrowful heart, great heaviness and continual sorrow, sorrowful spirit, grief, sad countenance, and sorrow of heart just to mention a few. Note that this sorrow is not worldly. It is godly sorrow that exposes everything there is in order to bring salvation to the one who is so burdened.
A prayer without a heart burden is like a cloud without rain and a well without water. To pray, the Bible records that; our Lord began to be sorrowful, very heavy and Infact exceedingly sorrowful. This means that he was terribly burdened in his heart with serious issues to talk over with the Father.
He shared these burdens with his disciples and told them exactly how it was in his heart. He told them of their own impending temptation if that could help them get a prayer burden in their hearts. But they didn’t. His heavy heart drove him to a place of agonizing prayer while their empty hearts drove them to a snoring sleep. When we fail to agonize, we organize and when we try to organize the move of God, we die spiritually while he moves on. Whether a prayer is to be made for oneself or for others, it must be prepared with a burden in our heart. Brother Paul had this great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for Israel before he embarked on praying for their salvation as quoted earlier on.
The Lord bless you hears you as you prepare your heart to go to Him in prayer at this crucial time in Jesus name. Amen.
….to be continued.
