Epaphras Prays Podcast

When I first attempted to pray, especially to pray for others, I was at a loss for what to say. Little did I know the types of prayer, the parts of it, and even the meaning of it.

So I was helped tremendously by several things. One was being in regular prayer meetings at my church with other intercessors. This helped because I got to “Amen” what they were asking the Lord and there was little I needed to do or add. But I learned along the way.

Another was reading the likes of Spurgeon, Murray, and Bounds. I write from them frequently here. They have a depth and richness to their studies and even now, many years since, I still turn to these classic writers for insight.

Help has come in yet a third way, and perhaps the best way to learn prayer, is by praying directly from Scripture — and certainly the Psalms are an excellent place for this. If they were important enough to be preserved for our reading today, they are certainly good enough for use as our guide for praying.

Many of these Psalms were from King David and reveal many things to us about his relationship with the Lord. As he was a man after God’s own heart, they give us much insight to the Father, as well as teaching us today about how we also pray.

One example is Psalm 28—

1. To You, O LORD, I call;

be not deaf to me, O my Rock.

For if You remain silent,

I will be like those descending to the Pit.

2. Hear my cry for mercy

when I call to You for help,

when I lift up my hands

toward Your holy sanctuary.

3. Do not drag me away with the wicked,

and with the workers of iniquity,

who speak peace to their neighbors

while malice is in their hearts.

4. Repay them according to their deeds

and for their works of evil.

Repay them for what their hands have done;

bring back on them what they deserve.

5. Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD

or what His hands have done,

He will tear them down

and never rebuild them.

6. Blessed be the LORD,

for He has heard my cry for mercy.

7. The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

Therefore my heart rejoices,

and I give thanks to Him with my song.

8. The LORD is the strength of His people,

a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.

9. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;

shepherd them and carry them forever.

[Psalm 28:1-9 BSB]

What do you notice in Davids words? I notice at least these five things:

* He uses the name of the Lord, asks for Him to hear his prayer;

* He asks the Lord for help, and to punish evildoers;

* He rejoices with an assurance to answered prayer;

* He praises the Lord and makes declarations of Him;

* He prays for his own people.

Included within these nine verses are

* adoration,

* faith,

* humility,

* supplication,

* intercession,

* gratitude,

all elements of praying we cover here.

Spurgeon would have us notice too how he will cry to the Lord, that is a pleading; the object of the prayer is the Lord my Rock, the aim is He would hear and be not silent; and his expressions of confidence in the Lord’s strength and saving refuge.

As you pray this passage for yourself and for others, you may well glean your own insights from it for your own praying. Dive in to this Psalm, go deeper than this brief introduction to it. Learn from David, about Who he is speaking to, about what he includes as words or phrases in his pleas and praises.

And then continue on in other Psalms of David. Use one per day for the rest of the month and on into the next. Begin your prayers with David as your guide and ask the Spirit of God to lead your prayers from this.

Soon, you will find your words to heavenly Father are filled with similar cries. And as you do, you also will be after God’s own heart.

Let’s pray right now, from this passage, and verse nine: Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever.

As Spurgeon notes:

This is a prayer for the church militant, written in short words, but full of weighty meaning. We must pray for the whole church, and not for ourselves alone.

Save your people. Deliver us from our adversary, keep us from our sins, help us under our troubles, rescue us from our temptations, and ward off from us every ill. There is a plea hidden in the expression, your people: for it may be safely concluded that God's interest in the church, as his own portion, will lead him to guard it from destruction.

Bless your inheritance. Grant positive blessings, peace, plenty, prosperity, happiness; make all your dearly purchased and precious heritage to be comforted by thy Spirit. Revive, refresh, enlarge, and sanctify your church.

Shepherd them also. Be a shepherd to your flock, let our physical and spiritual wants be plentifully supplied. By your word, and truth, direct, rule, sustain, and satisfy those who are the sheep of your hand.

And lift them up for ever. Carry us in your arms on earth, and then lift us into your presence in heaven. Elevate our minds and thoughts, spiritualize our affections, make us heavenly, Christlike, and full of You.

O Lord, answer our petitions, for Jesus' sake. Amen

If you have been helped at all or blessed by this article, please let me know. There are a number of ways to do that, by liking or commenting, by sharing or subscribing. Message me directly or reply to this email. Any of these are a tangible way to encourage this little ministry and make it possible for others to see, maybe read, and possibly learn also to pray.

So take just a moment and click something, anything. And may the Lord bless you!

Todd

Praise and Thanksgivings

Prayers For The People Of God From The Word Of God

* Romans 5:5

* Philippians 1:9f

* 2 Thessalonians 3:5

* Colossians 4:12

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

A Prayer of the Early Church - Prayer For Right Blessings

From - A Way To Pray: 10 Helpful Prompts to Start and Focus Your Praying

#3. Acknowledge. We recognize the great ruler-ship of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 4:39) Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

Prayer for the Nation

Pray our officials be Guided by God’s Word

Pray for Prayers

Ask for more and more would be lead by Your spirit to seek you in solitude and in secret, praying to You

Thanks for listening and praying.

Marcus stared at the stack of overdue bills on his kitchen table, the weight of two years' worth of unanswered prayers pressing down on his shoulders. Like many believers facing prolonged trials, he had begun to wonder if God was truly listening—or if He simply didn't care about the "small" matters of daily provision.

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart… Luke 18:1

Here, Jesus emphasizes the need for robust, vigorous, earnest, consistent praying. Praying that does not lose heart, nor faint at the task. "Nevertheless," He asks, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

If our faith were the size of a mustard seed, we would move mountains daily—yet many of us cannot move ourselves to our knees in persistent prayer.

The degree of prayer's possibilities is measured by faith in God's promises and His ability to act according to those promises. Faith is the condition by which God works and the one condition by which we pray. We need to learn that faith rests not merely in the promise itself, but actually in the Promiser Himself.

Marcus needed this reminder. His prayers had become mechanical recitations rather than confident appeals to an all-powerful God.

"A feeble faith has always brought forth feeble praying. Vigorous faith creates vigorous praying." —E.M. Bounds

Prayer's possibilities depend upon faith.

The disciples could not cure the boy when his father first brought him to them. Jesus said all things were possible to him who believes. Did they have faith in Jesus' ability? Certainly the ability to do belongs to Christ, but the doing relied on the faith of the one asking.

Perhaps Marcus - and we - need reminding of God's omnipotent power, unlimited ability, and sovereign majesty over all creation. He turned water to wine, called forth Lazarus - and even the wind and waves obeyed Him! He fed those who followed from a few loaves and fishes, made the deaf hear, the blind see, and rebuilt the temple in three days.

Bounds says, "The only condition which restrains God's power and disables Him to act is unfaith. He is not limited in action nor restrained by the conditions which limit men."

May our faith in God's power increase!

If we look to God and cry to Him in true prayer, He will hear and act according to that faith in His power and ability.

"Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" That was His question to Sarah when she laughed at His promise that she would bear a son in her old age. He asked Moses, "Has the LORD's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."

Nothing is too difficult for the Lord to do for His faithful believers. Paul declares He "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think"… Indeed, His ability to do goes far beyond our ability to ask!

"Prayer has to do with God, with His ability to do. The possibility of prayer is the measure of God's ability to do." —E.M. Bounds

In the parable, the judge grants the widow's request "lest by her continual coming she weary me." Yet our Lord tells us He will answer speedily those who cry to Him day and night. We are to continually ask in faith, for He is ever ready to act when we ask for what is needed.

Marcus closed his eyes and remembered: the God who parted seas still parts obstacles. The God who provided manna still provides daily bread. The God who heard Elijah still hears today.

Will we dare to pray as if our Lord’s power has no limits—because it doesn't? Do not lose heart, do not grow weary, but have faith in God’s ability to act!

"So the word of God increased. The number of the disciples multiplied greatly..." Acts 6:7

The Question That Demands an Answer

We carry in our pockets more computing power than launched humanity to the moon. Through smartphones, we access vast reservoirs of information instantly. Bible apps and commentaries travel with us everywhere. Yet here stands the pressing question: Does the word of God continue to spread as it did in Acts? Does it grow and multiply like wildfire across our land?

In the early church, the Good News spread like a living flame from person to person. "So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed" (Acts 19:20). Three powerful realities marked those days:

* The Word spread rapidly

* Disciples multiplied greatly

* The Gospel grew and prevailed

Wherever believers proclaimed Christ, multitudes embraced Him. Even persecution scattered the disciples, yet they carried the Gospel with them like seeds on the wind. The message reached not only Jews but Greeks, transforming hearts across cultural boundaries.

The Urgent Need

The Gospel itself cries out from our neighborhoods, pleading to be heard by deaf ears and hardened hearts. Truth stands at every doorstep, knocking, waiting for someone to open the way. The Word of God paces restlessly through our cities, seeking messengers who will carry it forward, longing to break free from the silence that has settled over our land.

Why do we see less spreading now, despite our unprecedented communication tools? We could debate reasons and assign blame, but one thing remains non-negotiable: we must pray for revival.

Pray for open doors!

Pray that God will open hearts, minds, and opportunities. Pray for open doors! The apostle Paul urged the Colossians to pray "that God would open a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ." Pray for open doors! Without prayer, we surrender ground to the enemy.

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith." - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 ESV

Our Urgent Prayer for This Generation

Lord, today in our place and time, we ask that Your Word spread rapidly across our land, prevailing against lies and deception. May the number of new believers increase greatly.

Let the Gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—go from coast to coast and everywhere between. May it be proclaimed far and wide and right next door. We ask that the Truth of Jesus be spoken and heard, resulting in many conversions from darkness to Christ.

We pray for revival to sweep across our nation—a return to You and Your ways, as more and more hear the words "repent and believe the gospel."

For Jesus’ sake, Amen

The Foundation of All Revival

Revival in our land begins with revival in God's children, which starts with revived intercession for Gospel preaching, growing, and prevailing. Whether conditions improve or deteriorate, Christians must remain steadfast in faith, proclaim the Gospel, and shine as salt and light in a world trapped in darkness.

A.W. Tozer reminded us that without prayer, we surrender territory to the enemy. Revival never comes otherwise. The Word does not spread without intercession. Workers are not sent to ripe harvest fields unless we ask the Lord of the harvest.

What our land needs most is the Gospel. If millions of souls were transferred from darkness to Christ's kingdom, our entire nation could be transformed. Therefore, we pray for doors of opportunity—doors for preaching and teaching, doors to hearts and minds of those around us.

Acts 14:27 adds this encouragement: "They reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."

The Closing Challenge

Will you and I be among those who seek the Lord of the harvest?

Pray these truths for your church and for every congregation in your town. Pray for your household and your neighbors' households. Pray for yourself and other individuals. Pray for me! The Gospel still transforms lives today—ordinary people like us still carry this extraordinary message.

The time for passive Christianity has ended. The hour for fervent intercession has arrived. May the Word spread and multiply in our generation as it did in theirs.

Know an intercessor who might benefit from this article? Please feel free to share it.

Christians are called to remain steadfast in faith, proclaim the Gospel and to be salt and light to the world trapped in darkness, making an impact with love and grace.

To do this, we must be in prayer. And we are actively praying for a revival of praying.

Everyone we know and all those we don’t know need this good news preached and taught. This is evangelism, sharing this Word of Truth. This is what we are in prayers for!

Habakkuk knew how the Lord had worked in the past and was aware this seemed lately absent. His simple request is for His work to begin again for His people. And so he asked the Lord to revive His work.

Tragedy hits like a runaway truck. It doesn't care about our plans, hopes, or dreams - it simply strikes without warning.

We are so unprepared for the unexpected loss, pain, grief. Suddenly we find ourselves thrust into a whirlwind of emotions, questions, and impossible decisions. It is here we need people who will come alongside - in person or in prayer.

When the phone call came at noon while I was working, my world shifted. In that moment between normalcy and devastating tragedy, I realized I needed prayer - not someday, but right now. Here I am, writing about it, and suddenly – I needed prayer. My recent loss drove me to reach out for prayer, and many of you responded - as I knew you would.

You can catch the thread of that request and the prayers here.

Right now is still hard, but I am so grateful for your covering and supporting! Really, I cannot thank you too many times. One thing I’ve realized: that we are a community - not close in proximity, but connected here, by the Lord. I am very encouraged by this and want to also encourage you.

Take a moment and realize something profound:

You are one who actually does the praying we talk about here. Even though nobody knows or notices, you execute plans to pray - perhaps by getting up before anyone else in the house to pray for them, or getting to the church an hour before the pastor to pray for the sermon and the service. You're the one whose neighbors wonder why you walk so slowly past the house with the 'For Sale' sign, not knowing you're lifting up their job loss in prayer. You're the one who pauses at the corner where the teenager was arrested, whispering a prayer for his mother's broken heart.

Pause a second, and consider the humble reality of what you do: the real work of actual praying - many times alone. You unlock the church fellowship hal at 6 AM, arrange six chairs in a circle, and wait. When 6:30 comes and you're still alone, you bow your head anyway - because Jesus promised to be present even when it's just you.

And the Lord sees you praying in secret.

Though no one else does, God sees, He hears.

God answers and He rewards.

Many Christians talk about praying and tell others they will pray for them—but seldom really do. It sounds good, right, to say they pray? But then doing the praying takes real work, time, struggle. Fervent praying, as James says. Epaphras knew this and so do you.

Recently I was encouraged along these lines, so let me pass along the exhortation to you - a reader who prays - to take a moment and feel good about what you are doing, and have been doing.

This is our pat-on-the-back for you, a thank-you, job well-done, and keep-up-the-good-work.

This reality should humble us and not puff us up with any spiritual pride; let it serve as a reminder from Whom the call to pray comes. He is the One who invites us to pray before His throne, and enables us to do so. The Lord Almighty is He who provides both the prayers and the answers.

You are a vessel of His choosing and His using. Primarily, in our case, in the ministry of prayer. Take some time realizing that and spend some time thanking Him for it. Let us encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18), to keep faith and continue steadfastly in prayers.

I appreciate you—your prayers, your subscription, your reading this. So thank you and bless you. I pray for you all constantly, and so ask you to pray for me also.

Here's what I know for certain: You're on your knees changing eternity...the work of the Gospel of Christ advances because of faithful pray-ers like you. Your unseen, consistent prayer life is not just noticed by God - it's the engine that moves His kingdom forward.

So keep praying. Keep showing up. Keep believing that your prayers matter - because they really do, and so do you.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 145:18

Pray for How We Speak

Father, you have blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.

Let no corrupting talk come out of my mouth, but only what is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear…Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving…And I pray words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Amen

(Ephesians 4:29; 5:4; 6:19-20)

Pray for The People of God from The Word of God

Here are three passages we are praying from for open doors:

Colossians 4:2-4

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

Acts 14:27

When they had arrived and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

1 Corinthians 16:9

because a great door for effective work has opened to me, even though many oppose me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Please join me in prayer in the podcast

Will you commit to praying these verses for the Church, and can you ask just one other person to join you?

Image by Alexei from Pixabay

“When you get to the door, tell them I said to let you in,” I jokingly told my friend.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes, and they’ll say ‘Who?’”

He laughed, knowing then the ticket-taker at the venue would have now idea who I was. Even though he had my name, it carried no weight or authority in that place at all.

But as children of God, we have the Name above all names.

There are a number of things Jesus tells us to do in His name. Among these are to gather (Matthew 18:20), to suffer (Matthew 10:22), to serve (Mark 9:41), to hold fast (Revelation 2:13), and to pray in His name:

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14).

What does Jesus mean with “in My name?”

We do not ask things of Him in our own accord, meaning our own authority or ability. Like an ambassador does not go to a country on his own authority, but of the nation he represents. It is on the basis of who Jesus is and what He has done, that we do can these things.

The authority of Jesus is as the only Righteous Son of God. He alone has access to the Father, and He brings our prayers to Him as though they are His very own. Apart from Jesus, we would be kept out of the throne room of God because of our sin and unrighteousness.

In fact, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). It is through Him that we have access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18) and in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him (Ephesians 3:12).

When we come and ask in Jesus Name, or close our prayers this way, we are coming to the Father through Jesus own name, not our own. He tore the curtain in the temple to the most holy place, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, He ever lives to make intercession for us. As our Mediator, Jesus has promised to do anything which faithful believers ask for in His name—that which is according to His character and authority.

Writes David Guzik: In My name is not a magic incantation of prayer; it speaks of both an endorsement (like a bank check) and a limitation (requests must be in accordance with the character of the name).

When we ask in this manner, Jesus promises He will do it. Why?

The previous verse tells us, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Why end our prayers in Jesus Name?

Dr. Alan Cairns explains there are various reasons. First because He commanded us to. Also because of the significance; real prayer is praying on His authority, it is not our hit-and-miss wish list. And, because it is presented on the merit of Jesus.

We are asking the Father to give to us that which Christ deserved, that He has merited for us through His life and death, through His personal righteousness and obedience. He has merited for us all benefits of covenant grace, and our asking in His Name is that He would confer to us all these benefits.

O God, grant us graciously what Christ has purchased for us.

We ask of the Father in Jesus Name, that the Father would look upon Jesus and grant us the answer to our prayers for His sake, for His honor, for His glory.

Let us go and pray in Jesus Name.

I've always loved old pendulum clocks – their rhythmic tick-tock of seconds, their chimes announcing each hour. In the stillness of a quiet room, their steady cadence serves as both companion and reminder. These do more than simply display the hour; they whisper a profound truth: each tick represents a moment gone forever, each tock a gentle nudge that our time on earth is finite.

As these mechanical timekeepers faithfully measure a day, they remind me that the most important moment is right now, and that we are to make the best use of time (Ephesians 5:16).

On the matter of time spent in our prayers, there are two questions: how often should we pray, and how long should we pray? The first has to do with the frequency of praying, and the other with the length spent in prayer.

And the answer is: as often and as long as is needed. Which is all the time!

That is not the practical answer people want. However, as there is always need, there is always need for prayer. As there is constant temptation, there will be need of constant praying.

We are asked to "watch and pray for one hour" and we are told to pray constantly—without ceasing; Paul says that Epaphras "always labored in prayers." Daniel prayed three times daily, and even fasted and prayed for 21 days.

Ideally this would be our desire also because we love to spend time in communication with the Lord Jesus. And one day, may we all actually do so! Prayer is one of the Christian disciplines and must be practiced and cultivated.

So it helps to start with a plan.

What does this look like practically?

We each have 168 hours in a week. If we consider portions of that, say 10 percent, is 16.8 hours committed to praying—or 2 hours 24 minutes each day. Does that sound like a lot? For just starting out, certainly for most of us it is.

So what about a one percent portion? That's just 1.68 hours per week, or just under 15 minutes each day. Certainly that's possible? But I fear even this is much too much for many believers.

"I always feel that there is something wrong if I go without prayer for even half an hour in the day," Spurgeon said.

Without prayer, our spiritual lives shrivel faster than leaves in a fire pit. We need prayer like plants need watering – not as an occasional blessing but as the very lifeblood that prevents our faith from collapsing into dust. A thousand messages cannot accomplish what persistent prayer can achieve in transforming our hearts and aligning our wills with God's perfect will.

If you are just now coming to the activity of prayer, make 15 minutes your minimum time praying each day. Do so, and soon it will be hard to do only that, for we will learn the sweetest times of a day are in prayer, and time spent will grow to be more often and longer.

Begin this as a scheduled time, which is best found by eliminating something from your schedule. Like a television show, a recreation activity, scrolling on social media, and the like.

Worldly pursuits are our biggest time wasters, and must become secondary to spiritual pursuits.

Get up 15 minutes earlier, or go to bed 15 minutes later, or use 15 minutes of a lunch time. Or all three! Commit to it, just like a diet or exercise plan, and stick to it. At first it will seem a labor, soon it will be all the sweeter. But recall Epaphras—who labored, wrestled, struggled—fervently in prayers.

We can do likewise, and we should. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it, writes Paul in Colossians 4. This type of prayer can keep us from sinning, and keep us communing with our Lord. It keeps us alert, watchful, humble, dependent, and maturing in spiritual matters.

Pray today, pray with purpose, pray with persistence.

When struggles come, pray.

When blessings overflow, pray.

When darkness surrounds you, pray.

When light breaks through, pray.

Prayer changes everything – it changes circumstances, it changes others, but most importantly, prayer changes you.

Pray without ceasing, pray without doubting, pray without holding back.

Pray.

Charles Spurgeon, the 'Prince of Preachers,' understood prayer not merely as a means to receive blessings but as a transformative spiritual practice.

In his wisdom, Spurgeon identified three profound benefits of prayer: it (a) teaches us our unworthiness, it (b) strengthens us spiritually, and it (c) connects human weakness with divine power.

These insights reveal why prayer remains essential to authentic Christian faith and spiritual maturity.

“The act of prayer,” says Spurgeon, “teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary (beneficial) lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favors without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalog of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty.

While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness.

The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust.”

“Prayer is in itself,” he says, “apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the Christian.”

I suggest you consider for a moment: have you ever felt the overwhelming peace that descends when, empty of self-reliance, you finally surrender your burdens in prayer? This is not coincidence but divine design. When we surrender in honest prayer, acknowledging our limitations, we paradoxically rise with renewed strength—not our own, but God's. This beautiful exchange—our weakness for His might—should fill our hearts with hope and wonder.

Again, Spurgeon: “As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labor of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God's young eaglets, that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God's warriors, and sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An earnest pleader comes out of his closet, even as the sun arises from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat to the Syrians. Prayer supplies human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled souls the peace of God.”

The profound meaning of Spurgeon’s teaching lies in understanding that prayer is not primarily about changing our circumstances but about changing us. Through prayer, God ‘s Holy Spirit transforms our perspective from self-sufficiency to divine dependency. This shift is the heartbeat of Christian growth—learning to decrease so that Christ might increase within us. As we faithfully practice this spiritual discipline, we find ourselves gradually becoming more like Him—humble yet confident, empty yet fulfilled.

We know not what prayer cannot do! We thank you, great God, for the mercy-seat, a wonderful proof of your marvelous loving-kindness. Help us to use it rightly throughout this day! CHS

Remember: Prayer is not merely a Christian duty—it is the sacred pathway to profound transformation, where our acknowledged emptiness becomes the very vessel God fills with His limitless strength.

Question: If prayer reveals our true poverty and connects us to our Lord’s abundance, what might your prayer life reveal about where you're still trying to sustain yourself rather than drawing from His infinite resources?

Thank you so much for reading this, if it has blessed or helped you, please consider liking, commenting, or sharing. It helps more people of God learn to pray for the people of God. And it blesses me that you appreciate my work.

If you subscribe, thank you. If you don’t yet, would you right now?

Three preachers were discussing the best positions for praying while a telephone repairman worked nearby.

"Kneeling is definitely best," claimed one.

“No," another contended. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."

"You're both wrong," the third insisted. "Lying prostrate, face down on the floor produces the most effective prayers."

"You know, fellas," interrupted the repairman, "the best praying I ever did, was once hanging upside down from a telephone pole!"

I’m sure he did, but I don’t recommend it!

Which one is your favorite? Does is matter to God whether we are kneeling, sitting, or lying down?

Here’s the thing: As followers of Christ, we have a position for praying, but this isn’t about our physical posture. Actually, our position is referring to our standing in Christ.

Believers have a standing in Christ, in three ways:

First is our position of Relationship: We are children of God (Galatians 4:7); we are friends of God (John 15:15) and we are the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9). These and other passages identify us as members of His family.

These relationships are familial and intimate. They are personal and divine. Now and eternal.

Our relationship with God resembles a family portrait with ever-expanding frames—we are simultaneously His children, cherished friends, and beloved bride. Like a masterfully crafted tapestry, these relationships interweave to create an unbreakable bond of divine intimacy.

Furthermore is our position of Abiding: Our position is established when we abide in Him and His Word abides in us (John 15:7). To abide is to remain, to stand, to continue, to dwell in. We are in the household of faith, we dwell in close fellowship with the Lord and His word.

This abiding isn't a temporary visit but a permanent residence where His truth permeates every corner of our being, transforming us from within as we breathe the very atmosphere of heaven.

With this Word fully in us (abiding, dwelling, living), we ask from it for the very things He has promised to give. “Dad, you said we could go to the park when the garage was cleaned.” Father, you have promised to give the good gift to those who ask.

Finally is our position of Authority: that of kings and of priests (Revelation 1:6). These roles position us as both representatives of God before mankind and advocates of mankind before God. In this way, we intercede - or stand in the gap.

Our position is like holding dual citizenship with diplomatic credentials—we represent the kingdom of heaven while advocating for earth's inhabitants, carrying divine authority not because we've earned it, but because the King himself has granted us His signet ring.

Therefore, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

In prayer, our physical posture matters far less than our spiritual position—rooted in relationship, established in abiding presence, and empowered with divine authority. This three-fold standing in Christ transforms our prayers from mere religious ritual into powerful communion with the Creator of the universe who calls us family.

Question: How might your prayer life transform if you approached God not from a position of distance or unworthiness, but from your rightful place as a beloved child with the authority to access the throne room of heaven itself?

Lord, when I come before You in prayer, it's like standing at the intersection of heaven and earth with diplomatic papers signed by Your own hand—authorized to represent Your kingdom here and to advocate for humanity there. Help me to fully embrace this remarkable position You've granted me in Christ. Amen

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For Further Reading on the abiding in Christ and prayer, see this article.