Prayer is a Realm
PRAYER IS A REALM YOU STEP INTO, NOT JUST A DISCIPLINE OF YOUR FAITH!
Matthew 6:6 is one of the most powerful exhortations for our prayer life. Listen to what it says, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place…” Do you get it? When you pray you step into the presence of your Heavenly Father. You don’t have to spend time cajoling him into the room with you, he’s actually waiting for you to step in and he loves you more than you can imagine. This verse also tells us that when we step into our prayer closet we are stepping into the eternal realm whether we feel it or not.
Earlier in the course, we mentioned A. W. Tozer’s idea that the most important thing about you is what comes into your mind when you think about God. Interestingly, this may be exactly backwards:
I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.
The eternal God loves you so much and is waiting for you to access eternity from your earthly temporal prayer closet. What a paradox!
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"Seated with Christ in Heavenly Places..."
The throne room of God (Rev. 4) is meant to be the place we ascend in prayer. It seems impossible to believe but then that’s the issue, isn’t it? Do we really believe we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places?
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..."
Test Yourself
Answer
“Real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth but from falling in love.”
Respond to Video:
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1.6 – Prayer is a Realm
Take time to respond to one of the following prompts. If you are comfortable, share the results in this discussion.
- Using the gratitude model we discussed in video 1.4, review Rev. 4:3 and journal your prayer time as you focus on each phrase of John’s vision of the One seated on the throne.
- Write a poem or compose a song of what you see in Revelation 4.
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1 Reply
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In awe I am standing,
As I peer into an open doorway to heaven,
Sounds and sights beyond my earthly understanding,
Blazing lamps there were seven,
The Lord God is worthy to praise,
Twenty-four Elders were seated,
The voices saying holy, holy they will raise.
Sights, sounds and beauty leaving me feeling well greeted
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