Other prayers that deepen and develop relationship include:
i. The prayer of praise and worship. Luke 24:52-53; Acts 13:1-4
ii. Soaking/waiting on God (practising His presence). Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 27:14
iii. Prayer in the Spirit (praying in tongues). 1 Corinthians 14:14-15
These kinds of prayer are also used in other ways, and their purposes are manifold. In this section, however, we will consider them in the context of deepening and developing intimacy with God.
The prayer of praise and worship
Praise and worship are a subject all of their own, and the Bible record abounds with testimonies of praise and worship playing an integral part in warfare, intimacy, overcoming difficulty, releasing God’s presence and many other manifestations of God’s power. Here we will only skim the surface, but it is important to include this form of fellowship prayer (NB. praise and worship is also a tool used in task prayer) because praise and worship form an integral part of anyone’s prayer life.
Because prayer is essentially communication with God, and as a born again child such communication is as natural to our spirit man as breathing is to our natural man, the believer does not have to manufacture elegant or spiritual-sounding prayers to impress God. The simple heartfelt overflow of the heart constitutes true prayer.
Psalm 100:4 tells us that praise and thanksgiving bring us into the presence of God. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. In giving a model prayer for us to follow, Christ Himself also encouraged us to come boldly before the throne of our Father, and in doing so bring honour to His name. Because all prayer must be made in the presence of God, praise is integral to our prayer strategy and fulfilment.
The New Testament also encourages the believer that thanksgiving is a natural and integral part of our prayer life:
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” (Phil 4:6 AMPLIFIED)
“Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2 AMPLIFIED)
The prayer of praise and worship is part of our new priestly duty before God. Revelation 1:6 says we have been made kings and priests before God. As such we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God our Father. Such sacrifices of praise are acceptable and pleasing unto God:
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Heb 13:15)
In the prayer of praise and worship the focus moves from us, our needs, our requests and intercessions for others, and falls upon God. We exalt Him not only for what He has done, but for who He is. In the light of His Presence and Person, other things fade to insignificance, even our most pressing request, and we are caught up into the eternal realm. With angels and tens of thousands of witnesses we join a chorus that will ring from age to age; Praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the thrice holy God of gods. From such a standpoint the challenges we face diminish in size, and the faithfulness and power of God fills our vision.
The Bible encourages us to ‘magnify’ the Lord:
“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3 NKJV)
To magnify means to ‘make bigger’, ‘increase in magnitude’, ‘to increase the importance attributed to’. As we allow the magnitude of God’s Person and attributes (See Module 2: Doctrine, ‘The Doctrine of God’) to flood our mind and enlighten our hearts, the greatness of His power toward us and through us will be revealed.
Throughout the New Testament we see that the disciples not only ministering to others, but ministering unto the Lord. They stood as New Covenant priests serving the heart of the Lord with praise, adoration and spiritual fellowship. This ‘ministry’ is as important, if not more important, that the public ministry God entrusts us with, and indeed underlies all effective ministry from the platform or in a public arena (eg: Acts 13:2).
Our prayer times should ebb and flow in and out of the different kinds of prayer as the Spirit leads, but the prayer of praise and worship should be the golden strand that runs through them all. He is the ‘amen’ to every request and we should gladly acknowledge this!
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Cor 1:20 NKJV)
The prayer of waiting on God (practising His Presence/soaking)
Closely associated with the prayer of praise and worship is the prayer of waiting upon God. Like praise and worship there are many layers to this prayer. We will touch upon some of them here, but the real lessons are in practising prayer. When we do it, we understand it, not the other way around.
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17 KJV)
In the busy world we live in we can fail to practise this kind of prayer. We have grown so accustomed to ‘microwave’ results that often we fail to understand that God’s schedule is often less hurried than our own. We get busy with the work of ministry, whether in the church or marketplace, the demands of family life etc, yet fail to stop and listen. We then wonder why we feel so tired?
Isaiah says:
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)
In this form of prayer we cease from our own works and wait upon God.
John and Carol Arnott of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship rightly point out in their ‘Soaking In God’s Presence’ Guide:
“Jesus says, “Ask and you will receive”. We’re very good at the asking part but how about the ‘receiving’? If we are the ones who are doing all the talking, it’s a pretty one-way conversation. Soaking is the listening part of our conversation with Him. It’s laying aside time to lie down and receive from Him.”
Jesus made it very clear that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), yet our lifestyles so betray the fact that we much prefer to be doing things for God, rather than simply being with God. We quote again from the Arnott’s:
Human Beings (not Doings)
At first we may have an internal Mary/Martha struggle. We feel like Martha that we should be “doing” something. But this is Mary time. Martha got caught up in the busyness of serving Jesus. Mary got caught up in Him. Soaking is not about how much we can accomplish by our own efforts. It’s about God’s action in us. “
To wait upon the Lord is to love Him and give of ourselves to His presence. In Corinthians we find Paul quoting Isaiah. He says:
“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”” (1Cor 2:9)
The original verse from Isaiah 64:4 says:
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Is 64:4 NKJV)
The Amplified Bible translates this:
“For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him.” (Is 64:4 AMP)
Sometimes, in order for God to act on our behalf, we need to stop acting and wait.
As we still ourselves before Him and wait in His presence we are filled and prepared for obedience when He does call upon us to act. The purpose of waiting is to be equipped for service. Even the disciples, who had walked for three years with Jesus, and who had enjoyed 40 days of post-resurrection teaching concerning the Kingdom of God, were warned not to try anything until they had tarried (waited) for the infilling of the Holy Spirit which would equip them for the work (Luke 24:49).
The Soaking Leaflet prepared by the Arnotts (whose church has been instrumental in restoring this kind of prayer into the church body) concludes with the following instruction concerning waiting upon God:
Just Relax
One of the main barriers to encountering God is that we are simply trying too hard. God’s top tip to us is “just relax”. In Psalm 46:10, He put it this way, “Be still and know that I am God”. Literally translated this means, “Cease striving and know that I am God”. The way to know God is through peace and stillness.
Quiet Times
A peaceful environment on the outside helps us to come to peace on the inside. When we soak we simply put on some quiet instrumental or worship music and lie down. At first our minds will be whirring with thoughts, but we don’t try and wrestle them. We just wait for them to settle, submitting our mind to the Holy Spirit. Meditating on the fact that the Lord is in our spirits, we believe He is right there with us. If we get distracted we don’t become frustrated, we just simply turn our attention back to the Lord.
Lying Down
We have found that lying down is the best posture. It helps us physically relax and focus on the Lord. As we lie down it’s a statement to God that we are laying down our agendas. We are surrendering control. We surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit. It may feel foolish and offend our pride. Soaking is an act of humility.
Child-like Faith
Soaking is a dedication: “God this is time just for you.” Soaking is an invitation: “God do what you want in me.” Soaking is an expectation: “Thank you Father for what you are accomplishing as I rest in you.” We come to Him like little children believing that He has good things for us. “If you then know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.”
Rest and Restoration
Soaking is a Psalm 23 experience. He makes us to lie down in green pastures and He leads us by still waters. He restores our soul. As part of the restoration process we may find ourselves responding physically or emotionally. We might laugh, cry, or shake as the Holy Spirit works in us. The Holy Spirit might give us a vision or bring a memory to mind that He wants to heal. Often we enter into a deep rest, even falling asleep. Even if we don’t feel anything happening we believe that the Lord is working in our spirit.
Abide in the Vine
Intimacy with God is the key to fruitfulness in every area of our lives. As we become more aware of His presence in us … so do other people. As we become more affected by His presence in us … so do those around us. By taking time in the secret place with God, we start to walk by spirit in everyday life. We find that rather than striving to achieve things for God, He is building His kingdom through us. “Not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.”
How to Soak
- Find a comfortable place to lie down.
- Allow the busyness of your thoughts to quieten down (don’t fight them).
- Invite the Holy Spirit to soak you in His presence.
- Pray and surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit … mind, body and soul.
- Focus on the Lord’s presence within you.
- Rest in faith, believing He is working in you.
- Take as much time as you can. (Try to give at least 20 minutes to start to relax and receive.
- Gup refreshed and full of the Holy Spirit
- Watch as God changes you and the world around you.
Waiting on God is where we listen for instruction, and see what the Father is doing. Jesus said that He spoke nothing He had not heard from the Father, and did nothing He had not already witnessed the Father doing. As we wait on God a settled faith and abiding presence allows us to accomplish the works God has already prepared for us:
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Heb 4:9-11 NKJV)
Other Scriptures: Psalm 23:1-3; Psalm 4:4; Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:9-11; Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 40:29-31; Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 55:1-3; Luke 10:39
Praying in Tongues
We will consider tongues in detail in a later session but in the context of intimacy it is worth mentioning briefly the place of tongues. The language of the Spirit is given to us to ‘talk to God’.
“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” (1Cor 14:2)
Tongues, which is a gift for every believer, is given that we might enter into deeper fellowship with our God. The place of tongues in the prayer life of the believer cannot be over-estimated. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must do so ‘in the Spirit’. Tongues allows spirit-to-spirit communication:
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays…” (1 Cor 14:14 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit within us carries us through the process of praying in the Spirit into deeper places of fellowship with God, and more effective participation with God in intercession.
