Sometimes prayer can seem like a huge and difficult mountain to climb when you enter into the secret place. At times you do not even know what to pray. At times you know those things you want to pray about, but you do not know how to pray about them, perhaps simply because you have been praying about them for so long and now you just don’t know what exactly to say again to God. Sometimes your mind is so cloudy but you want to pray. At times you don’t even feel like praying at all but you know you need to and should pray.
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8: 26 – 27.
Come into the secret place to meet and spend time with God, seeking His face. Lay aside your own personal agenda; it may not have God’s item on it. For example: don’t become disappointed, dejected or frustrated because you came expecting God to meet you in some specific or supernatural way (you didn’t hear an audible voice, a still small voice, see a vision, signs or have a supernatural manifestation etc.), and it didn’t happen. That doesn’t mean God had not met with you or heard you. God said, “Seek you My face.” (Amos 4:5, Psalm 105:4). Always go to seek His face, to meet with Him by faith, not to have a spectacular experience or manifestation. To seek His face means you want to know Him, His character, His person, His ways; you want Him to reveal Himself to you intimately.
I said this in one of my articles on prayer, “How to pray when you can’t pray.” I repeat it again; to me the key is a simple, persistent lingering, remaining with Him till you can pray. Did you plan to stay 30 minutes, an hour or two? Then just stay with Him quietly. The Holy Spirit will always help your infirmity if you remain and not rush to leave. It may be towards the end of your scheduled time of prayer, but be assured He will help your infirmity in prayer (Romans 8:26), and when He does you wouldn’t want to leave when your scheduled time is up! This has been my experience, but yours may be different. In that case, if you are able to wait another extra 10, 20 minutes or more then don’t rush to leave! Wait and spend time with Him.
The Holy spirit will bring to your mind those things, persons or and situations etc., He wants you to pray about. He will bring scriptures to your mind. He will give you illumination, enlightenment, and understanding about situations, persons and things. He will give you wisdom and counsel. He will explain and unfold Scriptures to you like He did with His two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Before you know it you will be conversing with your heavenly Father heart to heart, being led by His Spirit.
This happens when you read the Bible during times of prayer. Always go to the prayer closet with your Bible.
Always depend on the Holy Spirit’s help. Ask Him to help you, whether you know what to pray for or not. Many times we will know what to pray for simply and only because the Holy Spirit has already laid them on our hearts even before we come to the place of prayer and if our heart desires are in accordance with His, but we still need His help to pray.
I realized that God do talk to me. It’s just that most times they are not the things I want to hear at those particular times. I have some other things on my own agenda I want Him to speak to me about, but He tellls me the things He wants and knows I need to hear and know. He knows best. By His Spirit He brings up those things, people and situations etc., that He wants me to pray about or information and knowledge He wants me to know and have as l pray and study His Word. They may even be about questions/ things I have asked or sought Him about in the past. And as l pray, read and study His Word the Holy Spirit enlightens my heart and understanding. Most times during my prayer time l just continue my Bible reading from where l previously stopped. And l get clarifications concerning past or previous questions or issues.
Learn to pray God’s agenda and not yours. I assure you your prayer life will be richer. You will grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God, coming to a place of divine rest in Christ. You will always come out of the prayer closet radiant with His peace, joy and gladness which can only flow from His Holy Spirit indwelling.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” (John7:38).
