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Cycle
of
Prayer
What is your view of God in relation to you and prayer? Do you see God a distant
or near? Do you see God as absent or present? Do you see God as stingy or
generous? Do you see God as unapproachable or approachable? Do you see God as
unfaithful or as being faithful? Do you see God as being passive to our prayers or
earnestly awaiting to hear from us? Do you see God as being one who resists prayer
or initiates prayer?
For illustration, let us first look at a large clock with 12 hours represented upon it.
The cycle of prayer begins at 12 o'clock. You will also find two axis on this cycle of
prayer. The first one is the horizontal plane and the other is the vertical plane. You
should note that JESUS is at the center of both axis. On and below the horizontal
plane below represents the level of human physical existence, while on and above the
axis represents the spiritual level. Jesus is the mediator between the two planes. "For
there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who
gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (I Timothy 2:5-6). He, being
God, also became human. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:5-7). "And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). "For we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). We approach God, the Father,
through Jesus and the Father provides for our needs through Jesus.
In the 12 hour cycle, we start at 12 o'clock and end at 12 o'clock.
7 o'clock = This is a time of the testing of your faith. Now that you
have prayed, there often is a trial of your faith. "That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it
be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 1:7). It is not uncommon that
God will allow the enemy to test our faith. The enemy will often work
through those people really close to us. Someone may say, "Well, you don't really
believe that will answer that prayer, do you?" The deceiver may even use someone
who is in authority or someone who for which we have a high respect. Remember the
young man of God who listened to the lie of the older prophet and became disobedient
to God. The young man was killed by a lion. (I Kings 13:1-34). However, we must
remember that it is a more a trial of our faith than a trial of us. The Believers' trial
took place when Jesus took our sins upon himself on the cross. "Seeing then that we
have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession" (Hebrews 4:14). "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" (Hebrews 10:23).
8 o'clock = This is time of waiting upon God. This does not mean that
we sit with our hands in our laps and our legs crossed. The basic
meaning of waiting upon God in Scripture is to bind ourselves close to
God while anticipating God's work in our lives. "But they that wait
upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). Another meaning is to adhere to as one adheres a note on
a bulletin board with a thumb tact. "Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help
and our shield" (Psalm 33:20). David also declared, "But it is good for me to draw
near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works"
(Psalm 73:28). Our temptation is to draw back from God when we don't immediately
see the answer to our prayers, but God would have us draw near to Him. This is a time
of redirecting our focus from need and even from the answer to the need to the Person
who provides the answer to the need. It may include a time of fasting and getting
alone with God. It is a time of communion with God. It is a time of self examination.
"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for
it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you" (Hosea
10:12). It is a time to remove every hindrance to our faith. "Wherefore seeing we also
are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2). It is not only a time a searching,
but a time of listening to God. "But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God,
thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul"
(Deuteronomy 4:29).
So what is next? In this life, we are like the clock on the wall, we start over. We
may reach a spiritual level, but there are other levels to obtain. Paul said, "Not as
though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I
may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Philippians
3:12). It is simply an opportunity for further growth in the spirit and closer fellowship
with God. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18).
It is not so important as to where you are in the cycle as it is that God wants you to
keep on moving toward fellowshipping with, worshipping, and glorifying Him. You
also may be at one spiritual level in one area of your life and at a different level in
another area of your life. You don't have to stay where you are. Praise the LORD!