Cynthia Hagen
Train – Develop – Care
When I was a new believer just learning about prayer, the focus of our student prayer meetings was warfare for the campus and the Great Commission: re-taking “enemy territory.” I also heard about petition, asking God to meet needs. Prayer seemed transactional. It was much later that I finally learned to use prayer to form an intimate relationship with God. I could listen to Him, and He would listen to me.
It’s so valid to pray for warfare, petition, thanksgiving, guidance and support, praise, meditation, and more. But when Jesus taught prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, His first modeled step was to address God out of intimacy: “Our Father in heaven.“ I wish I had learned to rely on intimacy first, as a foundation roots undergirding every other reason to pray. If warfare and petition flow through deep relationship, what a difference that might make!
If you created your own prayer tree today, what would be it’s foundational roots? Are you and the Lord both satisfied with that in this season? How can you encourage intimacy in prayer for those you disciple?
