Follow the Leader
God’s Word gives us very specific people and things to pray for – those in authority, laborers to be sent into the harvest fields, the peace of Jerusalem, along with many others. Besides that, we all have our own specific assignments from God over which to be constant in prayer. One of the many wonderful things about our God is that He doesn’t give us assignments and expect us to figure out how to accomplish them on our own. Yet, how many times do we try to do that very thing? It’s almost like telling God, “I can take it from here,” without realizing it. As so often happens as I wait on the Lord for His message, He has let me practice this lesson before bringing it to you.
As I prayed one day, the Lord made it very clear that He wants His church to obey Him even in prayer. He wasn’t referring to the times we don’t pray at all about those things He has specifically commanded, though that would certainly qualify. He was talking about seeking His way, not just His purpose, in praying. After all, if He has called us to do something, He knows the best way for each one of us to do it. Think about it. When we all pray in the unique way He has planned for each of us, everything will be covered in prayer. This is so practical, and brings such a release when it is revealed, but it still needs to be practiced to have it replace the old patterns. I’ll give you a very specific and recent example from my own life.
In advance of the recently televised debate between the vice-presidential candidates in the United States, I had received several emails stressing the importance of prayer in the debate’s outcome. As I had my quiet time the morning of the debate, I sensed an anointing on what I prayed, which is not always the case. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t a long time of prayer, and it didn’t “feel” like strong warfare. The important thing, however, was my following the leading of the Holy Spirit, praying the way He wanted me to pray about this debate. I was able to leave that place of prayer with a contented sense of completion of an assignment. If only I had stayed in that place!
Romans 8:5-6 “5. . . those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6. . . the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;” NIV
As I went on about my day, I kept reminding myself to pray for the debate. Over and over I did this all day long, even while I watched it on TV that night, until I was finally just too tired to keep at it any longer. It wasn’t until the next morning that I saw what I’d done. After my time of prayer the previous day, the Holy Spirit had not led me to pray any further about this matter, since I had completed His part for me. Because I thought I should, I kept praying, but it was in the flesh, led by my mind, not the Holy Spirit. This left me really tired, because I had to figure out what to pray, not having any Holy Spirit leading at all. Worse yet, all the praying I did after I left that great place in the morning had absolutely no effect.
Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. . .” NIV
Like you, I really don’t want to waste my time in prayer by effectively talking to myself as I pray the way I think I should, or I continue to pray for an assignment that I’ve already completed. I want to pray by the Spirit from beginning to end, letting Him control my mind, so I have that life and peace, rather than letting my mind control me and laboring in vain with the accompanying weariness. Before I pray, I will ask the Lord where we are going (for what or whom we are to pray), but I will also ask Him how we are going to get there. Then I will follow His lead, and watch as my prayers become so much more effective, because they are His way for me. Oh, the freedom of following the Leader!
© Copyright 2008 Kay V. Stocking
