Article by Clare Tremeer, Women’s Apostolic Alliance Member
Prayer and dedication go hand in hand. Prayer is the special, consecrated communication with a Holy God. Therefore, it is beyond normal speaking, totally connected and inspired by a power that is not of ourselves – that is our aim. The deeper we commit to our Holy God and are given over to His desire, the more we allow the inner transformation that results in purity of heart and self-death, the more our actual desires and words line up with His and “we die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). In this process our mind turns from self-focus and self-preservation to a re-focus on Christ, His ways, His thoughts and trust in His desires for us. Re-dedication and sanctification of our hopes and dreams, transforms our thinking and we realize that our part is to think the way He thinks, in order to get the results that He wants!
Fulfill ye My joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:2-5. NKJ
It is only then that our communication becomes prayer. When that deep alignment takes place we are re-set into the spiritual dimension of selfless love and devotion, where our very words are inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit within us. They become His words, directed by Him to achieve His purposes. No longer just empty vessels void of power and direction but missiles of power and explosion, released to achieve a consecrated purpose in the dimensions of the spirit, where good overcomes evil. Anyone can pray, but not everyone will pray the heart of the Father. It is those words that are anointed and achieve the results He requires. None are wasted but are sent to break through the darkness with light, so that healing and change can occur.
This is why our words are so important. They can be instruments of great mercy and love or of hurt, harm and downfall. Each word spoken and released has the potential for good or evil. This is why we will be judged on our words…
But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak,
They shall give account thereof in the day of judgement:
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Matthew 12: 36-37. NJK
Words are powerful and we are responsible for our use and mis-use. Where we use words to attack rather than to love, we will stand accused.
When we were still in our sin and unsaved, we spoke words without knowing their accountability. But now, our salvation requires sanctification of our vocabulary and heart. For out of the heart the mouth speaks.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:9 NKJ
Our yielding and desire to be holy in all things is essential, so that our words can now be vessels of honour, set apart for holy service. Our thoughts fully aligned with the power of the Holy Spirit that resides within us. The result is a conscious doing away with old ways of speaking and choosing to be a new man or woman who prays with strength, power and commitment that is effective! As we dedicate our speaking apparatus and its content to the Holy Spirits’ direction, it becomes no longer ours but His. For Him to inhabit, direct and deploy our words and prayers at His command. These are the words and prayers that have impact, make a difference and achieve His agenda… never our agenda!
It is this level of dedication that instills the selfless power of love, that drives and overtakes us to be one with Him, that seeks to please Him and to see His will be done. This desire changes us and we enter into the “fear of the Lord” and we become one in the unity of the spirit, doing only His work, with His words. As Jesus said in Luke 22:42
Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done.
Prayer is powerful and lack of prayer is also powerful in the negative and is a real poverty that effects the individual. Prayer plugs you into the bigger purposes of God and that connection is life giving, empowering and radical in its perspective. It lifts us from daily drudgery to partnering in amazing exploits with a Holy God. Bringing us into, “out of this world” exploits that bring mind blowing results of mercy and justice, to people, cities and nations. By our prayers we become transported into the higher realms of destroying darkness and seeing good overcome evil!
We are all called to have a prayer life which is far more than just praying out of desperation when calamity strikes. We must tend it and develop it, so it is like a well weeded and watered garden. It is our responsibility to be actively engaged if we want to see results and for our prayers to be answered. Yes, we can pray amiss, out of wrong desire and motivation.
Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss,
That ye may consume it on your lusts.
James 4:2 NKJ
God will not answer those prayers that are purely selfish or ultimately will hurt us. He urgently calls us to align with His plan for us and He ultimately knows what is best for us. Our willingness to yield to the greater wisdom of God is the issue here – are our words His words, are our prayers His prayers?
Re-dedication is required to do it “His way” and to engage the spiritual warfare that is necessary in these times. Whilst we must know our spiritual authority in Him, are we yielded enough to respond … “use me and give me the prayers you need me to pray, for your purposes in your timing to achieve your desired end”?
This is a dedicated and a pleasing sacrifice. A heart consecrated to serve Him and achieve His far bigger purposes. This is personal devotion to the foremost relationship in our lives, Christ the lover of our souls.
So, in this new post Covid season, the Spirit calls us to choose wisely the words we would use and to make a fresh dedication of your prayer life to His higher purposes. So, your prayers become His prayers to do real business in the spirit!
God is wanting a re-connection, re-construction and re-consecration of our prayer lives back to its holy purpose. So that it lives and moves in power! Not for the sake of it but to agree with Him and to call in the second coming of Christ!
Only the pure of heart and their prayers of obedience will ignite and flow in the passion of His desire to return to us quickly!!
KEEP YOUR HEART OPEN!
LOSE YOUR HEART IN DEEP COMMUNION WITH HIS!
THEN WILL YOUR PRAYERS BE ALIVE AND FULL OF SACRED PURPOSE!!
Clare Tremeer
