A Guide To Intercessory Prayer Step One: "Be Still" "Be still and know that I am thy God...

" Psalm 46:10 Without a doubt the most difficult step in intercessory prayer is this one eep silence! be still" #earn this step and you $ill transform your prayer life" %emember your mind is li e an undisciplined child runnin& constantly and refusin& to be dominated" It $ants it o$n $ay" It is li e a $ild stallion that does not $ant to be tamed! bridled and or ruled" It $anders $here'er it $ishes" It clamors for its o$n $ay" It speeds ahead to its o$n a&enda" It refuses to be brou&ht under control" But God says it must be bridled" Peter ur&es us to "gird up the loins of your mind." () Peter ):)*+ Paul says! "Bring e ery thought into the !apti ity of "hrist." (, -orinthians ).:/+ A Secret There is a secret that God re'eals to his ser'ants that is hidden from all other men" It is the secret of his presence" 0e deli&hts to $al and tal $ith us but he $ill only do so in the "Secret place of the 1ost 0i&h"" Therefore 2a'id e3alts the mystery of that secret retreat $ith God alone $here God shado$s o'er his o$n $ith his protecti'e presence" 4esus said that the secret place for belie'ers is the "closet of prayer" in 1atthe$ 5:5" The Gree $ord translated

in 647 is "tameion" $hich means a closet! secret or inner chamber! or a storehouse thus "a closet"" 0e is 'ery specific about it" "When you ha'e entered into your "tameion" (secret chamber+! shut the door8and pray in secret9" God lon&s to ha'e that romantic secret chamber of interlude $ith each of us" A Command (not a su&&estion+ God has &i'en his people e3press commands &o'ernin& the turbulence of their o$n hearts and the peace that he offers and e3pects" :one stands out so mar edly as Isaiah *.:)/ "In ;uietness and confidence $ill be your stren&th and you $ould not"""" It declares that the #ord<s purpose is for his people to return to 0im to find ;uietness and confidence before 0im" The indictment $as that his people "WO=#2 :OT!" therefore they had no peace" )" Psalm >:> "#tand in awe$ and sin not: !ommune with your own heart upon your %ed$ and %e still." ," Psalm >5:). "Be still and know that I am thy God..." *" Isaiah *.:)/ "In &uietness and !onfiden!e will %e your strength and you would not..." >" Isaiah *,:)? "'he effe!t of righteousness is &uietness and assuran!e fore er." /" Isaiah >):) "(eep silen!e %efore me$ ) islands* and let the people renew their strength: let

them !ome near* then let them speak: let us !ome near together to +udgment." 5" I 6in&s )@:), ",fter the earth&uate a fire$ %ut the -ord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small oi!e." ?" Acclesiastes *:? ", time to rend$ and a time to sew* a time to keep silen!e$ and a time to speak*" B" 0aba u ,:,. "But the -)./ is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silen!e %efore him." @" 1ar >:*@ ",nd he arose and re%uked the wind and said unto the sea$ Pea!e %e still. ,nd the wind !eased$ and there was a great !alm." )." %e'elation B:) ",nd there was silen!e in hea en for a%out the spa!e of a half hour." It is the mandate of God that $e still oursel'es before him in order to find his peace and hear his 'oice" So thus $e ha'e as the first and most important step in the belie'er<s prayer life to still oursel'es before the #ord" Priority "I set the #ord al$ays before me"""" What is first in your lifeC 2a'id testified that he al$ays! meanin& e'ery day! "set the #ord before me"" (Psalm )5:B+ The $ord used here is the same used in A3odus ,.:* for the command "to ha'e (to place+ no other Gods before 0im"" God is a Dealous God and $ill not share his &lory $ith another" (A3odus *>:)>+ There is room for only one on the

Throne of Omnipotence" Aither God! the #ord! is first and supreme and before all others or someone (maybe youC+! or somethin& else is first (your a&enda! dayEtimerC+ and on the throne" 4esus indicates the same priority theme in 1atthe$ 5:** $hen he commands that $e "See first the in&dom of God and e'erythin& else $ill fall in place"" Listen 0ear 0is 7oice We li'e in a busy! noisy! tumultuous society" There is noise and constant demands for our attention e'ery $a in& hour" There may not be any ;uiet 4udean hillsides for us to retreat to daily for prayer" Therefore $e must find an inner solitude in the #ord<s presence" AliDah! the mi&hty pre'ailin& intercessor! learned this lesson $hen in $eariness of the battle he fled into the $ilderness" God sent first the $ind and storm! then the earth;ua e and finally the fire" But God $as not in them" After this there $as "a still small 'oice"" God $as found! not in the spectacular! but in the stillness" Quiet Rest %est is important to God" The tireless -reator rested the se'enth day from all his $or " 0e commands us to do the same on the #ordFs 2ay" 0e enforced the year of 4ubilee for the land to rest" So too! he $ants us to rest in 0im" Get this messa&e from Isaiah >." "The -reator of the ends of the earth! does not faint! neither is 0e $eary8" But they that $ait on the #ord $ill rene$ their stren&th" God doesnFt need to

rest! $e do9 Isaiah >.:,BE*) 0ast thou not known1 hast thou not heard$ that the e erlasting God$ the -)./$ the "reator of the ends of the earth$ fainteth not$ neither is weary1 there is no sear!hing of his understanding. 23 0e gi eth power to the faint* and to them that ha e no might he in!reaseth strength. 40 5 en the youths shall faint and %e weary$ and the young men shall utterly fall: 41 But they that wait upon the -)./ shall renew their strength* they shall mount up with wings as eagles* they shall run$ and not %e weary* and they shall walk$ and not faint. Wait on the Lord In the a&e of cell phones! micro$a'es! satellite T7s! hi&h speed computers! and nanoEsecond processin&! $e donFt li e to $ait" But $aitin& on God is an important biblical principle" 1ost of us are in a constant frenetic hurry" We donFt li e to $ait" We donFt ha'e time to $ait" Waitin& is a $aste of time" So $e donFt $ait and $e miss GodFs train of blessin&" Waitin& is part of the blessin& of prayer" It re;uires that $e put aside the rush of life and sit still and Dust $ait" The point of prayer is not &ettin& stuff from God" The point of prayer is &ettin& God9 Ta e s iin& for e3ample" The thrill of s iin& is not in the arri'al at the bottom of the hill! but in the Doy of &ettin& there so it is $ith see in& God" The deli&ht of prayer is not &ettin& the ans$ers! but bein& in the

presence of the One $ho freely &i'es us all thin&s"

Psalms ,?:)> 6ait on the -)./: %e of good !ourage$ and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait$ I say$ on the -)./. Psalms *?:? .est in the -)./$ and wait patiently for him. Isaiah *.:)B ,nd therefore will the -)./ wait$ that he may %e gra!ious unto you$ and therefore will he %e e7alted$ that he may ha e mer!y upon you: for the -)./ is a God of +udgment: %lessed are all they that wait for him.

One Desire "Behold 0is Beauty" 2a'id a&ain is a $onderful e3ample of one $ho learned about the secret place of stillness before God" 0e declares! "One thin& I ha'e desired of the #ord! that $ill I see after"" What is that one thin& that consumed his desireC It $as to behold the beauty of the #ord! then secondly to in;uire in his temple" Beholdin& GodFs beauty be&ins in the ;uiet place of stillness" Then it blossoms into $orship! the second step of our intercessory prayer strate&y" One desire8 $hat is yoursC Songs of Quietness

There is a ;uiet place! far from the noise and pace! $here God can soothe the troubled heart" Sheltered by tree and flo$er! and in that ;uiet

hour! $e find a ne$! ne$ day" In the Garden: I come to the &arden alone! $hile the de$ is still on the roses! and the 'oice I hear fallin& on my ear! the Son of God discloses" And he $al s $ith me and he tal s $ith me" And he tells me I am his o$n" And the Doy $e share as $e tarry there! none other has e'er no$n" Be Still 1y Soul: Be still my soul! the #ord is on they side" Bear patiently thy cross of &rief or pain" #ea'e to thy God to order and pro'ide" In e'ery chan&e he faithful $ill remain"

Try sin&in& these son&s ;uietly! e'en mentally! to help ;uiet your heart and mind" Even Heaven requires si ence %e'elation B:) ,nd when he had opened the se enth seal$ there was silen!e in hea en a%out the spa!e of half an hour. As you attempt to train yourself in these prayer disciplines remember that learnin& ne$ habits ta es time" 2onFt try to apply all of the steps at the same time" 1ay I su&&est that you discipline yourself in this step of silence only for at least , $ee s! ). minutes per day before &oin& on to the ne3t step"

Practica Disci! ines )" Anter into your secret chamber! your closet"

Gind a ;uiet undisturbed place" Once you are alone before God "Shut the door"" Bloc out all distractions but God 0imself" ," 6neel or lay prostrate in the #ord<s presence" (Only under real medical prohibition should you do other$ise" 6neelin& or prostrate are $orship positions"+ Hou need not be uncomfortable but neither should you be laIy in prayer" Philippians ,:).E)) "e'ery nee shall bo$8confessin& 4esus as #ord"" *" 1a e your mind a sanctuary" 1a e your mind stop its commotion and noise9 #isten to the din of confused 'oices remindin& you of duties! tas s and obli&ations" Then silence them9 Hour mind is not a noisy play&round" It is a sanctuary" Hour mind is yours" 1a e it obey you" >" Slo$ do$n9 %emember "rela3" is the $ord for "be still" in 0ebre$" -onsciously loose the tension of e'ery muscle" It $on<t come naturally so $or at learnin& to be ;uiet9 ) Thessalonians >:)) "Study (force yourself+ to be ;uiet"" /" Set apart a si&nificant amount of time to learn this slo$in& do$n process" Gi'e yourself time to slo$ do$n" Hou cannot stop a train on a dime" It ta es time to slo$ do$n to a stop" Hou cannot &et still in ). seconds and often it ta es more than a *Eminute timer" ). minutes is a &ood tar&et! but it mi&ht not be lon& enou&h" Gi'e God some room to $or in you"

5" Gi3 your eyes on 4esus E behold the beauty of the #ord" #i e the an&els in hea'en and all creatures before the throne present yourself to God in stillness" Ima&ine yourself prostrate at his feet before his throne" ?" Ta e a fe$ deep breaths" At first ta e lon& slo$ deep breaths" 0old it a fe$ seconds" #et it out slo$ly" -ontrol it9 Hou<ll be amaIed at ho$ it be&ins to ;uiet your body! $hich in turn effects thou&hts too" %emember! if you cannot control your body! you cannot e3pect to control you spirit either" ) -orinthians @:,? "8I eep my body under! and brin& it into subDection"""" B" %efuse to &o on to the ne3t step until the body and mind ha'e obeyed you" If they are not subDect to your $ill! neither $ill the rest of your thou&hts in prayer" If you cannot brin& your o$n body and mind into subDection ho$ $ill you $restle $ith spiritual forces and $inC Pro'erbs ,>:). "If you faint in the day of ad'ersity! your stren&th is small"" ,nd he arose$ and re%uked the wind$ and said unto the sea$ Pea!e$ %e still. ,nd the wind !eased$ and there was a great !alm. 8 9ark 4:43