Prayers can either move us toward God’s actions and heart, or create a distance from them. Take the prayer of the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable who prayed “God, I thank you I am not like other men…” (Lk. 18:11) and in doing so found himself outside the justness of God (Lk. 18:14).
While our prayers may not be so blatantly distancing, if we are honest, much of what makes up our prayers to God are please to avoid the troubles others have or tend to fall into. On the surface, such prayers seem innocent and natural, but under the surface, they reveal that our hearts and actions would rather avoid the difficult work of relating rightly with God, others, ourselves, and our environment/circumstances. But remember, Jesus taught us to pray expecting guidance through the inevitable troubles that allows us avoid the drama that exasperates them and deliverance (salvation) from the evil we’re sure to encounter.
Our first prophetic prayer joined us with the apostle Paul, proclaiming that God’s actions and heart have always been moving towards those like us, who find themselves in the midst of troubles and evil, in need of both “the gospel of our salvation” (Eph. 1:13) and “redemption…forgiveness…grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight” (Eph. 1:7-8). Prophetic prayer seeks to get in on this God-work of “uniting all things in Jesus” (Eph. 1:10), not distancing ourselves from the the places and people where it is being worked out.
Consider the previous sentence for a few moments. Then pray for yourself, our faith family, and Jesus’ Church in our city, nation, and world an adaption of Colossians 1:9-14:
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has guaranteed our whole and holy life by the sealing of the Holy Spirit, may we be filled with the knowledge of Your will, Your desired work, so as to walk in a congruent manner, fully pleasing You, bearing fruit in every thing we word and deed by which we make life, good; every increasing in our knowing and being known by You.
Strengthen us with all power according to Your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, for, Father, You have qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of Your beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Because we are in Jesus, we pray. Amen.