In conversation with a wise leader who is both a pastor and professor earlier this week, he described a deepening hunger for prayer. He wants to know God’s heart and mind, will and ways better and better, and he wants to help the people he serves experience the same. When we stop to consider what sets apart some pastors as exceptional, this is one important marker. 

Prayer gets you what you want when you want what God wants for you. Prayer aligns and attunes your heart and mind with the heart and mind of God. You come to realize that what God wants for you is superior to anything you could want for yourself. 

Most of us have never been schooled in prayer. I began a message on what we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer with a question: “How did you learn to pray?” A man in the choir behind me said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I didn’t.” I responded, “You’re in luck! We’re going to learn how to pray from the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher who ever preached.” 

Maybe I should have added, “and the greatest pray-er who ever prayed.”

Jesus taught often about prayer. This verse is central to the true nature of prayer. Notice what he says:

1. You can ask for anything.
2. Ask it in my name.
3. I will do it.
4. I will bring glory to the Father.

We should not worry about anything, the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6, 7, but we should pray about everything. Anything and everything is prayer-worthy. Jesus said, “You can ask for anything in my name.” “In my name” means, at the very least, in full alignment with who Jesus is and what his purpose is in this world.  Stated another way, What does Jesus want in this circumstance? 

This also means Jesus says “Yes” to our prayers when they bring glory to God. “Glory to God” simply indicates how people begin to see how good and loving God is and how extravagantly he gives his good gifts. 

There is no secret to prayer. There is this open declaration about prayer from Jesus that revolutionizes how we pray. We pray in alignment and attunement with the nature and character of Jesus for those things that help people know and experience God’s grace, mercy, and compassion. When we pray like this, Jesus says, “I will do it.”

The Message paraphrase of these verses amplifies these truths:

“From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it.
That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son.
I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”

That pastor and you can bring about a prayer revival when you pray like this. 

What do you need to pray about in this manner at this time? 

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I will pray in Jesus’ name with a better understanding of what that means and what it produces.

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Our Father, I want from you what you want for me. I will align my life with your eternal purposes. I will attune my heart to yours. I will seek to show everyone how good, loving, and kind you are. I will enroll in Jesus’ school of prayer. Amen.