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"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 NKJV
We can tell much about the spiritual condition of our heart by our prayers. Whatever captivates our heart will show up in what we pray - or don't pray.
If our prayers are limited mostly to calling on God in emergencies or to help us out of fixes, this is an indicator that God is not central in our lives but is off somewhere on the fringe. If this is the case we will miss out big time on experiencing the joy of daily communion with our heavenly Father and being used by Him in prayer.
If our prayers are centered on us and our needs, this indicates a self-centered and carnal heart. There is certainly a place for bringing our needs before the Lord. In fact He wants us to do so. But if that is all there is to our prayers then we are missing out on something special - our high calling as God's royal priesthood.
A God-centered prayer life requires that we be wholly surrendered to God. A.W. Tozer writes, "Prayer at its best is the expression of the total life - we pray only as well as we live." So how shall we live? Paul writes in Romans 8:5 that, "Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."
If our hearts and minds are set on what the Spirit desires this will show up in what we pray. We will have a longing for inward prayer fellowship with our Lord even amidst the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. We will have a willing heart ready to take on the Father's prayer concerns as our own and will want Him to lead us into genuine intercession for the needs of others.
None of these things are burdensome to a yielded heart, they are quite simply an awesome privilege and delight.
Colin Stott
Global Prayer Coordinator