Encouraging prayer God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James. Today on encouraging prayer, I couldn't be more excited because there's I know all the stories that are behind this.
episode. And so the freedom of prayer. And I don't know if you've experienced that, but interestingly, I experienced it this morning.
So I. I'm really excited to see where you're going with this, James. Yeah, well, I I want to hear about your story this morning. Why don't we start with that? You can.
So normally I I have a very I don't know what you call it. programmed, written out, something to get me going because It's really early in the morning for me normally. And my brain doesn't think particularly well. And so I Thr go through my program. But this morning, as soon as I started to pray, um God just, the Holy Spirit just grabbed me and said, you know, Robbie, you really need to consider the idea of atonement.
Which you know that The October 1st was the Day of Atonement. And that word in Hebrew is quite s spectacular. And so Rather than do my routine, I was like, okay, let's go. It was. It was so sweet because he showed me.
How that word fits. fits into the word Capernaum. Um And I've been studying that and the fact that Jesus' ministry was out of Capernaum and the fact that that has to do with atonement. just blew my mind and so I'm Excited to hear what you got.
Well, God just leads us places, you know, and this is the thing that we need to understand about prayer, because I think the danger is. And we tend to think of prayer as checking off a list or something I've got to do. You know, okay, I'm going to. quote unquote, have my prayer time. And Absolutely.
You know, you want to have that. You've got to have that. You need to have that. But Don't stop there. Yeah?
It's the beginning of an adventure. Oh yeah. You know, when we realize it that way, when we see it that way, when we When we grasp the freedom of prayer, that we can pray any time. anywhere that God is able to to intercede in any situation that we're in, Then Everything opens up in a hole. whole new way.
You know, and and like you were saying Um And I was like, okay, let's go there. And Uh yeah. It's so important for us to grasp that because You know, when you first started saying that, you noticed I said the word sweet. Um That's something that's often applied to the concept of being with Jesus and the concept of prayer. As a matter of fact, there's an old hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer.
I love that. It's one of my favorites. It's all about that.
So you know, what comes to mind in this is There's a great section in Eugene Peterson's translation of the New Testament, the message. in Romans 8, 15 to 17. He writes, This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, What's next, papa? God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.
We know who he is, and we know who we are, father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us, an unbelievable inheritance. We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times. with him.
And I uh I love that. Because Again, God. God calls us, yes, sometimes to walk through some dark valleys. But he's still with us. And, you know, just the living of everyday work.
with him. Peter's words sum it up. Lord You know, to whom would we go? Yeah, we're we You alone have the words of eternal life. Yeah, it almost convicts me, honestly, as you as you mention this, James.
You know, do I have a route a rote way that I Do things with my wife. You know, like we're going to have a conversation. Here's the way we always start it.
Okay. Because I'm having a conversation, can we not have a great deal more freedom. than I than I apparently have been experiencing.
Well, and I you know I think this is a both end kind of thing. There are areas that work for us. For example, you know, I'm a list guy often when I pray. And sometimes then you get tired of praying the list, and it's like, oh, do I have to do that? Then you find that if you just work through it and keep going, that God meets you.
even in that place. That's not the only way I'm supposed to pray. You know, th this is so important when you think about even how you pray. You know, am I always praying in one position? when I pray.
You know, is it Okay. only when I'm driving, or only when I'm lying in bed at night. Or Am I doing something like David? Am I Well Yeah. Dancing before the Lord.
Am I kneeling? Am I lying Flat on my face. before him. Or am I lying on the grass and looking up at the stars and and and you know, praising him for that. There's just so much.
So much. freedom in this. And and This is the thing. I think this is what we're called to. It's just about being with him.
Yeah. It really is, and I, you know. have experienced many of those positions at one time or another. And you know, he inhabits our praise. And so, whatever praising you're doing with that standing.
or singing or whatever, you know, that's actually prayer as well. Yeah. Yeah, it can be, as a matter of fact. You know, if you you think about this whole incident where Moses is is holding up his arms and Aaron and her you know, are are supporting him on either side. And I believe that's a position of prayer.
Yes, he has a staff in his hand representative of the power of God, but. Um Uh the truth is that What he is doing, standing there with hands upraised, is a position of prayer. He's invoking the power of God on behalf of the Israelites.
So You know, you look at that. And You think, oh. You know? First of all, he has his friends supporting him in prayer. That's a good thing.
Yeah. Secondly, it's not all about words. He's just praying with the way his body is. positioned. in that moment.
And that's a good thing. That's cool. Yeah, I agree. Absolutely a neat way to look at it. I mean, there's just so much we could look into with this, Robbie.
Well, that'd probably be a good time for me to pray. And that's good.
So Lord, I think about. How blessed we are to hunger and thirst, and even sit down at the table with you Lord, um I thank you for this. Newfound freedom. And I pray that, like others, that you've whetted our appetites to try and see where the Spirit leads us in this freedom, that we might experience you in a sweet way, in more ways than we ever have before, that you would grow our Our prayer lives that we may never I'll cease to pray with you. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website. JamesBanks.org or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
