Prayer Is The Launching Pad

Monday, March 01, 2010 Print Article
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Prayer Is The Launching Pad
Christopher J Harris
I grew up in Florida and would look forward to those regular opportunities to walk outside of my school and see the space shuttle take off. My school was approximately one hundred and twenty-eight miles and about two hours driving from the actual point of the launch, but we could see it clearly.

It was amazing to think that there were people in a space shuttle that were about to go to outer space and just do neat things. I had no idea all of the work that took place prior to the launch, all of the behind the scenes work, all of the controls and people involved for me to simple watch this amazing thing. All I saw was the launch, but there was much more to it.

That's what prayer is to the believer. We want the launch, but misplace the reality that there's much more behind the scenes that must take place.

If done properly and biblically, prayer becomes your launching pad to living a life that is beyond even your wildest desires. That's what happened to Hannah praying for a son. Her prayer was answered because of her strategy. A strong prayer life will literally launch you into another dimension! In theory, we know this.

In practice, most of us struggle to have a consistent, vibrant, and refreshing prayer life. I too have struggled with my prayer life. Interestingly enough, I never misunderstood the supernatural power and effect that prayer would have. I can think my solid upbringing for that. But it wasn't until I understood the strategy for prayer that I could translate what I knew in theory into real, refreshing practice. What did I do?

1. I created a prayer agenda. I became very clear about what I needed to pray about. Now, my basic prayer focus remains the same daily and weekly. There is also an on-going list that I have that can be editing throughout the week. This helps the believer because you never have to start praying and wonder what you're going to pray about. For example, every Sunday we are specifically covering our family in prayer. Do we pray for our family other days? Yes, we do. But intentionally, we cover our family on Sundays.

2. I set appointments for prayer. All of us would admit that life is busy and our days can move quickly. Before we know it, it's Friday and we've been overwhelmed by all that took place that week. As we set all kinds of meetings, we can also set personal prayer meetings. These meetings may range in length, but when you can put it on your calendar and make it a consistent appointment, you will find yourself developing your day and expectations around your prayer time. You should be sure to guard this time as you would any other appointment. As we rearrange other things around scheduled meetings, let's do the same for prayer.

3. I intentionally unplug. Most of us have gotten spoiled from today's technologies attached to our waists, ears, or handbags. We've really gotten spoiled by the ready access to people's lives through today's social networks. But, we've got to be willing to unplug (disconnect) during our appointment with God. At one point in society, it was taboo to interrupt meetings to answer your phones and messages.

Unfortunately, in many places this isn't the case anymore. And to a greater extent, we've brought this same undisciplined approach to prayer. It was interesting to me that we were taught to pray with our eyes closed. And while there is no biblical mandate to always do this, sometimes it is helpful in order to discipline us to block out distractions. God is starved for our undivided attention.

4. Take the trash out. Prayer is not something that just involves a list of memorized scriptures. Your body and mind are involved. If you're mind is preoccupied with other life realities, it will be very difficult for you to prayer with a clear mind. As you enter your prayer time, come into it with a clear your mind. One of the best ways to clear your mind is by giving God the things on your mind.




Overseer Christopher J. Harris, a native of Palatka, Florida, currently serves as the Youth & College Pastor at Cedar Grove Tabernacle of Praise in North Carolina. He also serves as the International General Overseer of the Children & Youth Division for Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. He and his wife, Carmen, are the parents of three children. For more information about Overseer Christopher Harris, log onto www.ChristopherJHarris.com or you can follow him at twitter.com/cjharrisone.