The Principles of Prayer IV

 Who do you belong to? Whose are you? The answer to this all-important question will determine the trajectory of your life more than anything else. The reason is simple and obvious: Who you belong to determines who you serve, and who you serve determines your daily actions. If you serve the flesh, the constant drumbeat of your desires will be to appease it. If you serve God, pleasing Him is uttermost in everything you do.

There are only three options to be had when determining who we belong to, and two out of the three are so synonymous and interchangeable as to be rendered redundant. We either belong to ourselves, to Satan, or to God. There is no in-between, nor is there a way to belong to more than one master at a time. For those insisting they can hopscotch from belonging to God and to themselves depending on the situation, they never really belonged to God; they liked to pretend they did.  

Who we belong to, from a spiritual perspective, hinges on the conscious choice we make of either drawing closer to God or pushing further away from Him. The presence of God is a fire that burns away the dross, the dead things, the worthless, useless things we used to deem the pinnacle of human success, and oftentimes, the refining fire presupposes pain for the flesh and separation from the things we counted on before we surrendered our lives to Him.

One of the most dangerous prayers a Christian can pray is for God to use them, especially if they do not realize that for God to answer their prayer and use them in a greater capacity, they must go through a season of pruning, refining, and forging. We often tell people to come as they are but fail to inform them that if their heart’s desire is pure, they will not leave as they came.

Once the knowledge of truth takes root in a heart, the individual cannot remain static, stagnant, and besotted with the sins, vices, and peccadillos that once held sway over every decision of their life. They must go through the process of consecration and sanctification so that they might be transformed and born again into a vessel of honor that God can then use as He sees fit.

Make sure you’re willing to go through the fire required for God to answer the prayers you pray before you pray them because He just may answer them. Anyone who has a goal in mind must come to terms with the reality that steps must be taken along the way in order to achieve said goal. Most often, it’s not that the goal is unachievable; it’s that the individual wasn’t willing to make the requisite sacrifices to achieve it.

I often use weight loss as an example, not because it’s so relatable, although for many it is, but because it’s something I’ve had to commit to a handful of times in my life. It wasn’t because of some underlying health issue but because I’m too cheap to buy a new wardrobe, and so when I’d feel my pants getting a bit tight and my shirts looking like they were two sizes too small for my frame, I’d make the requisite changes to drop a few.

I was never so deluded as to think that the dryer was shrinking my clothes or that someone was sneaking into the house when I wasn’t there and replacing my clothes with a smaller size. I knew I was the culprit and had to own it before any progress could be made.

Whenever I hear people complain about not hearing the voice of God clearly or not having enough time to dedicate themselves to prayer, it’s always due to some reason external to them and their choices. Well, you see, I have to drive an hour each way to get to work every morning, so carving out time to pray just isn’t in the cards. Use the drive time to talk to God! You’re welcome! Two extra hours per day to pray, just like that.

The issue is that you prefer to listen to talk radio or music or some podcast while driving than you do praying. That’s why it never seems like there’s enough time to pursue it. The desire to grow your prayer life must exist before you can take steps to grow in prayer. Before the desire can exist, the consecration of oneself must occur, wherein growing in God, having fellowship with Him, and developing our prayer life become existential needs for which we are willing to forfeit all else.

The beauty of prayer is that it doesn’t have to be at a designated time, in a designated place, with the right ambiance, and when nothing else is encroaching upon your time. Having a prayer closet to which you can retreat daily is all well and good, but your car can become your prayer closet, your lunch hour can become your time to pray, and I promise, God will not think less of you that you’re entreating Him between bites of an egg salad sandwich.

We are not Pharisees. We don’t have to put on flowing robes and be in a designated spot with the stern look of a ponderous soul in order to pray. We do like finding excuses for not doing it, though, and in the end, that’s all they are: excuses.

A sub-par meal will taste like exquisite fare when you’re hungry enough, and an excellent meal will taste bland and average if you’re already full. Between having five minutes to pray and using those five minutes to do it, or waiting for the day when you have a block of three hours to dedicate to it, use the five minutes and be diligent in learning to talk to God. If the three hours happen to come along at some future time, all the better. If they don’t, you still would have used those five minutes wisely and communed with God.

That perfect is the enemy of the good is a saying that has been around for ages. To a certain extent, it is an accurate saying because while we’re waiting for the perfect time to pray, life is passing us by, and we’re not taking advantage of the good in order to draw closer to Him. Whether it’s an outright excuse or just an ideal so improbable that it’s unlikely to ever happen, those waiting for the perfect time to pray are still neglecting this most important of commandments. Bluntly stated, if you’re in love with God, you will make time for Him. If you aren’t, you won’t.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.  

Posted on 15 April 2025 | 11:20 am