Living in the Heart of Prayer

By Damion Clarke

This book is a very intriguing one. It captivates the reader from the very first chapter. It is one that highlights prayer in its entirety. It purports that prayer is an intricate experience that must characterize the life of every individual. Quite a number of prayers were extrapolated from the Bible; the actual prayers are written, but the concepts are presented. Anyone who reads this book will have an enthralling imprint made on his or her life. It challenges you to be intimate with God at all times and in every situation.

As a result of its appealing taste, the reader will be inundated in awe. It is God-driven and heaven-sent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514434277

Damion Clarke

Damion Attou Clarke is a native of Jamaica, born in the parish of St. James. He is the author of the book My Struggle. He acquired a bachelor of arts degree in religion and theology from Northern Caribbean University. He serves as a district pastor with the oversight of ten congregations. He is married to Sasha, and together they have produced two wonderful children, Attou-Lee and Attou-Nique. Damion is very passionate about reaching people with the Gospel through whatever means possible. He is one who believes that whatever struggle you encounter in life, there is always a way out, and the first step is to pray.

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Copyright © 2015 by Damion Clarke.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

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Rev. date: 12/10/2015

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Introduction

1. Setting The Pace

a. Prayer! What Is It?

b. The Aim Of Prayer

c. Structure And Length

d. Proper Posture

e. Prayer Barriers

2. Our Ture Condition

3. Under The Altar

4. The Model Prayer

5. Satan’s Hatred And Fear

6. Seven Steps Prayer Journey

7. Confessional Acceptance

8. Power Packed Prayers

a. The Prayer Of Salvation

b. The Prayer Of Intercession

c. Prevailing Prayer

d. Prayer Of Faith

9. Ballad Of The Unjust Jugde

10. The Prayer Of Jabez

11. From Heaven’s Point Of View

12. The Tale Of Judas

13. Old Testament Examples

a. The Lost Opportunity

b. Patriarchs And Kings

c. The Plea For A Blessing

d. The Despairing Cry

e. Josiah’s Reformation

f. From Meekness To Bravery

14. The Snare Of Temptation

15. New Testament Examples

a. The Foundation

b. The Centurion’s Cry

c. The Shortest Prayer

d. First Place

e. The Ironic Prayer

16. Prayer Personalities

a. The Prayer Of Enoch

b. The Prayer Of Cain

c. The Prayer Of A Child

d. The Prayer Of The Publican

e. The Prayer Of Demons

17. Praying In Silence

18. The 23rd Psalm

19. Prayers Of Divine Leading

a. Prayer Of Request

b. The Prayer Of Acceptance

c. The Prayer Of Commitment

d. Prayer Of Divine Guidance

e. Prayer Of Patience

f. Prayer Of Anticipation

20. The Woeful Cries

21. Prayer In Poetry

22. The Lord’s Prayer

23. Selfless Prayers

a. Prayer Of Thanksgiving

b. Prayer Of Inquiry

c. The Prayer Of Consolation

d. Prayer Of Obedience

e. Prayer Of Mercy

f. Prayer Of Wisdom

24. The Fire Of Affliction

25. Excruciating Prayers

a. The Prayer Of Distress

b. The Prayer Of Motivation

c. The Travailing Prayer

d. Prayer Of Misunderstanding

e. The Prayer Of Grief

26. The Perfect Example

a. In Search For Jesus

b. Prayer In The Life Of Jesus

c. At The Brink Of Death

d. The Cross At Calvary

27. Prayer Excerpts

28. Negative Prayers

a. The Dictatorial Prayer

b. The Prayer Of Retaliation

c. The Prayer Of Doubt

d. Prayer Of Disobedience

e. Prayer Of Ungratefulness

f. Prayer Of Death

g. The Prayer Of Insecurity

h. The Prayer Of Regression

i. The Prayer Of Hypocrisy

29. In The Circle

a. Prayer And The Family

b. Prayer And The Minister

c. Prayer And The Personal Life

30. The Results

a. The Power Of Prayer

b. The Fruits Of Prayer

c. Prayer! What It Means For Us Today!

31. The Cry From The Heart Of God

32. The Prayer Of Manasseh

33. Quitting Is Not An Option

34. The Last Prayer

35. The Culmination

Dedicated to

Attou-Lee Clarke

&

Attou-Nique Clarke

Prayer by Damion Clarke

Prayer! Oh how it is wonderful

It helps us best when it is sincere and bountiful

Some people don’t pray as they should

Because prayer has not really been fully understood

It is a divine gift from above

And it evokes blessings that God gives in tender love.

Words can hardly express what I want to say

But oh what a deficit we have when we neglect to pray

Prayer relieves your stress, tears and pain

And oh what comfort it brings to a fizzled brain

There are many stories that have been told

How prayer has wrought many deliverance for men of old.

Prayer is something that we all should share

Because it’s our greatest weapon in our daily warfare

We walk every day through great and terrible storms

And it’s only prayer that can move the Omnipotent Arms

Praises are good to give

But without prayer the soul ceases to live.

Prayer is filled with power

So it should be in our hearts every day, every minute, every hour

No matter the amount of blood that runs in your head

If you don’t pray, your soul is equal to dead

Prayer must be in everything we do

Otherwise we won’t be around when the earth is made new.

Keep praying even when you don’t see the way out

Always utter a petition from your heart and not your mouth

The ground we work on in not level

But when we pray we confound the devil

Always make time to pray, whether in a building or under the trees

Because the devil trembles when he sees the weakest soul on his knees

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It was a tedious task that was undertaken, with lots of insomnia, fatigue and mental strains. Amidst all of this I am appreciative of God’s choice of using me as His instrument, inspiring me and having given me the mental and physical fortitude in order that the desired outcome could have been realized.

My wife and children must be greatly commended for their patience exercised many days and late nights while I was locked away in deep concentration and meditation. The encouragement and support given by my wife is priceless and greatly appreciated. Even my little children gave me invaluable writing ideas.

The encouragement and editorial assistance given by Miss Kerreen Mitchell must never go unnoticed. There were quite a number of persons who played an integral role in the advancement of this writing, whether verbally or written that I must really express sincere gratitude to.

I truly commend myself for having undertaken the task of writing this book. The Lord had given me the task from 2007, but like Jonah I was negligent towards its undertaking. However, after a few years of defiance I had no other choice but to have taken on the task and ensuring that it was brought to fruition. I am happy to know that I could have been a co-labourer with God.

INTRODUCTION

1 Timothy 2:1: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

It is our duty to pray. Prayer is an awesome privilege with an obligation that is binding and imperative. Failure to pray is an act of losing enjoyment and the sweet privilege that is offered by prayer. Prayer is an appointment with God and it’s through the fulfillment of such appointment that we get God’s aid; an aid that is limitless and inexhaustible. It is through the avenue of prayer that God supplies man’s needs. It is the channel through which God transports His good gifts to man. When we pray we enter God’s audience chamber. To our heavenly Father prayer means a lot.

We are undeserving of His love and mercy; yet when we offer our imperfect tribute of thanksgiving, confess our sins and make our requests He make His promises known to us.

It has been recorded that the greatest people of all times are people who have been fervent in prayer. There are people who speak a lot about prayer; there are those who say they believe in prayer and some who can elaborate a lot on prayer, but there are those who sincerely pray making them great giants in God. Sincere prayers are always sacrificial; the busyness of life does not afford one with conducive time to pray, so such time must be taken from something else that is also important, but that of which, must never be important as prayer. If prayer has become incidental, and it is not our primary focus then it would have lost its power. We need to partake of prayer just as the air we breathe; we need the air for survival, similarly we need prayer to exist. We must always be cognizant of the fact that the battles of life are lost or won on the battlefield of prayer; this is where all our circumstances of life should be conquered. We must never have a physical combat with our enemies; we should bring them in the presence of God and fight them on our knees.

Quite often prayer has been overlooked, understated or underutilized; the power that’s embedded in prayer has not been tried to its fullest, thus the tremendous results that could have come through prayer have been minute. This book seeks to draw the reader into a more committed prayer life, positing that prayer is the most powerful, yet the most unused weapon that we have in our spiritual warfare.

Prayer is an inexhaustible source of success, yet many people are not aware of what they are neglecting or what they could have had. This book seeks to put prayer in its proper perspective and context; it seeks to draw the reader into a more decisive course of action as it relates to prayer. Prayer transcends boundaries, nationalities and ethnicity; it is a universal language that is used everywhere and it far transcends history.

This book looks at various aspects of prayer from different personalities; it extracts from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and also extra-biblical sources. The Author has written from different perspectives, looking at various aspects and types of prayer. This text has been written primarily from a Theologian perspective rather than a scholarly point of view.

The impact that this book will have on its reader will be an indelible one; one of infinite value. The Author is positing that Prayer and Bible Study are inadvertently joined together and they are inseparable; a person who does not study God’s word cannot sincerely pray as they ought to. In light of this the Author believes that Prayer is not a Retirement Plan or a Fixed Deposit; it is a Loan that attracts interests every day.

SETTING THE PACE

PRAYER! WHAT IS IT?

There are many and varied theories as to what prayer is and what it is not. Many persons have formulated various definitions of prayer that have been quoted over the years, and even though they quote them many people still don’t know what prayer really is. If prayer is properly understood, we would want to make it a permanent part of our lives. So what really is prayer?

E.M. Bounds writes: Prayer is not a mere habit, riveted by custom and memory, something which must be gone through with its value depending upon the decency and perfection of the performance. Prayer is not a duty which must be performed to ease obligation and to quiet conscience. Prayer is not mere privilege, a sacred indulgence to be taken advantage of, at leisure, at pleasure, at will, and no serious loss attending its omission. (The Reality of Prayer, 5-6)

Prayer is a solemn service due to God, an adoration, a worship, an approach to God for some request, the presenting of some desire, the expression of some need to Him, who supplies all needs, and who satisfies all desires; who, as a Father, finds His greatest pleasure in relieving the wants and granting the desires of His children. Prayer is the seeking of God’s great and greatest good, which will not come if we do not pray. Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid man in everything that God can devise or man can need. Prayer fills man’s emptiness with God’s fullness. It fills man’s poverty with God’s riches. It puts away man’s weakness with God’s strength. It banishes man’s littleness with God’s greatness. Prayer is God’s plan to supply man’s great and continuous need with God’s great and continuous abundance. (Ibid)

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. (Steps to Christ, 93) Prayer is the hand of man reaching up in faith to connect with the hand of God which is always reaching down. Prayer can also be view as a tool in your hand that only works when it is being used. Prayer is telling God what He knows that you never knew that God wants you to know that you will always need His help. Prayer is the essentially the unseen cable that leads from the heart of God to the heart of man. Ellen. G. White states that Prayer is the key in the hands of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse where are treasured the boundless resources of omnipotence. (Steps to Christ, 94)

Prayer is very essential to a Christian’s growth; it is the digestive juice that is needed when one has eaten the bread from the Word of God. Prayer can be public or private, silent or audible; and depending on the location, function, and purpose it can be either long or short. Human beings do not know exactly what to pray for or how to make their petitions known to God; The Bible makes it plain that it is the Holy Spirit who makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

Prayer should be the breath we breathe. The secret to spiritual power lies in prayer; if there is any substitute the health of the soul will deteriorate. If we become negligent in our prayers or engage in it intermittently, or when we have the convenience our grip on God will be lost. Prayer must be bathed and clothed in faith; if faith is absent from our prayers we have actually uttered useless words that will not even leave the confines of the area we occupied while we tried to convince ourselves that we had actually prayed.

There are a few crucial elements that characterize a prayer:

• Correct motive

• Faith

• Confession

• A Broken and Contrite heart

• A clear conscience

• Humility

• Holy Spirit

Put all of these ingredients in an oven and what you will see coming back out is PRAYER.

THE AIM OF PRAYER

The aim of prayer is not to force God’s hand or make Him do our will against His own, but to enhance a deepening of our knowledge of who God really is and, for us to have unsurpassed fellowship with Him through contemplating His glory and goodness, confessing our dependence and need, and consciously and graciously embracing his goals. Whenever we make our request known to God they must be done in Jesus’ name.

To ask in Jesus’ name is not to use a verbal spell but to base our asking on Christ’s saving relationship to us through the cross; this will involve making petitions which Christ can endorse and puts His name to. When God answers in Jesus’ name, He gives through Jesus as our Mediator and to Jesus as the one who will be glorified through what is given. (James Packer)

When we pray we should surrender to the will of God and cooperate with His will. Whenever a man decides to climb a rock and throws his hook upon the top of a rock he does not pull the rock to him; he pulls himself to the top of that rock. Likewise, prayer does not pull God to our will but aligns us with the will of God; through prayer we become submissive to God’s will. The aim of prayer is to draw humanity closer up to God. Prayer spans the gulf that was dug deep by sin. It is through the medium of prayer that we can enter God’s throne. What make prayer significant is not the answers that we receive as a result of our praying, but rather the deepening of a rooted, concretized and intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. When we have that open communion with God we enhance and facilitate the construction and solidifying of such relationship. The central significance of prayer is not in the things that happen as results, but in the deepening intimacy and unhurried communion with God at His central throne of control in order to discover a sense of God’s need in order to call on God’s help to meet that need (The Weapon of Prayer)

When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do. (A.C. Dixon, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody)

The story is told of a young girl who once wrote a missionary to let him know that she was keeping him in her prayers. She had been told not to request a response to her letter because the missionary was very busy, so she began her letter with these words; Dear Mr. Missionary, I am praying for you, but don’t worry, I am not expecting an answer. (Anonymous)

This is how many Christians pray: they bring their dilemmas before God’s throne, but they don’t really expect any answers. They ask for God’s help and then immediately seek for way’s that they can fix their problems or alleviate their pains and sufferings. Those are not prayers that God is really interested in answering because such attitude does not show our full reliance on Him. It reveals our lack of trust in His ability to answer our prayers.

Our society has been transformed into a here and now society; it lacks patience and perseverance. We want God to move like money transfer agencies or cup noodles; as soon as we are off our knees the answer should arrive. We try at times to hurry God and, He cannot be hurried into anything He’s not prepared to endorse. We often forget that God knows the opportune time and the perfect way in which He should answer our prayers. We should always allow God to do His Omniscient work in His Omnipotent time, in His Omnipresent places and stop trying to rush Him to fit into our imperfect schedules and cubicles.

The Aim of Prayer is to transport us into the presence of God; thanking Him for His abundant blessings. If we express more gratitude towards God we will always have more for which to be thankful for. If our hearts go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life.(Christ Object Lessons, 129)

Prayer evokes God’s blessings and mercies. It is through prayer that we experience the true fellowship with God. He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. (The Desire of Ages, 668)

STRUCTURE AND LENGTH

The Little Oxford Dictionary defines prayer as a request or thanksgiving to God.

The structure of prayer actually entails both a request and thanksgiving.

Prayer is not a list of ‘give me’; it’s not all about I want this or that; Prayer has a particular format and structure.

Prayer has three basic components:(firstly) it must address or acknowledge sovereignty, (secondly) it must carry a petition, and (thirdly) it must tell who the petition is for.

One of the shortest prayers in the Bible is found in St Matthew 14:30: it’s a simple prayer prayed by Peter when he was in the midst of his dilemma. The prayer is comprised of just three words: Lord Save Me!

When we pray we don’t have to be superfluous, all we need to ensure is that it carries the basic components and we are sincere.

God does not desire our ceremonial compliments, but the unspoken cry of the heart broken and subdued with a sense of its sin and utter weakness finding its way to the Father of all mercy. (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 86)

Jesus taught His disciples that only that prayer which arises from unfeigned lips, prompted by the actual wants of the soul, is genuine, and will bring heaven’s blessing to the petitioner (Prayer, 176)

Individuals differ significantly when it comes to the length of the prayers they offer. Many believe that prayers that are offered should be short, precise and to the point; others believe that they should pray lengthy prayers, because the longer it is, the more convincing it will be. Many long prayers are Pharisaic as they are meant to impress rather than intercede. No one should really tell anyone how long they should pray but sometimes people need to be reminded of where they are.

There are a few things that should determine a prayer:

• The situation and setting should dictate the length of our prayers. We must always be mindful of who our audience is when we make our petitions.

• Prayer should not be made as a means of impressing others, but must be undertaken with a genuine heart according to God’s will.

• Prayer should be offered conscientiously and the mind must be well focused on the desires that God has placed in your heart. Distractions should be blocked out whether in mind or in sight. If you don’t enjoy praying then it will be a very difficult task trying to stay focused.

• Prayer can be continuously long especially in those times when Satan is giving you the strongest of opposition. Whenever Satan is resisting you it is a strong indication that you are praying according to God’s will and your prayer is of paramount value. Satan had withstood Daniel for twenty-one days when he was interceding for something of great value. He will do the same to us.

• We should always pray until we’re answered. It makes no sense just scratching the surface of prayer; we must be persistent. Jesus admonishes us in Luke 18:1: men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

• In your praying you should never forget for whom you are praying.

• Learn to emulate Jesus in spending much time in prayer. Nothing is wrong in praying long but there is an occasion and place for it. Jesus often spent a whole night alone with God; He never did that in public.

The prayers offered in public should be short and to the point. God does not require us to make the season of worship tedious by lengthy petitions. Christ did not enforce upon His disciples wearisome ceremonies and long prayers. When thou prayest, He said, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.(Gospel Workers, 175)

We need not follow the example of the Pharisees who had strict designated hours for prayer and never offer their petitions outside such hours. Wherever they were when such hours came; whether in the busy streets or the marketplace they would cease whatever they were doing and rehearse their long, routine, formal, lifeless prayers. Jesus rebuked such praying because they were for self-gratification.

The Length of a Prayer

The length of a prayer should be determined by the situation, location and the atmosphere; when praying we should have a consciousness of the need and pray accordingly; we must never lose or weary our audience.

For any public prayer a few minutes is long enough. These prayers are more formal than the ones we offer in private, but they should be shorter in length. There are times when the agonizing soul is propelled by the Holy Spirit to prolong, but in general our prayers must not be tedious, giving God a lecture rather than presenting our sincere request and thanksgiving.

The will of God is to answer our prayers, but our wills need educating and they need their horizons enlarged. It is when the will is thus re-educated and strengthened that prayer is heaven’s ordained means of success. (The Acts of the Apostles, 564)

Prayer ought not to be written and recited; they need to be borne from the heart because every occasion and situation is different and must be dealt with in accordance to the particularity of its needs. Every difficulty that is encountered is an opportunity to pour out the heart to God; not for a mere recital. Jesus never recited a prayer; he prayed sincerely from the heart. There is a divine science in prayer, and Christ brings to view principles that all need to understand. (Christ’s Object Lessons, 142). We all need to learn how to pray more effectively.

Quotations on prayer

• Let men learn to pray… prayers short and right to the point. (Testimonies: vol. 8, 147)

• Our prayers need not be loud and long. (Messages to Young People, 247)

• The prayers offered… are frequently long and inappropriate… . Brethren, carry the people with you in your prayers. Go to your Saviour…, tell Him what you need on that occasion. (Testimonies: vol. 5, 201)

• Long prayers in a congregation are tedious to those who listen, and do not prepare the hearts of the people for the sermon which is to follow. (TheReview and Herald, May 28, 1895)

• It is generally the case that the less of heaven’s vitality there is in a prayer, the more lengthy it is. (Ibid., Jan. 14, 1902)

PROPER POSTURE

Many people are of the notion that if you don’t kneel and close your eyes and talk to God it’s not a prayer. However, it’s the situation that really determines how prayers are orchestrated. Some prayers just occur in the spur of the moment. Once the three elements are included it is a prayer because many prayers are just simple, straight forward, and to the point.

Both in public and in private worship, it is our privilege to bow on our knees before the Lord when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our example, kneeled down, and prayed. Of His disciples it is recorded that they, too, kneeled down, and prayed. Paul declared, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In confessing before God the sins of Israel, Ezra knelt. Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.(Messages to Young People, 251)

There is a profound and imperative statement we need to take a scrutinizing look at: God must be sought on your knees; you must go forth to meet the people through the power and influence of His Spirit. (S.D.A Bible Commentary Vol 2, 1003} The Psalmist write: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95:6.

We hope that our brethren will not manifest less reverence and awe as they approach the only true and living God than the heathen manifest for their idol deities, or these people will be our judges in the day of final decision Men and women, do not dishonor God by your irreverence and pomposity. Do not stand up in your Pharisaism and offer your prayers to God. Mistrust your own strength. Depend not in it; but often bow down on your knees before God, and worship Him. (Selected Messages vol. 2, 314)

It is not always possible for us to be on our needs when we pray, but we need to bear in mind that the way to the Mercy Seat is always clear. We can call upon God at any time: when we are engaged in our labour, at play and otherwise.

It is not always necessary to bow upon your knees in order to pray. Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. (The Ministry of Healing, 510-511)

It is evident that base on the situation and the setting, the proper posture for prayer is to fall prostrate upon our knees. It seems to be the more common posture that permeated the Bible. Whenever there is the opportunity we all need to kneel in humility and contrition before the Sovereign of the Universe. "And when you assemble to worship God, be sure and bow your knees before Him. Let this act testify that the whole soul, body, and spirit are in subjection to the