Is Your Prayer Like a Fence or a Door?

Is your prayer a fence that keeps God from entering, or like a door through which He releases His power? Reflect on this verse: “and whatever you ask in My name, I will do...“ John 14:13, “ask whatever you wish, and you will receive it.“ John 15:7

A rodeo bull waits impatiently for the gate of its pen to open, and when that happens it lets out all its energy. I wonder whether my prayer is more like a fence that blocks, or like a door through which something comes out? The rodeo bull analogy above does not fully capture what I mean. God or His power is not a bull, and we are not its rider. Still, let us focus for a moment on the picture of a fence and a door.

Gaps in Prayer

I use an app to record my prayers. I categorize them by topic. Recently I looked back through those notes. Most of them are lists of the names of people I want to win for God. Some contain prayers for the healing of several of my friends. Only a few are about world events. None are about politics. Where are the gaps in your prayer? what fences keep God from working?

God’s Vision for Prayer

Our vision is very limited. But God’s vision in answering us is greater than we imagine: “Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things, things you do not know.” - Jeremiah 33:3. If God can see more than we can, it is not strange to pray for things whose direction and purpose we cannot see (beyond our ability), because we live by faith, not by sight ( 2 Corinthians 5:7)

Clearly, our prayers must align with God’s vision. He will not answer if something is contrary to His will. But do we use that reason not to pray for things we consider impossible?

Everyone and Everything

Prayer is for everyone, and for everything that is on one’s mind and heart. No matter how foolish or impossible it seems, this is what God says about prayer. Are we fencing God in by praying only about a few things in a few areas, when we should be able to pray about everything? God can do more than we think.

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul closes his words with a sentence that I believe is a prayer: “To Him who is able to do far more than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” - Ephesians 3:20–21

Our prayers open the gate to God’s power when we bring Himself, His power, and His greatness into our prayers. We fence Him in when we pray only about our weaknesses, sins, limitations, and fears. Of course, it is not wrong to bring those things, but we should not end there. But can we focus more on God’s power?

Relevance

Paul saw everything as relevant, as he wrote in Philippians 4:6,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything make your requests known to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

If only we placed everything  before God in prayer, He will do what He said in John 14:12, 14. The words If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it, appear 6 times in John chapters 14-17. Jesus was teaching His disciples something fundamental. Do we understand it?

Divine Power

In the book, “Don’t just stand there… Pray something!”, Ronald Dunn writes:

“…prayer is set forth as the primary human factor in the accomplishment of God’s programme on earth .. Divine action .. is conditioned upon believing prayer. This prayer is set forth as the chief task of the believer.  It is his responsibility to ask.  It is God’s responsibility to accomplish.”  p29

(Prayer is presented as the primary human factor in the fulfillment of God’s program on earth .. Divine action .. is conditioned upon believing prayer. This prayer is presented as the chief task of the believer. It is his responsibility to ask. It is God’s responsibility to accomplish it) p29

Consider these words of Jesus: “and whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” - John 14:13. Why do we not pray to God about EVERYTHING?

Question

What do you pray about most often, and what do you avoid the most? What helps you pray about something impossible?

*Church GKDI is currently in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every region. If you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

Related article: Christian Prayer That Moves God’s Heart - Part 1