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PRAYER “UP” (TO GOD), PRAYER “OUT” (WITH GOD)

We have been focusing on prayer “up” – prayers of intercession, petition, and centering that do not require the presence of another except ourselves and God.

“Ministering Prayer” is a category of prayer that brings together ourselves, God, and another and concentrates on the benefit of the other or others present during the time of prayer. We might call this prayer “out”.

OBJECTIVE OF MINISTERING PRAYER: TO JOIN GOD WHERE HE IS ALREADY AT WORK“Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5: 19)

SOME TYPES OF MINISTERING PRAYER

• Declarative prayer (“Pick up your mat and walk!”, “Tabitha, rise!”) John 5: 8, Acts 9: 40

• Listening Prayer – Cues from the Spirit (“a word of knowledge” or “a word of wisdom” given by the Spirit) I Cor. 12: 8

SOME TYPES OF LISTENING PRAYER – CONTINUED

• Guided Imagery Prayer - Sometimes called “Soaking Prayer”, “Inner Healing Prayer”, etc (“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”) Psalm 147: 3

• Prayers of Blessing (“Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.  Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns”). Gen 49: 20, 21

SKILLS REQUIRED

• A discerning spirit –

• A posture of listening, watching, and joining –

• Sensitivity to the dignity and needs of those receiving prayer –

• Dedication to “wait” and “stay with” until the prayer objectives are reached or the time comes to stop –

• Belief in your ability to be an agent of God’s healing

An attitude of love will always bring about a “win”!

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