One of the books I’m reading from today is Adventures in Prayer by Catherine Marshall. In her prologue she says, “Admittance to the School of Prayer is by an entrance test with only two questions. The first one is: Are you in real need? The second is: Do you admit that you are helpless to handle that need?”1

          If asked, most of us – myself included – would not disagree that prayer is part of our Christian lives in which we sometimes stumble around. We know we ought to. In fact, we sincerely want to, and yet, over the years I’ve had many conversations with women who feel that their prayer life seems wanting, that it lacks a sense of really connecting to the One to Whom their prayers are directed.

          For years now, I’ve sought to grow in this area. Admittedly, I stumble and fall often. Most definitely I do so without any hint of condemnation. What I do feel is the continually encouragement from the Lord to continue to draw near; to never let the desire to talk to Him fall away or get sucked up by the busyness of life.

          On a number of occasions my awareness of weakness and lack has led me to teach on the topic of prayer and the result is always more than satisfactory, more than fulfilling. How could it not be! Drawing near to God is one of, if not the greatest of experiences for the believer.
 

          In those times of teaching I’ve seen women overcome with emotion as they share their encounters with God as they open their mouths (some for the first time) and talk to their Father from their simple place of need.

          Catherine goes on to say that: “Whatever I have learned about prayer has come as the result of times when I could answer a resounding YES to both questions. Looking back over my life, those times of need stand out like mountain peaks rather than, as one might suppose, valleys of despond. Peaks -because each time I learned something important about God – how real He is and how gloriously able to answer prayer.”

          I can shout Amen and Halleluiah to her discovery. For, I think when our prayer is all of God and Who He Is -the sufficiency of His Person and Power and Grace – then, and only then do we cross the divide which transcends our frail weak humanity and enter into a measure of His Spirit which He allows in those precious moments to remind us of Who He is in the midst of our need.

          Oh, how I’ve learned to know and believe that He truly does hear and see and know and care and love and want to incline His ear to listen to my voice and yours.

          So dear ones, how would you answer the above questions?

          My encouragement to you today:
 Posture yourself rightly before the One Who Is Holy and talk to Him.

          “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  Matthew 7:7-11

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie  serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.
 
1 Adventure in Prayer, Catherine Marshall, page 1.