Day 22: Waiting Prayer, Part 1

“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His Word….
‘few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better,
and it will not be taken away from her.’”
Luke 10:39, 42

Luke’s Gospel spends a lot of time on the theme of hearing the Word of God and obeying: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28 Mary lived this out in Luke 10 when Jesus arrived to eat at Martha’s home. The Scripture says Martha was distracted, worried, and upset about many things, but Mary focused on hearing the Word.

This prayer tool allows us to imagine sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His Word. While we imagine ourselves sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His Words, we practice what can be called “waiting” prayer. We sit and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak to us, and help us understand and grow in our faith.

While waiting we ask God to send the Holy Spirit to come and capture our imagination. We ask our Heavenly Father to allow the Holy Spirit take captive our thoughts. And we ask our Father to reveal to us, clearly, what is true about us in Jesus Christ.

Prayerwork, Part 1: This prayer exercise[1] will take place in three parts:

1) Read Ephesians chapters one and two.

2) Go back and reread Ephesians 1-2, and underline any words in the Scripture that God says are true of you because of Christ. Look for what is true of you because of a) what Jesus accomplished on the cross, b) what Jesus accomplished by sending the Holy Spirit to indwell you, c) what Jesus is accomplishing by praying for you right now.

3) Think about the words of Scripture you underlined. (Thinking about God, Jesus, what Jesus accomplished on the cross, Scripture, and how we apply Scripture to our lives is called biblical meditation. Biblical meditation does not clear our mind, biblical meditation fills our mind with what is true.) In this assignment we are thinking about what is true of us according to Ephesians chapters one and two.

Prayerwork, Part 2: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you one of the words or phrases of Scripture you underlined to think about more deeply. Ask the Holy Spirit to allow one of those words to become “radioactive” to your spirit—giving you peace, and energy, and rest. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of this truth about you frequently today as you turn your thoughts to Him in prayer.

Prayerwork, Part 3: I love this exercise from Terry Wardle, where we take that truth the Holy Spirit highlighted for us and we fill in this sentence: “I am _____________________.”

When I did this exercise the Holy Spirit highlighted that I have received abundant grace. When I filled in my sentence I said, “I am covered with abundant grace,” I imagined diving into and drowning in a giant ocean of grace, covered over completely and filled up in every part of my being.

Prayerwork, Part 4: Tell God thank you for the word or phrase that He used to impact your spirit and encourage you.

Prayerwork, Part 5: Ask God to send His Holy Spirit to give you a picture or a video in your imagination of you becoming or receiving the Word that is true of you in Jesus.

Prayerwork, Part 6: Tell God thank you for the word picture or image that He used to impact your spirit and encourage you—and if you didn’t receive a word or a picture, thank God, too. Let Him know you trust in His timing and you trust how He uses your imagination.

Prayerwork, Part 7: Go back to your prayer list from Day 20. Go over the names you wrote down, and ask God to soften their heart and start putting on their mind a desire to pray. Continue to turn your thoughts toward God throughout the day. Later today, set your alarm, and read and meditate and pray through a new Psalm.

“…if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ….”
2 Corinthians 5:17, 18

[1] Terry Wardle. “True of You.” Slingstones. March 23, 2018. 18:15. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-5fk7u-8dd123; This is a prayer exercise that I was able to participate in listening to Terry Wardle’s podcast. I recommend listening to it, to get a feel for how Terry walk’s you through the prayer exercise.