What If Prayer Is Also a Spiritual Gift?

[Reimagine Curator]

 

One of the most clarifying insights in my journey as a person of prayer was realizing: this is a gift! Not everybody shares this gift! In C. Peter Wagner’s Prayer Shields, he talked about how all of the gifts are in the minority. More of our bodies are not eyes than are eyes. More of our bodies are not hands than are hands. And so whatever the exact number of spiritual gifts may be, each one is probably only around 5-10% of the body. And of those, not everybody exercises the gifts they have been given. I would say: every Christian needs to be able to pray, but not every Christian needs to be able to pray a lot. I appreciated C. Peter Wagner’s description of people of prayer in Prayer Shield. *** • They pray longer. One hour per day is the minimum I've encountered; more typically, they pray two to five hours per day. • They pray with more intensity. For many, their prayer time is often an emotional experience involving both laughter and tears. • They achieve a sense of intimacy with God—a familiarity that allows them to hear from God and see through God's eyes for any circumstances He chooses. • They have a greater faith to know that they are praying in God's will, and that the will of God is going to be accomplished. • They enjoy prayer more and receive more personal satisfaction from their prayer times. • They see more frequent and dramatic answers to their prayers. This raises their faith and provides more fuel for the fires of intercession that burn within them. • They are acutely aware of hearing clearly and directly from God. Many have both the gift of intercession and the gift of prophecy. I have observed a significant overlap between these two gifts. *** As I read, I felt a shock of recognition, as he defined my experience so clearly. Wagner estimated that, like many of the gifts of the Spirit, somewhere between 5% and 10% of believers carry the gift of prayer. He emphasized that we need to not project our gifts. Any gift feels effortless to us because we carry the gift. It’s easy for us to wonder, “Why does everybody else not exercise the same gift that I do? It’s not that hard!” When in reality, it’s not hard for us, because it’s our gift. Just because I love to pray doesn’t mean that I should assume that everyone else should love it as much as I do. Growing Prayer, coming next Tuesday, is one way to learn a little bit more. The landing page, despite many hours of (faithful and frustrating) effort yesterday, refused to cooperate. The team is out for the holiday weekend. We’ll figure it out. First call on Tuesday morning, July 7, at 9:40am ET. More details to come. Lord Jesus, thank you that even the disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” You love our prayers, whether they are smooth and polished, or beginning and a bit more clueless. You are a good God, and it is our pleasure to walk with you. Amen. To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ, Amy Joy Lykosh

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