The Prayer Principle of Insulation

"And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them." Luke 9:18

Principle: Prayer has the capacity to enable a prayer warrior to benefit from the Presence of God, without interference from the presence of people.

Complete solitude and absolute silence are not prerequisites for a prayer warrior to establish a layer of insulation between the Presence of God, and the interference of others. It is possible to be "alone" in a crowded plane, a busy sidewalk, traffic gridlock or an intimidating classroom. Intimacy with God is not limited to a pristine sanctuary or retreat.

God is not limited by time and space. He is available for immediate intimacy and instant communication. Regardless of the circumstances and conditions of surrounding the seeker, God is near, and He is listening. The Scripture portrays this "prayer paradox" when it describes Jesus surrounded by His disciples, and yet He is alone with God in prayer.

Jesus had established intimacy with God, by praying as He walked to the city of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16). His conversation with God was not interrupted by the general crowd noise of others around Him. In fact, the conversations He overheard were most likely a stimulus rather than a hindrance to His time with God.

It appears Jesus may have been praying for God to give His disciple's insight concerning His true identity. His question sought to discover if God had responded to His request. Peter passed the oral exam with high marks for insight and sensitivity to the revelation of God. In Matthew's account, Jesus rejoiced that God accomplished through prayer, what flesh and blood could not achieve: spiritual insight. Effective prayer calls for God to reveal Himself to others. It asks God to do what only He can do, and accomplish something only He can get credit for.

The Practice of Prayer: Practice the Presence of God by identifying the times and places you need to be able to insulate yourself. Surround yourself with the Presence of God, by getting alone with Him. Pray to Him and hear from Him, in spite of the crowded conditions surrounding you.

Thought for the Day: As long as there is a math class, there will be prayer in schools.

"It is not enough for the pastors to pray fervently, nor is it sufficient for a leadership team to pray ardently on behalf of the congregation. Until the church owns prayers as a world class weapon in the battle against evil and cherishes prayer as a means of intimate and constant communication with God, the turn around efforts of a body are severely limited, if not altogether doomed, to failure." George Barna