Some types of prayer breakout and breakthrough, and other types break in to the fabric of who we are. This way of praying changes us and challenges us to pray beyond what we know.

The truth is, it’s not always easy. Many things get in the way and block our capacity to pray. Prayer can become formulaic, program, or book based. Other times it may get stuck in meaningless repetition, and sometimes we simply lose the stamina to stick with it.

Often, what we think is prayer is really worry with “God words” at the beginning and end of it.

“Dear Lord, worry…worry…worry… in Jesus’ name, AMEN!”

Worry restates negative trust in fearful outcomes. It’s the belief that what we dread will be the outcome of what we pray. But Jesus offers a different way to think about prayer in Matthew 7:7-11. He says to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK. Asking starts us in prayer, seeking confuses us, and knocking irritates us!

Here are three strategies in prayer to help combat worry, and to fulfill Jesus’ invitation to ask, seek, and knock.

Breath Prayer: Breath prayer is a quick way to pray without ceasing. Like taking a breath in, and exhaling out, we repeat a meaningful phrase or utterance that we direct straight to God. In the Psalms, David repeated a breath prayer, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We, too, can pray a prayer like a breath. Confirming and reaffirming our need and trust in God. Breath prayer redirects individual thoughts and emotions like a quick kiss from Jesus.

A second type of prayer is Defining Prayer. Defining prayer cuts through who we are to usher us into CHANGE. To define something is to be able to explain it. Defining prayer allows Jesus access to cut through deception so you can understand yourself. Defining prayer is not for someone else…it’s for you.

In John 5:1-9 we see a man thirty-eight years paralyzed, lying by a pool of water. Jesus sees him and knows he’s been a long time in that condition. He asks the man a probing but defining question, “Do you wish to get well?” Sometimes Jesus will ask us these tough questions when He wants us to choose to change and participate in the miracle He’s bringing alive in our lives.

The final type of prayer is Vision Prayer. Vision prayer focuses on the expectation that God can do something miraculous if we posture ourselves to see and receive. Defining prayer is about our response to what Jesus wants to do within us. Vision prayer is about our expectation towards what God can do.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 says to write the vision so the one who reads it may run. Though it may take some time, wait for it, it will certainly come. When creating a vision prayer, we write our vision out on paper. We realize that our vision has an appointed time, and if we’ve remained in relationship with God, even if the vision goes beyond timeframes we understand, we feel assured He will bring it to pass.

Gutsy Faith Challenge:

Create a breath prayer and say it repeatedly for one week. Replace worry with this prayer.

Read John 5 and see if Jesus is asking you a probing question such as, “Do you wish to get well?” Be honest in your answer back to Him.
Write a vision prayer on paper. Pray it over a period of time. Keep referring back to it as your guide and model of belief.

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Episode 113: Prayer That Breaks In