What If You Took Prayer to the Next Level? Part 3

Enough Prayer to Spread Around

What Does Prayer Look Like to You? – Part 3.3

Let’s discuss the impact that prayer has on those around you when you take prayer to the next level. Many times we take it for granted that our prayer should be directed towards others more so than towards oneself. Let me say it in a different way. While we pray for ourselves the majority of the time, our prayers should be offered for others. The average person spends the majority of their prayer time praying for themselves, but a next-level person of prayer prays for others more than themselves. Taking prayer to the next level means we value others above ourselves.^[1]

If Not Us Then Who Is Praying?
We have a discipline where we spend time praying for ourselves which includes our family, but at a certain point (time) in prayer, we turn our attention off of ourselves and place it on others. In fact, we’ve not prayed until we’ve prayed for someone else. What I mean by others is this, be intentional regarding praying for others. Have a list of people you pray for. Our family has this saying, “if not us then who, if not now then when?“

Allow me to ask you a question. Who’s praying for your mother, your father, your son, your daughter, your wife, your husband? Who’s praying for your friends? Are you willing to leave this most important act in the hands of a non-next-level-pray-er? Can you really be certain that anyone else is praying for them? Chances are no one is praying for them. In fact, it is a better chance that no one is praying than someone is praying because prayer is an uncommon act. If not you, then who? If you’re not and you’re a pray-er, it’s a good chance that no one else is either.

Are they worth a prayer?
Job (not job, like Steve Jobs) says “when desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends, at least, should stick with them.”^[2] Job, whose story you know, had some desperate times. If anyone should have given up on God, Job should have been the person. However, Job had a better perspective of what to expect of one’s friends. When you’re at your breaking point, you should be able to count on your friends to be there for you.

Now I need to flip this around on you. If anyone should be there for your friend, it should be you. Your friend should be able to count on you when they find themselves at their breaking point. Back to prayer, if anyone can be counted on to pray for me, it should be my friends. In fact, I should have no doubt that my friends pray for me often. Your friend, your family and all those you know should find themselves on your regular list of people to pray for. Your friends should rest easy knowing they have a friend like you praying on their behalf. This is next-level prayer. You see we must get beyond average, ordinary, less than effective prayer and get to the next level. If the people in your life mean something to you, wouldn’t they be worth a prayer? Is your family worth a prayer?

I want someone praying for me who can get results in prayer.
Who is the person you’d like praying for you?
Will you accept just anyone praying for you or do you need someone to pray for you who knows what they’re doing? Let’s talk about next-level prayer.

If you had a death sentence pronounced on your life and the only hope you had of surviving is an act of God, who would you want praying for you? Maybe you only have six months to live. Maybe it’s a heart transplant and no donors are available. Maybe it’s the effects of having a stroke or heart attack. A situation where you are unable to do something yourself, etc. You know a death sentence where there is nothing humanly possible or available that can alter it. Who is that person you’d want to pray with you?

I’ve made up my mind that everyone can’t pray for me. I want people who have a resume of answered prayers. By the way, there are people who do know how to talk to God and God hears them. I call it next-level prayer. If this is what you’re after, you’re in the right place.

Now allow me to bring this full circle. What does prayer look like to you? Pamela and I have a small book called “When Ordinary is No Longer Enough.” As I write, I think its title says it all. The life of prayer that you’ve been living, be it ordinary, average, or normal; it’s not enough. With that said, it’s time you considered taking what you know of and experience in prayer to the next level.

Question: in what ways can you begin thinking of taking your prayer to the next level?

What you can expect in the next section?
Here’s a brief overview of what’s ahead. Now that we have an idea of what prayer looks like, we will begin with “Prayer 101.” In college the 101 level class is the beginner course for a college student, which makes the assumption that we’re talking about the basics. Unfortunately as it relates to prayer, most of us are not at level 101, but rather the Prayer 099 level. The reason is because like a college student, we must enroll in a 100 level class in order to have a 100 level understanding of the subject. It’s to make sure we have the minimum basics to go beyond. We think we know what prayer is. However, we confuse prayer with a lot of different things. For example, is laying hands on the sick prayer? Another question we ask here is “do you have to bow your head to pray?” Does a prayer have to end in “Amen”? Do I need to close my eyes? Our next topic is that of Prayer 101.

Reference #1: Philippians 2:3-4 NIV‬, Bible.com, accessed July 5, 2021, https://www.bible.com/bible/111/PHP.2.3-4.NIV
Reference #2: Job‬ ‭6:14-23‬ ‭MSG‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed July 5, 2021, https://www.bible.com/97/job.6.14-23.msg

All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.