Hitting the Mark...

Do you ever feel like you just don't know HOW to pray in a certain situation or for a certain situation? I know that I have often felt like that!  It's during these times, I pray the best ( and shortest) prayer that my prayer mentor and friend, Agnes, taught me to pray - and it goes like this......' Oh God, help!'...Best prayer ever...and always gets results! Why? Because I know He hears me - the Word tells us that! 

There's another thing you can do, if you are wondering how to pray about something - GO TO THE WORD!....There was a real movement a number of years ago, that taught us how to pray the scriptures.  Many people have forgotten that, but I think it's good to be refreshed in it!  When we pray according to the Word - we can be confident of 'hitting the mark'.

One of the meanings of intercession is to 'strike the mark'...and that is a phrase that is derived from a Hebrew term ' PAGA'. (Dutch Sheets does a great teaching about this in his book, ' Intercessory Prayer.') Paga means 'to meet'; and it is often referred to as the 'violent part of intercession'. ( check out Benni Johnson's book on the Happy Intercessor'. ) Don't you just LOVE that...?!! I do..and I must admit it's probably because there is something of a 'warrior' inside of me!  I love praying, but I'd never do well in a group that didn't get loud once in a while!  I can always tell when I'm 'hitting the mark'...Something in me winds up, or amps up..and I can feel the strength and power of heaven behind me when I pray! My husband just thinks I get louder....but it's much more than that! It's an authority that comes and yes...it does tend to come with more volume -altho not always!  For those who think we ought to always pray quietly...remember this:

Heb. 5:7  During the days of Jesus' life on earth he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death...AND HE WAS HEARD because of his reverent submission!'....

So, while it's not the volume that made Him heard, but his heart towards God's will - even Jesus was LOUD when the need was great! His prayers were aimed at God...

 Another scripture is Job. 36:32 which  is often used to describe a 'paga' meeting...' He covers His hands with lightening and commands it to strike ( the mark).'  I love it!...What a picture of power!

BUT the point of all this, is 'hitting the mark'....  Even the very term 'hitting the mark', is an offensive term. We push through, press on...press in! In order to pray prayers that 'hit the mark' tho, we must be on a quest to know God's heart, and the only way we can do that with certainty, is to know His heart! Where do we go to find His heart? Go to the Word!

As intercessors we NEED to be focused in our prayers and in our intercession. We can't be aiming all over the place....- it's like that picture my husband had of people in a room all painting different portions of a wall, but with no real plan. Intercession requires us to 'hit the mark'. God wants to give us plans and strategies, so that we can pray effectively! Bulls eye!! We want bulls eye prays! Dead center!... We can hit that mark, hit the center,  through knowing God's heart.   We can know His heart, but knowing His word.  

Next week...let's talk about how to pray the Word!..another 'hit the mark' way to pray!