21 Days to the Manifest Presence of God: Day 3 (Starting to Pray)
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Welcome to Day 3 of my series about developing an awareness of God’s presence! You can refer back to Day 1 if you’d like to know my backstory for the series.
I encourage you to read all the posts in the series if you are just joining us. Each day’s assignment builds on the previous assignments, and they are all vitally important! (Be sure to subscribe to receive my daily posts so you won’t miss anything.)
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Are you ready for Day 3? Here we go:
Day 3: Starting to Pray
After understanding that God is always with you, prayer is THE BIGGEST KEY to walking in the manifest presence of God.
Prayer is a huge subject that I couldn’t possibly cover all in one blog post. But today, we do need a basic understanding of what prayer is… and what it is not.
- What it is: Prayer is conversation with God.
- What it is not: Prayer is NOT something that has to take one particular form in order to be valid.
- What it is: Prayer is the natural result of a LOVING RELATIONSHIP.
- What it is not: Prayer is not hard or painful.
Prayer can take many forms. You can converse with God in your bedroom on your knees. You can converse with God by reading the Bible and praying the verses. You can converse with God by singing songs to Him. Sometimes I even converse with God by slathering paint on canvas. When the words won’t come, the colors and pictures become my language.
The first key to effective prayer:
The only effective way to pray is to pray honestly. Many people try to build a prayer life without understanding this. Then they don’t understand why they’re not successful.
We need to pray honestly because we’re building a relationship with God. A relationship you try to build on lies can’t possibly get very deep.
Plus, God already knows everything about you, and He loves you anyway. You’re not going to shock Him by what you tell Him. 🙂 You’re not going to change His love for you. So you might as well be honest. Be completely open and vulnerable before Him.
If you’re telling Him about a struggle you’re having, you can admit to Him that you need help with it, and ask Him to help you.
If you’re happy about something, you can tell Him all about it, and thank Him for blessing you.
It’s ok to ask God for help with anything. For example, you can ask Him to help you pray, help you want to know Him better, help you enjoy your day at work, etc. You’re His baby. He is ready and willing to give you any help you need.
Your assignment for today:
Today we’re going to get started with the most effective form of prayer: praying God’s Word back to Him. Here’s how:
1. Grab your Bible. Open to the Psalms. (Any part of the Bible will work, but the Psalms are the easiest place to start.)
2. Scan the lines and chapters until you see a line or two that summarizes how you’re feeling.
For example: I’m praying earnestly for the Lord to give me a child. I know He will; He has promised me He will. The verse that best summarizes how I’m feeling about this is Psalm 84:11: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Just reading this verse makes me choke up. Bearing a child is a good thing. God is my loving Father. He would not withhold any good thing from me, including this good thing. He wouldn’t.
So that’s the promise I’m circling. When I pray, I make this verse my own. I say to my Father:
“Daddy! You are my sun and my shield. I’m depending on You completely. You promised you will give me grace and glory. You would not withhold any good thing from me! Your Word says that you will not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. So Father, I pray again that you would cause Bruce and I to conceive the baby/babies that You send from Heaven to earth at this time. The babies that you know even now, before they are in my womb. And I thank You, Father, for doing it. I know You are faithful. I love You so much. Thank You for my children.”
Praying like this is open, transparent, and comforting. It brings you heart-to-heart with God.
3. When you find a couple of verses that are meaningful to you, pray them back to God. Add your own words and thoughts, so you are talking to Him from your own heart.
4. Then sit quietly and focus your thoughts on Him. Ask God to touch you and speak to you. He will. He can’t wait to talk with you.
<shhhhh>…
Did you hear Him or feel His comfort? What did He say?
Walking in the presence of God is constant, heart-to-heart communion (like you just experienced if you did this assignment)! God delights in you. As you continue to seek Him for these 21 days, your communion will keep getting better and better!
Hello and thank you so much for these very special words. I was praying to God and I was just overwhelmed by how he blesses me all the time in so many ways I can’t even count them. My pray was Psalm 118: 28,29 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. A bit of background I’ve been unemployed for a while now mainly due to me not having a car. I live in South Africa where a car is essential. My partner is so understanding and so supporting. Anyway how good spoke to me through the lyrics of a song that was playing on the radio station Klove. He said you are here for a reason. Every day is a gift from God. There is purpose for my life. Every breath that I take has meaning. I just couldn’t stop crying. Thanks so much this 21 journey really is going to transform my life.
Hi, Esraela. Thank you so much for reading. I pray that PAPA God will bless you abundantly as you press into Him! He loves you like crazy and longs for you to crawl up in His lap and stay there the rest of your life!
Hey! Yout blog is so helpful. I’ve done this a few times and it always works! I’m Glad that God provides and continues to provide and bless us. HE IS EXCELLENT GOOD ALL THE TIMES even when we are afraid he drives out fear. I love him and he has it all covered. God bless you.
Hi Jamie!! ‘Prayer is the natural result of a LOVING RELATIONSHIP’, this really caught my eye because truthfully…I have not had a loving relationship with the Lord. I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, but began my walk with rules,rules,rules. Dos and Donts. I did not form a relationship because I was too busy trying to be good and follow the rules. After 36 years of being a christian, I became frustrated with my christian walk…It seemed like I wasn’t growing..like I was going around & around in the wilderness. Sooo thankful for this study that is showing me how to get on the right track.Psalm 51:15 “Unseal my lips,O Lord,that my mouth may praise you’., is the Psalm I was led to.
Hello Hilda, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m sorry you got caught in that machine of religion; I was there too. I was adhering to the rules and regulations, but I had never made Jesus the Boss of my life until I was 21 years old. Then when I finally did, He began to teach me and draw me to Him with His love. I pray that He would do the same for you as you develop that loving relationship and those loving conversations. 🙂
Thank you for reading and sharing!
This is something I’ve actually done for nearly 13 years, ever since I, myself, was barren and praying earnestly for healing of severe endometriosis/premature menopause and for the ability to bear a child. I don’t know how I knew to do this, other than God himself led me to do it. Back then my favorite verses to pray back to him regarding this need were: Psalm 113:9, Isaiah 41:17-20, and the entire second half of Isaiah 49. He also promised me I would have a child (both in the Bible, through leading me to particular scriptures promising a child and/or healing, and through a word of knowledge), and I stood on that and believed it. And after a season, suddenly, in a month’s time, stage 4 endometriosis and all its symptoms went away, and in a few more months’ time, I was pregnant. I went on to have normal cycles, and to even have a second child, which is testament to His above-and-beyond blessings. So because of my experience, I have a special heart for women who are praying for a child/children. I know you’re going to receive the desire of your heart, too. I’m thanking him along with you.
Today I’m seeking healing again, and I chose the last few verses of Isaiah 40:28-31. And the first five verses of Psalm 103.
My verse was Psalm 17:5
Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip.
Recently Ive came to a road block in my life and trying to find out what God is trying to show me during this phase in life.
So that’s why thus particular verse pop out.
I pray that God will uphold my steps in his paths so my foot steps may not slip. In Jesus name amen.
Thanks Jamie for your guidance.
That’s beautiful, brother. Thank you for sharing. May the Holy Spirit continue to encourage you and order your steps in His Word. He is so good, and He adores you. 🙂
Thanks for share your gift God have gave you . My spirit have been lifted
I have come to a writer’s block and motivation. My verse was from James 1:17. I know what He wants me to write about I just need His help in creative ideas to get it going. I thank Papa for all he has done and is doing in my life!
He has really taken good care of me. His love flows like rivers of living water over and through me!
Thank you Jamie for this journey!
He will do it! Whenever I go to write, I always ask Holy Spirit to write through me and help me to just listen to what He says and write that. He answers that prayer. It’s like taking dictation from Him. Ask Him–you’ll see!
Psalm 143 v1 ” Lord, hear my praye, listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief”. Lord promised to answer my prayer.
This is the script God gave me Psalm 143 and this is the verse that went to my heart and I prayed over it “Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief”. Psalm 143 v 1. Wonderful indeed
Hello Jamie,
Just want you to know that I am on day 3 and I am loving it.Thank you.
Hi Jamie, my day 3 was awesome. I felt God’s presence like I have never felt before. I was so filled with Papa ‘s presence that I didn’t feel like ending my quiet time.
I love Papa so much now.
Thank u Jamie!
That’s so awesome! Thanks for letting me know! PRAISE GOD!
Hi Jamie, God bless you. I am day three and I feel the Daddy’s love and presence exceedingly.
Im on day 3 and this is awesome…cant wait till i hear full conversations….so far i only get one or two words back but still trying…thankyou for this help Jamie….blessings to you
Day 1 I felt God’s presence so close. Had a wonderful time worshiping Him. Was emboldened to pray for addictions that have plagued my family. Day 2, received notice to come talk about my recent test results with my doctor, and also received information for test results that were of concern for my husband who has had bladder cancer. Then my grandson was taken to emergency and to mental health related to his addiction! The evil one was busy and NOT happy with my prayers God is answering. I needed day 3!! I was led to read Psalm 33. How reassuring that His eyes are upon me and His ears are open to my cries! He delivers me from ALL my troubles! Many are my afflictions but God delivers me from All of them! Praise God because He inhabits the praises of His people!! God is going to work mightily. The last time I pray like this for another grandson, he was delivered from a drug addiction and is now doing very well!
Kim A.Hill says: Hello Jamie I’ am on day 3 of this journey.I chose 2 promises Jeremiah 29:11 & Psalms 16:11.I just don’t want God’s presence.I want an encounter with the Lord on a daily basis.God bless you sister Jamie.
Thank you Jamie for the encouragement. Prayer is sweet and I sense my Father God assuring me of His presence and love and forgiveness. Thanks.