The Prayer Request
Greetings and good morning brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly Father has shared many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we discuss the implications of praying for a loved one.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Prayer Request
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered." Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 26
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, in the course of our lives, we have many occasions to pray for our loved ones and others with whom we are in relationship. We even pray for those who are not in our immediate circle. We pray for loved ones because we discern that they have a spiritual need. This may be a particular trial or tribulation, some unresolved problem or needed adjustment to an unpleasant situation; perhaps they need moral and spiritual support. As we talk to our loved ones their needs manifest themselves through observation or the loved one may request prayer.
Request
We enter our secret closet and quiet our minds and make a request to our heavenly Father on their behalf. We ask the Father for his blessings on them. We ask the Father to give them what we think their true needs are. With the exercise of our faith, we feel that the Father has heard our request, and we wait for the Father to give our friends what we discerned they needed.
Repackage
But our discernment of wisdom and the true needs of the person we are praying for are often fraught with insufficient wisdom, not to mention the true needs of the person for whom we are praying. This being the case, the request must be repackaged——reformatted--to meet the true needs of the person. For example, we may pray that the person be removed from a particular trial they are undergoing. And there are still other examples of these kinds of requests that must be reformatted.
Reception of Request
After the request has been duly reformatted and expressed in faith, it reaches the ear of the heavenly Father, whose ears are always open to the pleas of his children. The Father stands ready at all times to meet the spiritual needs of his children, but when the request comes from a person other than the one in need, a different arrangement must be made in order for the person to receive the package of the Father’’s goodness. He asks, then, ““who will deliver this package to my child in need?”” All too often, we end our prayers before ascertaining the answer to the Father’’s question.
Response to Request
In response to the Father’’s question, the petitioner, if he has remained long enough in a prayerful attitude, will say, "Here I am, Father. Send me." And the Father says, ““very well.””
Journey
And now the prayer petitioner seeks information on how to take this package to the distressed soul. How does the petitioner make the journey? What values should he take with him? In what direction should he proceed? Should he go north, south, east, or west? As he is pondering, the Father’’s guide, the Spirit of Truth, says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. I will guide you. I will show you how to overcome all obstacles within yourself and without. Through my grace, you will clear all internal obstacles of selfishness, resentment, impatience, insufficient wisdom, inadequate dedication and consecration.
Obstacles
On the outside, the obstacles of evil must be overcome with love, patience, mercy, and forgiveness. As we run into those who may be seeking to sidetrack us from our mission of mercy, spiritual values will demolish all of them such that not only will the light that pours from our soul be free of evil contamination, but the path on the outside will be free of evil obstacles as well.
Growth
As we are not only the messenger but the message, there are certain values we must acquire in order to deliver the package of mercy to our beloved. Growth is required. Emotional adjustments must be made. Therefore, the guardian angels will ensure that as we journey we will meet with certain experiences that are designed to bring into fruition this package of mercy. These experiences serve as stimuli to bring forth the slumbering potentials that constitute the answer to our petitions.
Arrival
As we journey on following the Spirit of Truth, we eventually arrive at the destination. Our potentials have matured, and we are ready to impart blessings of mercy to our beloved. All of this training (in the form of exercising patience and forbearance) is brought to bear at this time. When we interact with our loved ones, they are eager for help, but the help we offer is not the help they want. They are looking for a quick fix and may not realize the true nature of their problem and the grace they need.
Meeting of the Soul
Thus begins the long process of making a spiritual appeal to their souls. The soul is surrounded by a glue of error we must cut through in order to reach the soul. We run into quite a bit of resistance despite pleas for help. The soul is like a drowning man who is being rescued. He fights the rescuer because he is so afraid of being lost. And it takes quite a bit of reassurance (patience, long suffering, and forbearance) for the soul to relax (to become receptive to the mission of truth and goodness). Under the direction of the Spirit of Truth, these spiritual fruits are applied skillfully, and the loved one is blessed. These spiritual fruits and other blessings are received by our constant interaction with the soul of the person who has been prayed for. It becomes apparent why it is necessary to be in contact with the individual.
Reception of the Blessing
Eventually, the glue of error is completely cleared from around the soul, which receives the revelation of truth, beauty, and goodness and basks in the Father’’s brilliant light of love. He receives the forgiveness, mercy, and grace necessary to plant the feet of his soul on the solid ground of goodness. The soul now rises from the ashes of disappointment and other habits of maladjustment and cries, "The Lord is good."
This concludes today's message on understanding the meaning of the prayer request. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Your Kingdom Come; Your Will Be Done
Inspirational Messages of Light
By Dr. James Perry
The Prayer Request
