Dick Eastman - Talking with God: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer

THE ACT OF DIVINE MAGNIFICATION

Prayer has now come full circle, and we find ourselves again at praise. Worship should seal all praying. We began with an act of adoration, and we will end with an act of magnification.

When Mary received word she would give birth to the Son of God, divine worship exploded from her lips: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name (Luke 1:4647, 49).

Jesus not only taught us to begin our prayer with praiseOur Father in heaven, hallowed be Your namebut He also taught us to end our praying with praise For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen (Matthew 6:9, 13).

Prayers Final Moments

As we come to these final moments of prayer, the soul pauses to contemplate the awesome wonder of Gods being. We vocally magnify the nature of God. To magnify the Lords name with praise is to put a spiritual magnifying glass to all that God is and declare these discoveries aloud.

The Greek word for magnify in Luke 1:46, megaluno , means to make great. Nothing could provide so meaningful a conclusion to prayer as a statement of the greatness of God. With the psalmist we declare, Great is the L ORD , and greatly to be praised (Psalm 48:1).

As prayer concludes, we praise God because it has been His greatness that has made our devotional hour possible. When we began praying, we recognized Gods glory in all of its splendor and beauty. Now we restate our case for worship. In these final moments, we add faith to our praise. We actually praise God for future answers to prayer. With the psalmist we declare, I will praise You forever, because You have done it (Psalm 52:9, emphasis added).

Because every day must be lived in a spirit of praise, the specific practice of praise just before concluding prayer is essential. It prepares us for our highest function in lifeto minister unto the Lord continuously.

Praise in the closet also prepares us to conquer our foes outside the closet. Paul Billheimer concludes, Praise is the most useful occupation and activity in enabling God to realize the supreme goal of the Universe, that of bringing many sons into glory.

The bringing of lost souls to glory is the ultimate focal point for all prayer and praise. We pray , Your Kingdom come, and we praise , For Yours is the kingdom. Although much can be said about prayer, bringing glory to God is at the center of it. When Jesus told His disciples, You will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you, He added, By this My Father is glorified (John 15:78). God must be glorified through our praying, and praise enables the prayer warrior to keep this thought continually in focus.

The Attitude of Prayer

Perhaps the greatest secret to learn about prayer is how to maintain a devotional attitude after the devotional hour concludes. We must learn to take the spirit of praise with us from the prayer closet. No amount of prayer holds value if the prayer warrior remains unchanged.

Seize Gods power during these closing moments of worship. Let an attitude of prayer flood your being as you prepare for your day. Always remember, God has been your power during prayer and will be your power throughout the day.

Jesus taught us to conclude our praying with the expression, Amen (Matthew 6:13). It means so be it or it is done. A student of Greek told me that amen could actually be translated God, our King, is trustworthy. To say amen in prayer is to express confidence that God has heard our petitions.

Martin Luther was known for his bold, almost brash petitioning of God. Yet Luther saw many dramatic answers to prayer. A friend once said of the reformation leader, What a spirit, what a confidence was in his very expressions. With such a reverence he sued as one begging God, and yet with such hope and assurance, as if he spoke with a loving father or friend.

It was Martin Luther who said of prayers conclusion, Mark this! Make your amen strong , never doubting that God is surely listening to you. This is what amen means:

We, too, should end our praying with a strong expression of confidence. Paraphrase your amen with a testimony of faith. Say, God, I know You can be trusted to bring these petitions into being. I confess my confidence in Your promises. I praise You because it is done!

The Gift of Praise

Thus, our devoted prayer time with God has ended. We have not finished our praying with a list of personal petitions but with a spirit of grateful praise. When we leave the closet, we are not asking, but giving. Prayer has concluded with an offering of our lips. With the psalmist we have declared, Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth (Psalm 119:108).