“Spiritual Warfare” by Ron Dicianni
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
James 5:16b

Have you ever wondered while praying, “Am I supposed to speak out loud, or can I just think thoughts?” God is omniscient, right? I mean, Lord, you perceive my thoughts from afar, and even before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely! (Ps. 139)

Have you ever considered the physical position in which you are supposed to pray? Am I to kneel, walk around, lift my hands to heaven, or just pray as I lay my head on my pillow at night? I don’t know about you, but whenever I do the last one, I hear Jesus saying, just like to the disciples, “Could you not stay awake for two seconds?!” 

If you’ve read up to this point… Sorry, I am not here to give you THE WAY TO PRAY. We find many ways in Scripture: Hannah moved her lips silently in sorrow (1 Samuel 1); David cried out with a loud voice for deliverance (Psalm 142); Daniel prayed on his knees three times a day (Daniel 6); Eliezer- Abraham’s servant, bowed down with his face to the ground in thanksgiving when he found Rebekah for Isaac (Genesis 24); Apostle Paul commands prayer everywhere by lifting holy hands (1 Timothy 2); and Samuel had nighttime conversations with God on his bed (1 Samuel 3). 

One thing is true: spiritual prayer or communion with God is almost always accompanied by some form of physical, intentional action. Luke 5:16 reveals that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Close to the time Jesus was going to be crucified, the Bible tells us that every night he spent on the hill called the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37). Perhaps Jesus went for the view, to find a quiet place, or for prophetic and eschatological purposes! *If you understood those words, read Zechariah 14!* Regardless of why Jesus chose the Mount of Olives, He made it a habitual practice to pray there. 

About a 15-minute walk from my house is a bench in a park that has zero lights. At night, it would be completely pitch black were it not for the moon and stars. This is where I go when I need to cry out to God. When I don’t have any answers, I look up into the night sky, and my heart prayer-whispers, “Lord, you’re beyond the farthest star, but you’re also in my heart. Though you seem so far away, you promised me you’re here to stay.” 

Do you have a super secret prayer spot?