Our great need in this day is not professional pray-ers, but men and women filled with the Spirit of prayer.

As we have just established, our prayer life flows from the heart of Christ our Head. We are one spirit with Him and we are moved with the rivers that flow from His heart. His heart overflows with compassion for the world, and through our willing co-operation, His hunger can be satisfied as we birth souls into His Kingdom through earnest intercession on their behalf.

Jesus said in John 7:38-39 that rivers of living water would flow from our inner man, and this He spake of the Spirit who would be given to each and every believer. Jesus did not just speak of one river – but rivers. These rivers include all the different kinds of prayer. As we learn to flow with the Spirit of prayer He will direct us. We will find ourselves praying different kinds of prayer at different times according to His leading, and not because we have been taught that such and such a prayer is the right one for this particular situation.

Duewel when speaking of the dynamics of prevailing prayer says:

“All prevailing in prayer depends on the full enabling, guidance, and empowering of the Holy Spirit. From one viewpoint, there is only one source and dynamic of prevailing prayer – God the Spirit. Only as He fills us, possesses us, yearns through us, permeates and empowers every aspect of our praying, and discloses to us the priorities for our praying – that is, only as He is Lord of our praying can we prevail…

(The) victory Christ won alone – alone in the garden, alone on the cross. But that eternal victory must now be applied and enforced by the Holy Spirit working through the prayers and obedience of God’s children.”

Selfless love is the source and motivation for all truly inspired prayer.

“No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.” (John 15:13 AMP)

“We choose to love all people, even the unlovable. We love as God loves. It involves (the) giving of our lives for the benefit of mankind. This does not merely refer to dying physically. It mainly refers to our being willing to give up our own will and way and take time to pray and intercede for all men.”

Wilford Reidt, quoted in ‘The Art of Prayer’ by Kenneth E Hagin, Faith Publications

Moved by such compassion, not our own, we will pray effectively and fervently, with a bursting heart, not mere cold unbelieving formalistic prayers. In respect to Christ’s present ministry, this is what it is to enter into the sufferings and victories of Christ.