Luke 22:41-44 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Praying isn't some nice pleasantry or spiritual platitude, nor some Boy Scout or Girl Scout badge of honor item, nor is it what we do for a celestial "pat on the back to cheer" us up. When we pray we are assembling ourselves and all of our faculties before the Commander of Angel Armies, surrendering our sensibilities and souls to His sovereignty, and no matter how smart or wise we feel we declare— “not my will, but Yours [O God] be done.” In prayer we are answering the conscription notice to go to battle, recruiting and requesting the holy legions of angels, and we are listening up to get the battle plan and plugging in to download timeless and time tested wisdom and strategy.When we pray, we are not being passive or lazy, and we are not delaying the work. In our secret closet we are preparing our hearts, minds, and souls for the rigors of the battle and we are doing the real work— putting on God's armor, linking up our shields together with others doing battle so that we move as one, “forming a barricade against the enemy,” heading to the front lines in the realm where the real scuffle is taking place against the principalities and forces of darkness. In prayer we are fervently, zealously throwing ourselves into the fight and laboring mightily for the kingdom victory. When we pray we are battling, clawing to claim and reclaim territory in partnership with Christ, giving our will to His in manifesting the victory.
And, this is why our Amen is so powerful. When we say “Amen” we are agreeing to do what we should and let God do what He needs to in order to manifest in this world the victory we already achieved when we prayed.
