FROM PETITION TO PRESENCE

Prayer is the only true path to complete transfer and understanding of the ways and nature of Jesus. With Holy Spirit gift help and direction for the life of prayer, we can more readily move from ‘asking, seeking and knocking’ which are active and pursuing, to receiving, silence and knowing. When prayer remains in the realm of only asking it is obvious we have not crossed over from our ‘needs and wants’ list to hear and know Jesus’ opinion and answer. Prayer is still a one-sided conversation and visitation; meaning we visited the Lord but He did not necessarily visit us. He had no opportunity.
As long as we remain in petition it is difficult to move completely to presence. It is because we are still in the need factor from our perspective instead of the solution factor from His perspective. True communion always involves another. Prayer is the ultimate communion and by entering the listening, hearing, adoring, knowing and beauty side of our prayer we have reached full communion. To have reached our side of communion and not His is the reason for most of our hindered and half-hearted prayers. It is truly half-hearted because it is His half but not ours or our half but not His. Petition either moves toward adoration and thankfulness or the tendency for half-heartedness sets in.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Jesus