Glimpses of Different Forms of Prayer

This teaching is a synopsis of lessons directing us towards the goal of contemplative prayer: effective ministry and greater communion with God. We want to be brought into the Brilliant Presence of God and then turn around and give Him away!

There are three distinct models of prayer:

  • Contemplative Prayer
  • Reminding God of His Word
  • Prophetic Intercession

When we wed the contemplative facet of communal prayer with the ‘reminding God of His Word’ model, they form Prophetic Intercession.

This form of prayer is a lost art to most of the evangelical and charismatic church. Quieting our soul before God and coming into a place of deep communion with Jesus Christ is life indeed! A byproduct of going on this inward journey is knowing the reality of communal prayer which emphasizes the habitation of the Holy Spirit within the believer.

To better understand contemplative prayer, let’s examine the definition of ‘contemplate’:

Contemplate: To gaze at intently, to think, to study, to expect, to muse, to meditate

This definition of ‘contemplate’ is helpful, but let’s dig deeper into some these words:

  • Muse: To think on, to consider deeply, to meditate.
  • Meditate: To plan, intent, to think deeply, reflect.
  • Reflect: To throw back light, heat, or sound, to give back an image or mirror, to bring or come back as a consequence as reflected glory.
  • Reflect on: To contemplate, to ponder on, to cast blame or to discredit, to meditate, to be thoughtful.

The Mystical Arena of His Presence Within Us

This mystical realm does not originate from the New Age movement or eastern mysticism. Satan has attempted to rob the Body of Christ of biblical truth (John 10:10). Let us take our ground back! We are to be a people of revelation (Ephesians 1:17). We are to be a chosen prophetic generation. Colossians 1:11 declares that Christ in us is the hope of glory. Therefore, we need to find Him who has taken up residence within us through the new creation realities.

I Was Called by a Dream

I was given a dream where the voice of the Holy Spirit said, “I will reveal the hidden streams of the prophetic.” These ‘streams’ deal with the teachings and truths of the desert fathers and Christian mystics of ages past. The Holy Spirit is calling forth a “new quietist movement where the truths of the past will be restored to us.”

Key Scriptures to Ponder Upon

Insights from Psalm 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (NIV).

Insights from Hebrews 12:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (NIV).

Insights from Ephesians 1:17–19
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength.” (NIV)

Insights from Hebrews 4:14–16
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one Who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (NIV).

My Supernatural Scan

In the realm of the fear of the Lord, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “I am going to see if there really is any Fire on the Altar of Your Heart.”

This was an encounter I had when ministering in Birmingham, England. I went to my room one evening in preparation to minister the next day. There, I was praying in the Spirit for three hours when the voice of the Holy Spirit came to me. He wanted to see if I truly had His fire in my heart.

I had carried the message of “Fire on the Altar” around the world for three years, and now He was coming to me and challenging me with my very message. I was struggling with cancer in this season of my life, so I knew in the natural what MRI’s and CT scans were like.

Now, while resting and waiting before the Lord, a supernatural scanner appeared before me. The scanner started at my feet and a screen appeared above my head. On this screen, I could see what God saw in me. The scan moved from the outer court of my feet to the inner court of my mid-region and stomach area. Looking at the screen, I was relieved that God saw and declared there was purity.

Then the scan continued further and rested right over my heart, the Most Holy Place. I was seeing what God saw on the screen. To my relief, the scan revealed there was “fire resting upon the altar of my heart.”

The Commission

Then the voice of the Lord came to me and stated, “I commission you to give away these coals of living fire that I have given to you. You must teach My people how to maintain the fire within.”

It’s your turn! There’s a fireplace in Papa’s house, and He’s looking to see if there is fire there. He wants passionate fire burning in our hearts! He wants you to be a carrier of His brilliant presence!

Abiding in His Presence,

– James W. Goll