Prayer is a lot more than doing a devotional. Jesus modeled prayer as preparation for acceleration.

Ever feel stuck? Stuck in a job you don’t like and seems to be going nowhere. Stuck in a relational struggle you just can’t seem to fix. Stuck in a financial drain with no gain. And what about feeling stuck spiritually?

We can all relate to some of these struggles at one time or another in our life. But there is a biblical principle that is critical for us to hold onto in our life so we can see these stuck times and dry times as preparation for acceleration rather than just wasted time.

When Jesus saves us, He immediately calls us to follow Him in a time of preparation for acceleration. What do I mean by acceleration? Jesus calls us first to Himself for preparation for a life with Him that accelerates in the fruits of the Spirit and the power and works of the Spirit. Following Jesus is preparation for acceleration toward the Kingdom of God. So how do we develop an attitude of preparation when we are in one of those stuck or dry times?

Luke 11:1-13 is preparation for acceleration in the Kingdom of God.

Regular payer to align with the Father’s will

It opens with Jesus praying and one of His disciples waiting for Him to finish before asking Him to teach them how to pray. We often blow right by this fact and get right to the Lord’s Prayer that He taught His disciples. But the foundation of Jesus’ life, ministry and purpose was time in prayer with the Father. Jesus said He did nothing He didn’t see His Father do. He was in perfect unity, but it required regular and lengthy time alone with the Father. Nothing is more important in our preparation for God’s purpose.

Worship that births a growing sense of the Father’s holiness and our need to be holy

If we want to know God’s will and purpose for our life we start by being obedient with the clear commands of God to be sanctified in our soul and body. Greater clarity on His will and purpose comes with greater desire and obedience in being a holy temple ourselves.

Prayer and work for God’s coming kingdom

So much of the preparation of our heart is a detachment from the things of this world and any hope in this world and an attachment to the hope of God’s coming kingdom to reign in righteousness. We should not only pray for His coming kingdom, but also work toward it.

Daily gratitude and dependence rather than worry and focus on tomorrow

Be thankful and faithful today and God will take care of tomorrow. Intimacy and power are released in greater measures in our lives as we  grow more dependent on and desperate for the Lord.

To receive the Gospel is to live and apply the Gospel

After we receive the Gospel we need to start learning how to apply the Gospel to our own soul and to others. Sometimes there are long seasons of preparation required to uncover unforgiveness, bitterness and hatred. Spiritual acceleration is when we can quickly apply the power of the Gospel over our life and others.

Our strength and protection is only in the Lord

It is when we are in stuck and dry times that we are at the most risk of succumbing to temptation. Preparation for acceleration is learning to find our strength in the Lord and His spiritual armor and weapons of righteousness.

Boldness and persistence in prayer open doors of blessing and opportunities

Preparation is a time to bolster our confidence in communicating with the Lord and confidence in the promises of the Lord. When these two things grow and come together there is an acceleration of answered prayers to advance the kingdom of God.

There is no greater treasure we possess and no limit to our access to the treasures of the Holy Spirit

A key part of preparation is growth in our trust and faith in the overwhelming goodness of God and His willingness to give us more of the Holy Spirit. Acceleration is fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit as He is pursued and welcomed in our lives.

So, no matter what season we are in, if we embrace these 13 verses as preparation for acceleration our whole trajectory of life will be accelerated toward God’s grand purposes. It is so easy to get consumed and even paralyzed in the circumstances of life. Jesus modeled for the disciples and us that prayer was a lot more than doing a devotional. It was preparation for acceleration.