What types of prayers do you pray? My prayers range from a shopping list to complete surrender. One type of prayer I have lacked in is what I like to call, “Extraction Prayer.” It requires letting go and sometimes being prepared to get out of the way.
Psalms 139 talks about a prayer that asks God to search us and remove anything that is getting in the way.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24, NIV
Last year I prayed a prayer similar to the extraction prayer. I prayed that God would remove anything that would get in the way of the vision of Cross Culture Church. Be careful. What would take place the following week was a whirlwind and refining for me. Yet the fruit, like the Psalmist says, has been nothing but the power of eternity/kingdom coming into Cross Culture Church. God removed people, processes and parts of me which were painful but it was worth it.
Good times to pray the extraction prayer would be if you feel stuck, sense sin in your life, are in a complicated situation, or feel led to refine something to become better for the sake of the Kingdom. If your marriage isnt working, don’t pray God remove your husband, pray that God remove anything that is getting in the way of the growth of your marriage. If you are stuck in a career, pray that God remove anything getting in the way of your career. If your child isnt growing or walking in the Lord, pray that God will remove anything getting in the way. WARNING! It’s likely that God will remove things in you or maybe remove you from a situation that you are getting in the way of eternity in your life or a situation. Remember, no matter how hard or painful the extraction, the power of eternity is around the corner.
Join me in praying the, “Extraction Prayer,” once a month. The beautiful thing about the prayer is it leads to as the inspired authors of the bible say, “Silver and Gold.”
See you Sunday,
Michael