Prayer: Dancing with the Invisible God

I was struggling to put a talk together about prayer for students from a tutoring center, this is the organization that Oceans is partner with to start a Christian high school. As nothing was coming I took a brisk walk hoping it would bring some inspiration. Sure enough a phrase popped into my head – “Prayer is like dancing with the Invisible God.” As I thought about the phrase a list of ideas came to mind.

1.Created to Dance with God – Adam and Eve, our first parents enjoyed daily conversation or prayer with their Creator and what a joy that must have been. But in the midst of “the dance” they walked away and received the invitation to join a masquerade- a lie that brought sin, shame, separation, and death.

2. A New Invitation was Given – The Father sent His only Son Jesus, and invited us to return to the dance. Jesus would pay the entry fee with His life. The dark veil that separated us from the Father’s arms was ripped in two by His death on the cross. Now there is free access, open communication through prayer. We can once again be embraced by a Father offering love, forgiveness and eternal blessings.

3. It takes Faith to Dance – Just as dancing can make one feel vulnerable so can prayer. When we open ourselves up via prayer, we may face insecurities and old lies of the enemy whispering; “You aren’t good enough to dance with Father God. You have sinned way too much He will never dance with you. Why would He show up and spend time with you, who do you think you are?”

Yet, His Spirit constantly invites us to take the step of faith and He promises we will find Him:

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…” Mt. 11:28

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD…” Jer. 29:12-14.

Sometimes we may take the step-but it feels like we’re dancing all alone. All our prayers and time with the LORD seem to be a solo dance void of His loving arms. During those seasons the Spirit reminds us to keep dancing in faith:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you…” Luke 11:9

The verb “ask” in the original Greek means to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking.

4. Our Great Dance Instructor: All we need to do is daily observe how Jesus danced with His Father. For many years it seemed like silence for Jesus, but at the Jordon River as He was praying at His baptism the dance begun.

The Invisible Father God broke into creation ripping apart the heavens and through the Spirit shouted out and affirmed His Son saying; “You are My Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased…” Mark 1:9-11

It was that loving embrace from the Father that brought Heaven’s power and love into His heart and birthed the Kingdom through His ministry, death, resurrection and eternal reign.

That same Spirit of Christ lives in all who believe and gives us faith to step on to the dance floor and believe the Father in His perfect time will flood our hearts with Heaven’s perfect love. He is the one that hears our prayers.

How we need dancing followers of Christ who will break through the fears, shame, and lies of the enemy and give us courage to get on the dance floor, to offer that prayer of faith. Our Father is waiting with arms wide open to wrap us in love and together as Father and beloved son or daughter dance together for His glory!

I’m not exactly sure how the teenagers received it all, but I trust that hearing the invitation to prayer and knowing that the God of the universe sees them in these tough teenage years will be encourage them to step forward in faith on that dance floor.

I’m not sure where you may be today, but I know I need to step out on the dance floor once again with my Abba Father! I hope you’ll join in as well!

“If you earthly fathers, though you are sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.” Luke 11:13