The Heart Cries and Groans of Prayer

What is Courage for the Journey?

Welcome to Courage for the Journey with Julie Fillinger where real stories and honest conversations inspire the strength to take your next step.

Today we are going to talk about prayer…what it is and how we do it. And much of the why we
do it will show up along the way.

I have been a Christian for quite a while, and I still need to learn how to pray.
It seems like I should have this figured out by now, but I don’t.
I start asking myself, “Am I doing this right? Is God even hearing me?”
And then I get really distracted. And my thoughts are all over the place.
But I have had some breakthroughs in my prayer life in recent years that I want to share with
you with the hope that you will be encouraged in your prayers .

1. First Light – my first breakthrough in prayer
You may have heard me talk about this before, but I never grow weary of sharing it.
First Light is the time before sunrise when the sky begins to brighten.
It is the very first glimpse of light that just begins to break through the night announcing God
wants to meet with me.
How awesome is that? He is coming for me!
And He always comes.
One evening in the Fall of 2023, Eric asked me to join him on a hike the next morning so we
could see First Light together.
I had never heard of first light, and it sounded very early…very zero dark thirty.
Eric arises at 4:30 am and can hike like a mountain goat, so I had to clarify exactly what this
entailed.
We would arrive at our destination while it was still dark so when we climbed to the top of the
hill, we would be there waiting for First Light.
Eric usually guards his early morning quiet time, so something told me I should say yes. And I
reluctantly said, “okay, I’m in.”

We got up that brisk fall morning and headed out to one of our favorite hiking spots. Eric brought
headlamps so we wouldn’t stumble around in the dark.
We climbed the hills and settled into the spot Eric thought would be the most climactic.
Then we watched and we waited. I leaned in and whispered, “this better be good.”
We probably only waited about 15 minutes, but in Julie time it seemed like an hour. And I am
thinking, “why didn’t we bring chairs and snacks?”
It is a wonder that Eric keeps taking me along on these adventures, but he is patient with me.
All he said was, “just watch.”
Waiting is part of the experience but so is watching. Because you don’t know when the exact
moment is coming, and if you are not watching expectantly, you’ll miss it.
I was afraid to blink.

Then it happened.
The sky opened with the tiniest glimmer, and it was as if our Lord came just for us to bid us
Good Morning!
And to break through the darkness with His glorious light!
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped and I looked over at Eric to see him smiling like, “I told
you this would be good.”
We stayed for the sunrise, which was also glorious. Then we finished our hike and went to a
local favorite bakery for breakfast.
But it was First Light that kept me captivated. I could not stop thinking about it.
I started waking 30 minutes before sunrise every morning, grabbing my coffee, sitting in my
glider, watching and waiting for First Light. And every morning God would greet me.
If you try this at home, I don’t want you to be disappointed if every morning is not as equally
awesome. Eric waited for a morning with a high probability of beauty and splendor.
But I have learned, even on cloudy days, the veiled Glory of God still breaks through.
It is very inspiring and sets me in a mood to worship the Creator.
Then the dreaded time change came and threatened to sabotage my efforts. There have been
some mornings I rolled over with one eye barely open, squinting at First Light, saying, “good
morning, Lord. I’m coming, but I need a minute.”
He would still be very gracious to give me second chance as the light.

In the Summer, if I am sitting on my back porch around 6:30 am, the sun shines brightly through
the trees and hits me right in the face.
It’s not the same as sitting with expectant anticipation for Him to meet me as He first breaks
through the dark and whispers to me with His light, but it’s still good.

2. Praying God’s Word – my second breakthrough in prayer
I told you I tended to fumble through what to pray and often got distracted.
I would start and stop, and my mind would veer somewhere else, and then I would start again.
It was about this time that Eric and I read Donald Whitney’s book, Praying the Bible, to help
direct our prayers.
So, when he suggested we start reading a Psalm a day, I was all for it.
Praying a Psalm every morning at First Light radically changed my prayer life.
Praying a Psalm every morning at First Light radically changed my prayer life.
I would start basically the same every morning with First Light inspiration…but that lasted about
10-15 minutes. And then I was thinking, okay now what?
When I started reading a Psalm a day, I read a line and then turned it into a prayer and then
read the next line and turned it into another prayer.
And as I was praying, the Lord, by His Spirit, brought much to mind to pray for, mostly people.
Then I started organizing lists of those I pray for according to the day of the week and entered
them in my phone calendar.
I texted them and said, “Hey, I have been praying for you. Do you want a particular day of the
week? Tuesday’s pretty open.”
I prayed the same basic opening thanking God for coming to meet with me, then prayed the
Psalm of the day, then prayed for each individual on the list. I finished the prayer time by texting
these individuals to let them know I prayed for them.
In 2024, I read all of the Psalms twice.

I was ready to repeat this in 2025, but our pastor, Tom, challenged us to read through the bible
chronologically together. And then when 2026 was about to roll around, he said let’s do it again!
We recently finished Leviticus…
Leviticus is a bit of a challenge, but what I am reminded of is the LORD God is holy and can
have nothing to do with sin.

But because He wanted to have a relationship with His covenant people, He made a way.
And honestly, I am thankful I can view the Old Testament through the lens of the New.
I read Leviticus with the knowledge of Hebrews. The perfect Lamb of God was the ultimate
sacrifice that replaced the old covenant way of meeting with God.
Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest who was not only the sacrificer, the one who made the
sacrifice, but was also the sacrifice itself.
While we were still helpless, hopeless sinning enemies of God, He loved us so much He gave
His one and only Son to die so that we could be reconciled to Him.
As we discussed last week, the result of that reconciliation is peace with God. It can never be
taken away.
Even when we struggle to feel the peace of God, our peace with God is not in jeopardy. It was
bought with the redemption price of perfect sacrifice, holy and complete and sufficient for all
eternity.
This understanding helps to see that reading through the bible chronologically is a good
discipline.

However, it does not encourage my prayers like the Psalms.
So, when Pastor Tom introduced us to the pocket prayer while he was teaching through the
Lord’s Prayer last year, I started to use it to guide my prayers including what I learned about
God’s character from that day’s reading.
But before I get to the pocket prayer, I want to talk to you about breathing.
I know it seems like I should already have breathing figured out, but reminding myself to breathe
has made a difference.

3. Breathing – my third breakthrough in prayer.
I recently did an in-depth study on the Holy Spirit’s role and function and learned so much. One
thing I learned is that spirit and breath are the same word.
Hmmm. That got me thinking.
So, I started taking breaths. Slowly. In and out.
What I realized is if I slow down and take 3 cleansing breaths before I start praying, it centers
my focus and tunes me in to listening to the Holy Spirit.
I had not realized how often I hold my breath. And how good it feels to just let it out.
Hold on to this thought for just a minute, as we add my fourth breakthrough in prayer.

4. The Pocket Prayer – my fourth breakthrough in prayer.
It starts with an understanding of the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 or Luke 11.
It is more than fine to stay old school with Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
name…
The Pocket Prayer is basically the Lord’s Prayer in a pocket-sized, portable version.
And actually, Pastor Tom credits Max Lucado’s book, Before Amen, with the pocket prayer idea.
Let’s do our 3 cleansing breaths and then get to it. But after each word or phrase, we will pause
to reflect on what we are praying while resisting the urge to be impressive because we are
bringing our self, honest and real before God.
(3 cleansing breaths)
Father,
You are good,
Your will is good.
I need help.
They need help.
Thank you!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

That’s it.
But it’s not just a rote exercise you memorize and repeat. It’s communicating with God.
When we say Father – we are directing our prayers to the Almighty and Holy God of the
universe who is also our personal Abba Father.
When we say, You are good -we have already recognized He is a Great Father, but now we are
making a point of saying He is also good in His tender loving care.
When we say, Your will is good – we are submitting ourselves to the sovereign plan of God,
knowing there will come a day when He sets the world to right with the Return of His Son.
When we say, I need help – we are humbling asking for forgiveness and healing and
wholeness.
When we say, They need help – we are recognizing we live in a community who also needs
forgiveness and healing and wholeness.

When we say, Thank you – we are pouring our hearts out in gratitude and praise for our
Father’s provision, pardon, and protection.
When we say, In Jesus’ Name – we are recognizing that it is through Jesus we are able to call
out to our Father in accordance with who Jesus is, and what He has done, measuring His
goodness by the cross.
And when we say, Amen – we are saying, in as much as it agrees with Your will, please let this
be so.

What is prayer?
1. Prayer is making requests, but not before expressing gratitude, offering praise, and
acknowledging one’s shortcomings, as we just emphasized in the Lord’s prayer and
pocket prayer.
2. Prayer is a call to God -an invitation for divine intervention in one’s life and experiences.
(Jeremiah 29:12-13 and 33:3)
3. Prayer is sincere and thoughtful. It’s not a mindless exercise. Even when we doing our
breathing exercise, it’s not to force our mind to be void of all thought, but to focus our
heart and mind to listen to the Holy Spirit.
 John Bunyan (who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress) describes prayer as trinitarian, meaning
each person of the trinity is involved.
“a sincere, sensible, and affectionate pouring out of one’s heart to God through
Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.”

4. Continual reliance on God.
 Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians, to always be in an
attitude where we can call out to God at any time.
 This includes groaning.
Listen to what David had to say in Psalm 5:1-3
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
  Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.

  O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Derek Kidner has a great 2 volume commentary on Psalms.
And he says this groaning David is referring to is a “barely audible self-communing, but there is
growing clarity as it breaks out into a cry for help and then into an articulate, disciplined and
expectant prayer.”
David realizes that although he is a powerful person in position of authority, he is himself subject
to THE King! But This King is also his personal King whom he can approach and cry out to.
It can be difficult for us to understand the cultural context. A modern paraphrase may sound like
this:
“Lord, this morning I come to You crying out because of the overwhelming nature of the
work I have to do today. I prepare for my day this morning, but I know that it is You that
will work and accomplish. I look forward to what You are going to do today.”
Life IS overwhelming. It is too big for us! It is that humble groan that can hardly articulate the
magnitude of what lies before us. But God is there. God hears. God cares.

5. Finally, prayer is God changing our minds, not us changing His!
God is changing our minds, not us changing His!
I so often get this backwards. I bow my head in an attitude of humility, but then when I start
making my requests, I am much more likely to think I already know what’s best.
What is it going to take to realize I am not the Sovereign, Eternal King of the Universe so my
perspective is very limited?
I don’t pray so I can change God’s mind. I pray so He can change mine.
 C.S. Lewis puts it like this: "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I am
helpless... It does not change God – it changes me."
 Tim Keller says: "The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God's will to mine, but to
mold my will into his."

So, we are now moving from what prayer is to how we should do it with some why we do it
splashed in.

How do we pray?
 We humble ourselves.
 We stay alert.
 We prepare for battle.
 We approach the very throne of God with confidence.

1. We humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6-7)
The whole impetus behind prayer is an acknowledgement that things are not in our control. We
are not the master of the universe. There are things we must ask for and give thanks for and
confess.
This requires an attitude of humility -to be poor and needy before God.
Pride gives us the attitude that we know best and God should just get on board and do it our
way… (It sounds gross when we say it out loud like that, but too many times that is exactly how
we pray!)
Humility in prayer is what prevents us from thinking that we change God instead of God
changing us.

2. We stay alert. (1 Peter 5:8-11)
Also, in chapter 5 of his first letter, Peter tells us that after humbling ourselves, prayer is part of
staying alert and being watchful!
It isn’t a suggestion for the “good Christian walk,” it is a command in order to walk through this
evil world.
Satan is our enemy and he prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. In order to
resist him, we must stand firm in our faith.
There will still be suffering, but it will only be for a little while. God promises we will make it
through by relying fully on Him until He calls us to eternal glory. In the meantime, He promises
to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.
Do you want restoration? Do you want confirmation? Do you want strength? Do you want to
be established in eternal glory?
Pray with humility recognizing the character and power of God!

3. We prepare for battle. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Nicholas’ birthday was October 29 th . He loved costumes and the dress up that came each year
around the time of his birthday.
When he was about 5 or 6 years old, he had a costume that was the “Full Armor of God”
complete with helmet, breastplate, shield, and sword!
In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to put on our full armor and be ready for the battle that will come.
But before we enter battle, we need to be Praying at all times!!
And as we continue to persevere in prayer, we keep alert and pray for each other, and
specifically that the gospel will be boldly proclaimed.
Do you see how sharing the Gospel is a battle ground?
Satan knows he can’t win, but that doesn’t stop him from using all of his evil forces to fight dirty
in an attempt to keep the Gospel from spreading.

4. We approach the very Throne of God with confidence. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
In our Western culture, we don’t understand the significance of a throne. We are not governed
by a king and there is not a single entity with control. We are governed by a “balance of
powers.”
But the recipients of Hebrews knew all about a single ruler, a king, and the significance of
approaching his throne!
Do you remember Esther?
She was the Jewess exile who was selected by King Ahasuerus to be the next Queen of Persia.
There was an evil man named Haman who wanted the Jews exterminated.
When Esther was orphaned as a child, her cousin Mordecai raised her.
Mordecai became aware of Haman’s plot and informed Queen Esther that she must intervene
or they would all be wiped out. Do you remember her response from Esther chapter 4?
11  “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or
woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one
law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter
so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these
thirty days.”
13  Then Mordecai said (told them to reply to Esther), “Do not think to yourself that in the
king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  14  For if you keep silent

at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and
your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the
kingdom for such a time as this?” 
15  So Esther told them… 16  “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast
on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young
women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the
law, and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:11-16 ESV)

Someone does not just waltz into the throne room and start asking the king for something.
But the author of Hebrews tells us that God, the King of kings, is different!
We can boldly approach the King of the Universe.
How can we confidently approach a Holy God?
The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 4 that it’s because we have a Great High Priest who
can sympathize with our weaknesses and yet, He did not sin.

After Jesus died and rose again, He passed through the heavens. He is right now interceding on
our behalf.
That is how we can boldly and confidently draw near to the Throne of God and receive mercy
and find grace when we need it.

When Nicholas was in 7 th and 8 th grade he played football. I didn’t love this. His dad had put him
off until middle school.
He was 85 pounds soaking wet and not yet 5 feet tall.
But he was always ready to go into the game, so he stood near his coach.
One game, a defensive lineman made a mistake during a play, and he came to the sidelines.
The problem was that his coach hadn’t pulled him.
When Coach saw they were down a player, he quickly pushed a kid onto the field to take that
spot – and that kid was Nicholas!

Yikes! I was afraid for him, but Nicholas was not afraid. This was his opportunity to contribute to
the team.
He confidently got down in his 3-point stance. And once the ball was snapped, he went through
the legs of the defender and grabbed the ankles of the running back.
Then, much to my chagrin, his coach rewarded him with another play.
Eric told that story in our last live session to highlight the boldness we can have.
Everyone else was worried Nicholas would get hurt. But not Nicholas. He had boldness and
confidence.
Because of Jesus, we don’t need to fear approaching the Sovereign, all-powerful, God of the
Universe. Because Jesus is at hand, God wants us to approach Him with confidence.
Asking for help from the God isn’t weakness, it’s boldness and strength.
Courage for the journey doesn’t come from our own strength. It comes from the One who gives
grace and mercy in our time of need!
Courage for the journey comes to the one who prays!

Next week I will be interviewing Eric so we can recap this whole Courage for the Journey Live
series. Eric is really good in these interviews, and you also get to see a little behind the scenes.
So, I hope you will come back to join me.