Lesson Four: Building Process 1 - Deepening the Devotional Life

The past lessons sought to introduce to you to the building requirements of the prayer life and some ways in which prayer is being practiced. The succeeding lessons will guide you through the building process. The first building process is the deepening of the devotional life.

This process is crucial because it is in when one cultivates an intimate knowledge of God. If the foundation of our prayer life is knowledge of God, deepening the devotional life is the process of laying that foundation. Examples from the life of David will be cited to inspire you. David’s rich devotional life can be seen in the Book of Psalms - more than half of which he wrote and are actual records of his prayer. The singleness of heart and intensity of desire for God became the steady foundation of his prayer life that survived severe tragedies, failures, and losses in the life of David. Hopefully, the experiences of David with God will impart vision for how one’s own devotional life can be.

David’s highest ambition in life was to dwell permanently in the presence of God. Some have suggested that he was a king who wished he were a priest because priests ministered daily at the temple. David described it as `fullness of joy’ and `pleasures forevermore’. It was something he immensely enjoyed. The book of Psalms is a book of prayers, and David wrote more than half of it. What do you think is the relationship between the value that David gave to "dwelling in the presence of God" and his prayer life?

Apparently, David’s growing knowledge of God strengthened his desire to commit everything to him in prayer.

Statement of Principle 4: Constantly dwelling in the presence of God produces passion for prayer.

Memory Verses 4A: Psalm 27:4; Psalm 16:11

“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.”

Memory Verses 4B: Psalm 16:11

“Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; in thy right hand there are pleasures forever.”