Going to Battle Prayer - Part 3 Bootcamp

Dear Jesus - Help us, train us, equip us...

Prayer.  What comes to mind as you read that word?  My mind naturally goes to bedtime prayers, mealtime prayers, prayers of desperation (please HELP!).  This series has included powerful promises and how to use them to bring loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, into the loving embrace of God.  We looked at just a few promises here and here.  However, it is a fair question to ponder:  How does one 'train' in this type of prayer?
My experience has been to approach prayer like school - and, if I may say so, it has been a LONG time since I was in school!  So I was RUSTY.  After a few months, I became dissatisfied that what I was 'hearing' wasn't being manifested in my daily life.  So - I began (now, realize this is all the Holy Spirit at work here, not me myself...) to write things down.  I immediately noticed I was internalizing what I wrote down much more.  So then I returned to a favorite book, but this time I didn't read it.  Instead, I scanned it and wrote out an OUTLINE of the subject that had captured me.  This outline consisted of most of the verses shared in Part 1 and Part 2 of this little series.

A few weeks later, our pastor asked us to write down a list of people we would pray for.  Again, it took awhile because by myself things are just not good.  BUT - when I obeyed the pastor's direction (and, by extension, the Holy Spirit) well - then things began to flow!  One day it occurred to me to connect my list of names with the promises I'd found.  And a strange this occurred.  I read through the promises once, praying them for my list of people.  I didn't have to refer to my sheet again!  The Holy Spirit cemented them in my mind!

Did it feel contrived?  Well - it definitely felt WEIRD to take out a piece of paper with promises, hold it next to my paper list of names and then - with my eyes open - read them out loud to Jesus.  However, after the first or second time, I could do the prayer with my eyes closed.  And the Holy Spirit began throwing new names into my mind as I prayed.

I've no idea if this will be the process that works for you.  But - here's what I think we may have in common:  We need to go to prayer bootcamp!  My prayers have been largely of the 'mamby-pamby' variety!  I'm done with that - I want more!  I want prayers that move heaven to save people, to heal people, to take territory back from the evil one.  I want powerful prayers.  And if I have to feel uncomfortable while I'm learning how to do this - that's ok with me...

Dear Jesus - I praise You that prayer is really just talking to You as to a Friend.  And I praise You that You are the kind of Friend I can come to with all my papers and my Bible verses jotted down and discuss my plans, my hopes, my desires to work with You in the saving for eternity of those around me...