Praying From Above While Walking Below
Morning light above the clouds, a quiet reminder to set my heart where Jesus is.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks, from The Altar of Incense
Photo Credit: Unsplash
We hurry through so many mornings. A quick word about schedules and safety, a request for the day to go smoothly, then off we run. Today’s reading from T. Austin-Sparks gently lifts our chin. If we have been raised with Jesus, prayer is not just about life going well on earth. Prayer begins from where we truly are in Him, with hearts set on things above, where Jesus is.
He is not scolding us for bringing everyday concerns. He is inviting us to place those concerns inside a larger, brighter frame. The Father has already joined us to His Son. We are seated with Him. From that place, even ordinary requests gain a new center. We are not begging for a trouble free day. We are trusting the Lord to shape our day so that eternal things, real things, have first claim on our attention.
This is not escapism. It is engagement with purpose. Trials are not wasted in this view. If sorrow or inconvenience becomes the hallway through which Jesus grows us, we would rather know His life in us than be sheltered from every rough edge. We want His peace to govern our hearts, His wisdom to steady our steps, His love to overflow to others.
Thank you, Brother Sparks, for turning our eyes upward in a very practical way. He reminds us that praying on a heavenly basis does not remove us from the world. It roots us in Jesus while we answer emails, sit in traffic, and care for our families. From above, our priorities shift. From above, our petitions change tone. From above, our day becomes an altar where Jesus is honored and others are served.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I remind you that you were raised with Christ, therefore set your heart where He is. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. I have seated you with Him in the heavenlies, not someday, but now. Let your prayers rise from that place. Draw near with confidence, for the veil is open and you are welcome.
Seek the things above. As you bring your daily concerns, place them within My purpose. I work all things together for good as you love Me, and this good is that you are conformed to the image of My Son. Do not measure our fellowship by relief from discomfort. Measure it by the life of Jesus made visible in you.
Abide in Me. Apart from Me you can do nothing, but united with Me you bear fruit. Reckon yourself alive to God in Christ Jesus. Present yourself to Me as one brought from death to life. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Let His word dwell in you richly. In everything give thanks. Your citizenship is in heaven. From there you await the Savior, and from there you pray.
I dwell in you. Christ in you is the hope of glory. As you set your mind on things above, I set your steps on paths of love below. When you are weak, I intercede for you according to the will of God. I strengthen with grace. I steady your thoughts. I direct your affections. Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, and you will find that your ordinary day is filled with eternal weight and quiet joy.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of your phone’s Focus mode. With a tap, noisy notifications slip to the background so the most important conversation stays front and center. Praying from above is like that. You are not ignoring life. You are letting the indwelling Spirit of Jesus set the center, then everything else takes its rightful place around Him.
Try this today in a simple moment. Before replying to a tense message, say, Lord, I trust You to center my mind on what matters to You, speak Your patience and clarity through me as I write, and let my words carry Your peace. You are not powering through by willpower. You are yielding to the Holy Spirit within you, and He is glad to express the life of Jesus through your very ordinary task.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I have been raised with Jesus and my life is hidden with Him in You. Thank You that I am already seated with Christ in the heavenlies. I gratefully receive the peace of Christ to rule my heart today. I welcome Your word to dwell richly in me. I present myself to You as Yours, resting in the finished work of the cross and the present life of the risen Lord within me. I rejoice that every detail of this day can serve eternal purposes. I yield to Your Spirit, trusting You to pray through me, love through me, and work through me for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Colossians 3:1–3; Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 4:16; Romans 8:26–29; John 15:4–5; Romans 6:11–13; Colossians 3:15–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Philippians 3:20–21; 2 Corinthians 4:17–18; Colossians 1:27; Matthew 6:33; Galatians 2:20