3 Keys to Deep PrayerSample

Key 3: Gates and Courts

The third key to deep prayer is to enter into the Lord's gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.

This means to begin praying by giving thanks to God. Then, we proceed to praising God. The Bible tells us that these two elements of prayer—thanksgiving and praise—should happen before you begin sharing your requests with the Lord.

What are the “gates” and “courts”?

The “gates” are the first thing you pass through when you’re entering a place.

The Tabernacle of Moses, which was built after the pattern of God's throne room in Heaven, had gates in its fence. Everyone who entered had to pass through the gates. Similarly, the Bible tells us that we should enter the Lord’s heavenly “gates” with thanksgiving.

Next, enter His courts with praise.

The “courts” are the very place where God sits. When you’re in His courts, you’re in the inner place of His throne room.

In order to get there, you had to proceed from entering His gates with thanksgiving to moving forward into His courts with praise! In other words, after you have thanked God, you begin to praise Him!

Praise is different than thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving” means thanking God for what He has done. But, “praise” means to glorify God and worship Him for who He is.

For example, when you’re giving thanks, you might say, “Thank You for saving me, Father. Thank You for providing for me. Thank You for loving me.”

But when you’re praising God, you might pray something like this: “Father, You are holy! You are faithful! Jesus, You are my Salvation! You are righteous and good and pure and true! You are awesome! Hallelujah! I love You, Lord!”

Praise moves you into the inner courts—the manifest presence—of the Lord every time.

So if you want to enter into deep prayer, remember to use these three keys:

1. Always pray in Jesus’ name.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray, pray through you, and intercede for you as you pray.
3. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.

These three keys work every time! And after you use these keys and find yourself in the inner courts of the Lord, pour out your heart to Him.

Remember that God's Word tells us in Hebrews 4:16 to come boldly before the throne of grace! As you pray, you’ll have a powerful time of prayer that is a supernatural encounter with the Living God—and you will see results in your life!

Did this Bible Plan help you? If you would like more guided prayer points and even written prayers, check out our library of free prayers here on FromHisPresence.com!