prayers

I love the Lord and thank Him for all that he does in my life,
therefore, I passing this on. Yes I do love Jesus.
He is my source of existence and my Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and everyday.
Without Him, I will be nothing.
Without Him, I am nothing but with Him I can do all things.
Philippians 4:13

National Prayer

Lord, we come to You on bended knee,
heads bowed and our hearts filled to overflowing
with so much grief for the many people who have
been injured and killed in our National crisis.

We ask you Lord, to give courage
and strength to those who so bravely
go to their aid. And though their hearts will
be heavy and filled with sorrow we ask Lord
that You give them the endurance needed
to help them through this difficult task.

Please give us the strength Lord,
to get through each difficult and devastating
day that faces each of us and our country.
Protect and guide our Military that
are now being called to duty.

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders
of our great country in their hour of decision.
The burden that has been placed on their
shoulders during this crisis is overwhelming.
We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You
guide them gently to the right decisions.

And lastly Lord, we ask that You
allow us all to come together as a Nation,
to stand tall and united, so that we might
help each other in our hour of need.
Amen

"When you are DOWN to nothing ... God is UP to something"

Father, in the Name of Jesus, bless the one reading this in a special way. Open supernatural doors in their life today. Save and set free! Give them a double portion of your Spirit as we take back everything that the devil has stolen: Emotional Health, Physical Health, Finances, Relationships, Children, Jobs, Homes, Marriages.

I cancel every plot, plan and scheme the enemy has devised against them, In The MATCHLESS NAME OF JESUS. And I declare: NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST THEM WILL PROSPER.

I speak LIFE into every dead situation. And, I thank you that nothing is over until YOU say it's over! I speak prophetically into their lives and to their situations: Their household is blessed; Their health is blessed; Their marriage is blessed; Their finances are blessed; Their jobs are blessed; Their children are blessed; Their grandchildren are blessed; Their parents are blessed; Their siblings are blessed; Their ministries are blessed; and, Their decisions are blessed. Husbands are on the way; Wives are on the way; Mortgages are paid and cancelled; Their hearts desires are on the way; according to YOUR perfect will and plan for their lives. IN JESUS' NAME! AMEN

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day.
I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.

I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God.You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.

Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought
that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.
Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of
gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.

Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it
as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus'
example - to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart.

Continue to use me to do Your will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong that I may help the weak.
Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for
others.
I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way.
I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood.
I pray for those who don't know You intimately.
I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with
others.
I pray for those who don't believe.
But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things.

I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family
member in their households.
I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of
debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem,
circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in
Your hands for You to fight.
I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye
that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.

I pray for America in the face of the tragedies and terrorism of
September 11, 2001 in New York City, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and anywhere else in the world that Americans are in danger just for being Americans. This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Heavenly Father,
Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in
traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments
with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed,
disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging
for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job)! is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking
annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are
close to us but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judgment and quick to forgiveness and patience and empathy and love.

In Jesus' name - AMEN!

Tips on how to pray:

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way." (1 Samuel 12:23)

In the bedroom we have rest and intimacy with our spouse. Praying in the bedroom isn't just a way to comfort yourself by saying pleasant words. Neither is it a way to earn God's favor. When you pray, you're making an intimate connection with the living God of the universe.

God's awesome power and rest is unleashed in your life when you pray. Prayer is powerful, so powerful that it can have a more
significant impact than anything else you say or do. In fact, it is a sin not to pray, and you don't need Sissy Spacek when you pray. Here are some ways you can pray boldly, inviting God to transform your relationship with Him through prayer:

* Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha'Kodesh). Once you have a relationship with Christ, you can ask the Spirit to indwell you. Relying on the Holy Spirit's power will help you hear and respond to God's voice as you pray. The Holy Spirit will also help you express your deepest prayers to God even if you don't know how to put them into words yourself.

* Believe in God's promises from His Word and expect Him to work in your life. Have faith in His willingness and power to answer your prayers. Be persistent when you pray. Remember the power that was unleashed when the early Church prayed, and look for God to respond to faithful prayers in much more powerful ways today.

* Approach prayer like an adventure that it is, not an obligation. Prayer should never be boring and should be done in and out of the bedroom.

Be open to hearing from God during your conversations with Him, and don't be afraid to encounter Him. Pursue God with a passion and a true desire to be transformed every day. Be a God chaser, not a skirt chaser or money chaser. Chase God, not women, because God doesn't play hard to get.

Put God FIRST in your life and ALL the good things and the blessings that you ever desire will literally chase you and overtake you.

* Read the Bible day and night, think about what it says, apply it to your life, and speak the Word in your prayers to affirm and claim God's promises. Pray and bind evil spiritual forces that may be working against you. Prayer has real power to stop evil dead in its tracks in the Name of Jesus. When facing a decision, consult the Bible and ask God to show you the direction in which He's moving, then commit to following Him and obey His Word.

* Confess any sin that are hindering your relationship with God, especially sexual sins like fornication, homosexuality and adultery. Ask for God's grace to help you live a pure life.

Forgive those who have wronged you as you pray so that God will forgive you for your sins. Put trust in God rather than yourself, other people, things, or circumstances for God is BIGGER than any problem you may face.

* Pray for people who don't yet have relationships with Jesus the Messiah, standing in the spiritual gap for them to ask God to work in their lives so they will receive the benefits of salvation. Be humble, for it's the Blood of Jesus on the cross that is the ultimate source of absolute power your prayers have.

* Pray often in private, in the bedroom, and when you do pray in public, don't make a big show of it. Make sure your motivation to pray is to commune with God your heavenly Father rather than to impress others. Don't let your prayers become just laundry lists of requests. Praise God for who He is, confess your sins, and thank God for His work in your life during your prayers as well as asking Him for what you need and want. Don't forget to thank God before they arrive and magnify His Name.

* Fast when God leads you to be The Fast and the Furious. Fasting can help you focus more on your spiritual health than your physical one. Fasting also cleanses your body and burns fat. Prayer and fasting is a powerful one-two punch that gets results. Pull a fast one on God and be willing to make sacrifices for Him. God may ask you to give up TV, alcohol, smoking, social time with other people, business deals or family time so you can spend more time alone with Him to meditate on His Word or to read these emails.

* Know that God will always hear and answer your prayers in the way that's best. Wait for Him to act in His timing and in His way. His answer may be GO, SLOW, GROW or NO.

A POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.

I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.

God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

Now do you have the time to pass it on?

Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to your leading. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, give them Faith to reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. Show them the difference between what is not your will and what is your will and the wisdom to know the difference.. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen

Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head.

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do,
Hope you don't mind me asking
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends,
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you,
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits send.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.com.

I Have a Problem
Father, I have a problem.
It's weighing heavy on me.
It's all I can think about,
night and day.
Before I bring it to you in prayer.
I suppose I should pray for those
who are less fortunate than me--
Those in this world who have
hardly enough food for this day,
and for those who don't have
a roof over their heads at night.
I also pray for families
who have lost loved ones
in sudden death,
for parents whose children
have leukemia,
for the many people who are
dying of brain tumors,
for the hundreds of thousands
who are laid waste with
other terrible cancers,
for people whose bodies
have been suddenly
shattered in car wrecks,
for those who are lying
in the hospital with agonizing
burns over their bodies,
whose faces have been
burned beyond recognition.
I pray for people with emphysema,
whose eyes fill with terror
as they struggle for every
breath merely to live,
for those who are tormented
beyond words by irrational fears,
for the elderly who are wracked
with the pains of aging,
whose only "escape" is death.
I pray for people who are watching
their loved ones fade before their eyes
through the grief of Alzheimer's disease,
for the many thousands
who are suffering
the agony of AIDS,
for those who are in such despair
they are about to commit suicide,
for people who are tormented
by the demons of
alcoholism and drug addiction.
I pray for children
who have been abandoned
by their parents,
for those who are sexually abused,
for wives held in quiet despair,
beaten and abused by
cruel and drunken husbands,
for people whose minds
have been destroyed
by mental disorders,
for those who have lost everything
in floods, tornadoes,
hurricanes, and earthquakes.
I pray for the blind,
who never see the faces
of the ones they love,
or the beauty of a sunrise,
for those whose bodies are
horribly deformed by painful arthritis, for the many whose lives
will be taken from them today
by murderers,
for those wasting away
on their death beds.
Most of all,
I cry out for the millions
who don't know the forgiveness
that is in Jesus Christ...
for those who in a moment of time
will be swept into Hell
by the cold hand of death,
and find to their utter
horror the unspeakable
vengeance of eternal fire.
They will be eternally damned
to everlasting punishment.
Oh God, I pray for them.
Strange....
I can't seem to remember
what my problem was,,,,,,
In Jesus' name I pray...Amen!

How to Pray

Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew chapter 6:

But thou, when thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut the door, pray to the Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (verses 6-13).

When we pray He wants a quiet, one on one time with us. In the earlier days the Pharisees would pray loudly on the corners of the streets just so people would see them and see how pious they were. It was for show and recognition. He wants us to just come to Him without pomp or splash, recognition or display. And most of us do. However, most don't give a thought of prayer until they are falling asleep and then trail off into dreamland somewhere in the middle of it.

Then people wonder, "Why doesn't He hear my prayers"!? Perhaps it got muffled somewhere in between the snoring? Or maybe your prayer was out of alignment with Scripture to begin with? And since all things happen or don't within His will, perhaps the answer was No.

The biggest reason most people never get results with prayer is because they are seeking things not of Him.

He gave us a model of prayer:
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever "(Matt. 6:9-13).

Just a few verses down He admonishes us:
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (verse 19-21).

People ask me, how do you pray? Most people just don't know how to pray and they want to know how others pray so they can learn.

The churches teach that every little materialistic thing we want is just a prayer away. They teach prayer as a power or force directed at God of which He is then forced to respond. Blab it and grab it.

Well that is not the way it works with Him. He does not want us to spend our time with Him rambling on about the things we want or need. He doesn't want our want lists He wants our hearts. And who are we to demand anything of Him? He is GOD, we are not.

He has already told us not to do that. Yet how many make prayer their sole time of rattling off what they want or need and never move on to anything else? They claim they don't because after all they throw in a few other things to masque it, but they are only kidding themselves and the Lord is not amused. He is patient, but not amused when the main focus of prayers is spent on what someone wants or needs in regards to this earth and the things in it.

If you were of His heart you would be praying for His judgment on this wicked earth and for Him to utterly destroy it because of the rejection of Him here instead of another car, house, winning the lottery or whatever else would make your life easier in a world He told you not to be a part of. "Be in the world but not of the world" ring a bell?

Didn't He say "lay not up for yourselves treasures on this earth?" Yet most people pray and seek the things of this earth. And the things He wants us to do, "lay up treasures in heaven" people ignore.

I had to learn this myself years ago. I was always praying amiss in regards to how He wants us to pray. So I asked Him to teach me how to pray. He didn't recite Matthew 6 to me. He didn't say anything. But I noticed I started to change myself. That my interests of this earth no longer mattered. Frankly I started losing interest of this earth. I found myself asking for more of Him and I couldn't get enough of it. I would bug Him all the time for the same things, or more, more, more of something in particular. And I still do to this day. Persistence.

I ask for His eyes, ears, and heart. And when you ask for these types of things He gives them in measure. A little here, a little there. That's why I always seek for more. I want all of Him, to be more like Him.

I ask for things not of this world.

I ask Him for strength, boldness, discernment, to see things how He sees them, to hear things how He hears them, and to feel things how He feels them. I ask Him for the truth in all things and for Him to keep me from evil. I ask Him to talk to me, to reveal things to me, to walk with me. I praise Him, I thank Him, and I adore Him.

Your prayers reveal your heart to Him. Are you of this world or are you of Him?

I don't spend a lot of time praying about my enemies or telling Him how broke I am or how miserable I am. He knows I hate it here. If my enemies are bothering me I ask Him to take care of them and I leave it at that. I mean come on folks, how much more powerful is it to leave your enemies and problems in His hands? What do you think you can do compared to what He can or will do? So why dwell on it? Why dwell on the problems of this earth when there's nothing you yourself can do about them anyway? Give them to Him. He wants them. As far as I'm concerned, He can have every one of mine. I don't want to waste my time on something He said He would already take care of. Don't run in circles with yourself or around Him.

He knows what we need before we ask Him. And He is not deaf or hard of hearing. There is a difference between being persistent about something spiritual and something materialistic. He will not say no to a request on the spiritual, but if you are bugging Him for a materialistic thing and you haven't gotten it then stop the temper tantrums already the answer was no or later.

People actually lose their faith or abandon it all together because their prayers are not answered the way they want them to be. The prosperity beast prophets teach name it and claim it, and they will teach it all the way to the pit of hell knowing it is making you miserable and losing your faith in God because you are not getting anything but suckered into false doctrines. Millions have been deceived by them and praying amiss because they believed them instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves on how to pray instead.

Many people actually believe that to get anything from the Lord they must give money to these beasts masquerading as pastors and evangelists to finance their multi-million dollar entertainment facilities they call churches and their lavish lifestyles. They think they have to pay for gifts from the Lord as in "sowing seeds." That is heresy folks.

Pray for things that will make you more like the Most High. Seek Him and His kingdom above everything else. Pray for the things you need of Him to fulfill your calling in Him, or to realize what that is, or to do His work here on earth. Our reward is in heaven, our reward is heaven.

Set your mind on things above and there is where your heart will be.

"Dear Heavenly Father, the Most High, Teach me how to pray. I know I have been praying the wrong way and I need You to teach me the right way. And Teach me the truth in all things so I can get out of the deceptions I am in and learn what the truth is from You Yourself. I want to learn from You, not man.
Father give me discernment so I can know what is of You and what isn't. And help me to learn who you are, reveal Yourself to me so I can learn who you are and transform me Father so I can become more like you.
Thank you Father, I love you. I praise your Name and seek to serve You and only You.
I Love You the Most High, in Yahushuah's Name, Amen."

Praying isn't a science but there is a wrong way and a right way. Pray from the heart and seek the things of Him. Learn how to talk to Him as you would a friend, yet reverence His sovereignty. And remember, any relationship is a two-way road. Be still and listen for His small voice in your spirit as you pray. Allow Him to speak to you, don't shut Him out. He doesn't speak to your head, He speaks to your heart. So listen to His voice in your heart and rebuke any you hear in your head.

Love Him.

That is all He wants.

Everything else falls into place after that. Ask Him daily to walk with you and be with you. You will get to the point you don't even have to ask Him anymore because you will have learned to recognize He is already with you.

Ask Him to teach you how to pray.

The following is taken from the site www.jesus-is-lord.com ; one of my favorite sites for learning about true Christianity.

Prayer & Unction
Let this information stimulate and inspire you to go further in prayer. Seek the honour, power, and annointing that cometh from God alone. Prayer is your special time to go down on your knees to commune with your Father. In prayer, you render thanksgiving, praise and worship unto God for His excellent greatness (you can start by reading a praise Psalm to inspire you). Prayer is a whole other realm of Christian experience where you receive grace, divine instruction, revelation, illumination, etc. from God's throne. Prayer is not to be rote and dried up. Jesus would sometimes pray to the Father all night long. Men ought always to pray and not to faint. It availeth MUCH. Tarry with it until your breakthrough comes.

Power Through Prayer (POWERFUL classic on prayer. Addressed to pastors but relevant for all. E.M. Bounds.)
The Possibilities of Prayer (More good stuff by E.M. Bounds.)
Purpose in Prayer (More good stuff by E.M. Bounds.)
How to Pray (Many eye opening points. R.A. Torrey.)
The Necessity of Prayer (E.M. Bounds.)
UNCTION: Unction (That divine power and annointing that is missing in most lives and preaching. Excerpted from Power Through Prayer. EM Bounds)
Preaching that kills (Unannointed, death preaching is often orthodox, but it lacks unction, divine power. Chapter 3 of Power Through Prayer. EM Bounds)
The Soul of Prayer (Contemplative food for those who've walked the terrace. P. T. Forsyth)
Puritan Prayers

Prayer, an excellent treatise on when and how to pray.

Of all the disciplines of the Christian walk, perhaps the most important, the least practiced and the least understood is prayer. Prayer is absolutely key in or success as children of God—both in the way we overcome the devil in battles we face, and in the way we overcome our own flesh. If there is one thing the devil will try to undercut in your life—it is your time of prayer. He does not want you spending time with God—you become stronger, you better understand the purposes of the Kingdom, and you gain wisdom and courage to resist the devil in your life.
Satan will do everything he can to fill your life with people, circumstances and crisis to eat up your time and keep you from your life of prayer and important time with the Lord. That is why every child of God must decide what part of the day they will give to God. It should be the time with the least amount of distractions—a time that will be regular from one day to the next.

WHEN SHOULD I PRAY?

    Don’t wait one minute. Don’t put it off. Often people look for someone else to tell them what the best time of the day is to pray. No one must tell us when to spend time with our best friends—we look for every opportunity to be with the ones we love. Furthermore, when we meet with loved ones, we want no distractions. It should be the same with the Lord. Be driven to prayer by your desire. Look for the times that give you the most freedom in your schedule and are virtually distraction-free.
    My wife was a morning person. She loved to get up early. Usually, I would wake to find her with her Bible, because she was most alert at the first part of the day. For me, things are different. I tend to be more of a late night person. My study and prayer times are in the afternoons and late evenings. The time to pray is when you are alert and have the least distractions.
    Now, I’ve heard many say, “I’m busy all the time—kids, work, house duties; there is no time for prayer. Well, if you are too busy to talk to God—you are on a pathway to spiritual and emotional collapse. You will be drained in your emotions, and the roller coaster of life will begin to speed out of control. Find time. Make time. You decide whether to get up early, or go to bed later. You know when your mind is most alert. Put down the remote control; hang up the telephone; unplug from the voices of our generation and make time to get alone with God. If you don’t, you will be committing spiritual suicide.

HOW LONG SHOULD I PRAY?

    Pray until you break through—until you know you have touched God. Remember, prayer is an important part of keeping our friendship and relationship with God alive. When you call your best friend on the phone, or spend time with a close family member, you don’t stop to think, “How long should this call be; or how much time should I spend visiting my mother?” You relax, spill out your heart; laugh a little, cry a little; talk seriously—and when you are ready—you finish your visit. That’s the way it should be with God. If we look at Biblical examples, Daniel prayed three times each day. David rose early in the morning to talk with God and communed with Him on his bed at night; he praised the Lord all day long. Paul “prayed without ceasing” (See Romans 1).
    These great men enjoyed relationship with God. For Daniel it was regimented and disciplined; for David it was like a continual song all day long; and Paul was so active in the work of the Lord, his prayer life remained constant and regular because of the intensity of his ministry battles. When you spend time with God; as you get to know Him, your hunger and desire to know Him more will increase. At first you may pray only fifteen minutes then one day you will look up from your time of prayer and find an hour has passed and you didn’t even know it.
    Don’t make one or three hours your goal in prayer—make touching God your goal. When you have enjoyed sweet communion with the Father, you have reached your goal for the day.

WHAT SHOULD I PRAY ABOUT?

    Some people make lists. The value in a list seems to be the ability to keep record of God’s answer to prayer. Lists are a good starting place; but if we only pray through a list, our prayer can become mechanical and dry. Jesus in fact said not to make vain repetitions as the Pharisees did (See Matthew 6:7). Perhaps Jesus was steering us away from religion of form and drawing us toward a walk of power. He wanted His disciples to know the Father as He did. Jesus prayed. He prayed with regard to specific cases; He prayed for direction; He prayed for blessing; he prayed for emotional strength; He prayed for His disciples; He prayed just to be in communion with His Father. Whatever was on His heart, Jesus brought it to God. That life of communion with His Father was the source of power in His life.
    This is the way a prayer should be for us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).   This verse shows the content of prayer—”everything that concerns us”; and the goal of prayer—”peace, or knowing we have touched the Living God.” The end result of a healthy prayer life is power.
    Sometimes we know exactly how to pray. We don’t need a list; it’s written on our hearts. But other times we feel hindered in prayer—that’s when the baptism of the Holy Ghost begins to pray through you. The Spirit searches the heart and begins to pray according to the will of God. Look at Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The important thing is not what comes out of our mouths; but what comes out of our hearts. Prayer is spending time with God.
      Do you remember when you first fell in love? You wanted to spend time with that beautiful young lady, but it just seemed you were very awkward every time you wanted to say you loved her? The feelings were all there, but the words sometimes sounded strange. People who love us don’t care what our words are, they just want to know that we love them enough to spend time with them and value them as individuals. It is no different in our relationship with God. He is most interested in knowing that you love Him and want to spend time with Him: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
    With regard to prayer, remember that good relationships involve two people giving and two people receiving. If you have a friend who does nothing but take from you, more than likely that friend is not high on your list. If you want a close relationship with God, make sure you know how to give as well as receive. While it is true we can never outgive the Lord, remember He longs for relationship—and a key part of our giving to Him is our thanksgiving, our praise, our worship and our love gifts. God inhabits the praises of His people. “..but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God..” (Philippians 4:6).
    When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to: 1.) Glorify God—”Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” 2.) Reverence God—”Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 3.) Ask God—”Give us this day our daily bread.” 4.) Repent to God—”Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” 5.) Commit to God—”And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” 6.) Worship God—”For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” This outline for prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13.
      Remember, Jesus gave us an approach to God. He was showing His disciples how to enter into relationship with God. If you will notice, only a small portion of that prayer deals with needs. Much of the prayer involves praise, honoring God and worshipping Him. Our relationship with God is more important than relationship with other people. No one should hold greater respect in our hearts—ours is a special relationship to be specially nurtured.

WHAT MAKES PRAYER POWERFUL?

      This is an important question. Prayer can be mechanical and weak, or prayer can be powerful and effective. Prayer cannot be powerful without faith: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
      If Jesus is the Door or Way to God; then, faith is the key that unlocks the Door to God. You and I should not even try to pray unless we pray in faith.   The Bible says that faith believes that God is—this is fundamental. When we pray, we do not pray to a “higher power” or to a “force.” We are praying to the Eternal, One and Only true God, the Lord Jehovah, the Mighty One. Faith believes that God is.
    Secondly, faith believes that God rewards our diligence in prayer. This is what I like to call confidence. I know God’s nature and character so well, that when I pray, I pray with confidence. God is greater than an earthly father. Yet, Jesus said if an earthly father, being evil, is asked for bread, he will not give his child a stone. God is a good God, from whom comes down every good and perfect gift. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” If I don’t have this confidence when I pray, my prayer cannot be effective. I must not doubt, I must pray in faith: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b).
    The Book of James mentions the one who doubts in prayer, calling that man “..unstable in all his ways”   (James 1:8). If a person is filled with doubt, his life will be unstable. Satan loves to fill our hearts with doubt to weaken our faith. A weak, powerless Christian is no threat to the enemy’s domain. That old liar will put doubts about believers and God’s faithfulness into your mind and heart. Those doubts are easy to recognize; sometimes those doubts take on a form of worry. In this condition, we can’t pray in faith—our prayer will be powerless. How do you gain power in prayer? Build your faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
      My beloved friend, if you need more power in prayer—get alone with your Bible and start meditating on God’s Word. If you are sick in body—get out all the verses you know about God’s healing power. If your children are giving you problems, get out every passage you know that deals with children and families. Meditate on the Word of God—rehearse the verses that speak of His mighty power. The Bible itself will be a daily source of energy for powerful prayer.
      Thirdly, your faith grows through praying. The more you spend time in God’s presence, touching Him, and receiving comfort from Him, the stronger your faith and trust grows in your Heavenly Father. Your prayer life may seem a little weak; your prayer language a little rusty. That’s because you only pray in church and around the supper table. It’s time to get alone with God. Start meeting God daily for prayer and you will increase your faith and power by hearing directly from the Lord.

WHY DOES IT SEEM GOD HASN’T HEARD ME IN MY HARD TIMES?

There is no doubt about it; we live in very difficult times. The Coming of the Lord is near, and Jesus said there would be an increase of all things difficult (see Matthew 24). Jesus asked this question, “..when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Jesus had a concern, that as there was an increase of sorrows and difficult times, many would lose their love for the Lord, stop praying and walking with God, many would weaken in faith.
If we are walking and talking with God daily, God can give us warnings about which person to receive counsel from—when to say “no” to a child—when to say “yes” to a business deal. In fact, God may have been trying to get you alone for a while. He knows the road ahead and He wants you to be successful. But, hear me, THERE IS NO WAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL APART FROM GOD’S PLAN. We must hear from God. We must be in daily prayer.
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