Prayers to help us pray
See this section for more on prayer and how to pray
Also see http://www.uforanks.com/Prayerbook/table_of_contents.htm
for another great collection of prayers
Go to here for a true story of how God responds to prayer.
For some of us ; praying to Yahweh and finding the right words isn't the easiest thing we do. This page contains a collection of prayers that have come to me from others to share with you that I use to speak with God when my own words seem inadequate and don't come easy. It should be noted that you should only pray to Yahweh Elohim (Father God) himself; not to any human (such as Mary), or saint, or even your angel. 1Timothy 2:5 You can thank Yahweh for sending the angel to watch over you; but you do not pray to your angel directly. Yeshua (Jesus) TAUGHT us how to pray; explaining that we go directly to Father Yahweh and end our prayers "in Yeshua's name". Such is the example in the first prayer below.
Prayer
for Salvation:
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If we have invited Jesus to come and live within
us and be the Lord of our lives then our inheritance in the future kingdom is
assured. God's
word says in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In
order to invite Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, you must believe in you heart
that He is the Son of God, believe that He died upon the cross of Calvary as an
atonement for your wrong doings, and believe that He arose from death and the
grave. We must confess and repent of our sins and confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord. If you have never done this then stop right now and pray this prayer.
Heavenly
Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus repenting and asking forgiveness of
all my sins. Your Word says, "whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord
shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to
come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9 -10.
"If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in
thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead thou shalt be saved" I do
that now. I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God
raised Him from the dead. I am a Christian ..a child of Almighty God! I am
saved!
In Jesus' name, Amen.
General
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
We
give you the Glory and the Honor that you alone deserve. When we
remember the wonderful things that you have done in our lives, we
don't know how to thank you enough for being so merciful and gracious
towards us.
Restore health and vigor to our sickly
bodies; give joy and hope to the depressed; bring comfort to the lonely; care
for the poor; and remind us daily of your unfailing love for
us.
Lord, we do not hesitate to bring before
you our troubles because you ask that we bring all of our burdens
unto you and you will give us rest for our souls. Father, we ask that
you may intervene in our lives and our families. The devil is like a
roaring lion seeking to devour those we love. We pray that you may
bring peace and love in our homes. Dwell within our
families and may we live to glorify your Name, Father
We pray all this in the precious name of Jesus,
Amen!
Brother Phil’s
Prayer Book I plead the covenant blood of Jesus over us. We now receive and obtain in the Name of Jesus Your forgiveness for our sins, Father, both for what we failed to do ignorance and presumption of Your Word (Ex 10:1-3) and for our disobedience to Your Word when we gave in to the lusts of our flesh, described in Gal 5:16-21 and Rom 3:22-31. We now receive by the covenant blood of Jesus the empowering help of the Holy Spirit to die to the lusts of our flesh today, because Your Word tells us that where we are weak, there are we made to be strong in the power of Your might, Father. (Rev 3:10) So by the authority of Your Word, we together give praise and thanks giving for the covenant blood that was shed for us. Oh, thank You, Father, for being just and faithful to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness! (1 John 1:9-10) Now we can come boldly and draw near with confidence to Your throne of grace, Father. (Romans 5:2) And we receive Your mercy and obtain Your grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) We now stand forgiving all of those who have sinned against us, Father, and we ask that You would purge us from the wounds of hurt and anger inflicted upon us by them. Lord, reward them according to their works as we cast these cares upon Your powerful shoulders, because we are unable to carry them. (Ps 55:22; 1 Pet 5:3) These problems aren’t worth losing Your precious Anointing in our lives. (2 Cor 2:7-11; Mk 11:25) In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen. GIVING
GOD CONTROL OF OUR TONGUE Luke 21:14-15 We are now the prophets of our own lives. Our words determine our future, our health, our wealth, and our place in eternity. (Pv 18:21) Our faith-filled words are alive and full of power. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession (Heb 3:1) Our words are the voice of Jesus in the Earth. Jesus is our voice in Heaven. Our confession is enriched by Jesus. Our faith-filled words dominate the laws of sin and death. We are what the Word says we are. We can do what the Word says we can do. We can have what the Word says we can have. We’re not moved by what we feel. We’re moved only by what God’s Word says about us. We are God-inside minded. We are the righteousness of God in the anointing of the Anointed One. From the abundance of our Word-filled heart, our Word filled mouths speak. Arise and shine: it’s 2009! It is the year of the overflow of God’s extraordinary firsts in our lives. Not a broke day, not a sad day, but every day an overflow day! Every day is a day that something extraordinary happens to us in Jesus’ Name! Prayer over sickness
Christ has received (name of person you ae
praying for) from the
curse of the law. Therefore, I forbid any
sickness or disease to come
upon XXX's body, and that every disease
germ and every virus that
touches XXXX's body dies instantly in the name
of Jesus. Every organ
and every tissue of his body is to function in
the perfection to which
God created it to function, and I forbid any
malfunction in his body
in the name of Jesus. Gal. 3:13; Rom 8:11
Gen. 1:31 and Matt 16:19.
Lord, I pray too that you will meet the needs for
all those on my prayer
list, Amen The Harvester's Prayer Lord, encourage and motivate me, so that I may
continually serve you with a passion, and please teach me to listen to the Holy
Spirit, so that I may always know Your will. Lord, please help me overcome
temptation, and don’t let the devil have any foothold in me. Lord, break every
stronghold in me, so that Your Holy Spirit may totally dominate my life. Lord,
judge me severely, correct me ruthlessly, and when needed, rebuke me thoroughly,
so I can serve you more perfectly, being void of all hypocrisy and being meek
and lowly of heart. Lord, help me become a great Harvester, sowing Your seed and bringing many people to You. Lord, here I am, use me. I want to advance Your Kingdom and serve You everyday. Open many doors of opportunity to shine the Light of Jesus through me, and put several people in my path today, so that I may bring them to You. Lord, help me do something profound for You everyday, and to have an impact on eternity. Lord, I want to master Your Word. Please, fill me
with Your knowledge and truth, Lord, I pray for a long life of service to You,
with health and blessings for my family, help me develop a disciplined mind, a
crucified flesh, and a loving compassionate heart, pure and obedient.
Lord, set my sights on the highest goal, and have me do whatever is necessary to
achieve the greatest blessing of a good and faithful servant, and to finish
strong in the Lord. Lord, help me fully experience the Christian life, and to
manifest Jesus in every aspect of my life. Most Holy and Righteous God, thank You for everything You have done for me and my family. I surrender my life to You, please direct me and make me into Your image, for I am nothing without You. May my life bring glory and honor to You. Please send out many workers into the harvest field, and I ask all of these things in the name of Your son, Yahshua, AMEN. "Father, I am thankful for Your presence in my life. I am thankful for a guardian angel that You have sent to keep me safe and secure. I'm thankful for my relationship with Yeshua who is my brother and my strength. I thank you for refuge under your feathers, for my security. I ask for the comfort of your feathers in these trying times and that You will add to my strength so that I may abide in Your doctrine. Though I am a sinner and will stumble and fall many times, I ask that You always be there to help me back onto my feet...and please allow me the discernment to understand right from wrong and the courage to make the right choice. I am weak and without substance unless You are in me. My sole being is to know Your goodness and to qualify as Your dutiful son and persevere to the end with - out yielding to Satan. Suffer me not to be led into temptation. "I acknowledge no other in my life but You! You are my beginning and my end. In You I have trust...and undying faith. Do with me what You will, and if You choose not to relieve me of the pain and suffering in these perilous times, then give me the strength to endure them...and to come out the other end of the tunnel--into that brightness that is You--and to take my appointed place in Your Kingdom forever. "Father, I plead the precious blood of Yeshua, the Lamb who gave His life that I might be redeemed back into the Elohim family. 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 that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that 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. This is my prayer Sinner's Prayer To Be Saved The above prayer and this advice came from
a wise pastor friend of mine: "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the father but by me." This in itself indicts EVERY other religion on earth outside of Christianity, as a puppet to Lucifer, that Old Devil. Without Yeshua, there is NOTHING. Yahweh wanted it that way. He intended it that way. He constructed His Master Plan that way...and that is the way IT IS. Dear
Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to It's amazing how many people don't even remember the "Our Father". If it's been so long that you have forgotten; here it is: Our Father who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen. ( I add "in Jesus name" just before the "Amen") Sinner's Prayer accepting Jesus as Saviour DEAR JESUS, I AM A SINNER. I BELIEVE YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD AND DIED FOR MY SINS ON THE CROSS. FORGIVE ALL OF MY SINS. JESUS, I REPENT. I ASK YOU TO HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER, AND COME INTO MY LIFE. GIVE ME YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR POWER. HELP ME TO FOLLOW AND OBEY YOUR COMMANDMENTS, AND TO LIVE FOR YOU. JESUS, I GIVE YOU MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY PRAYER. THANK YOU FOR COMING INTO MY LIFE. I ASK IT IN THE NAME OF MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. AMEN. Praying is just talking to the Lord. If you want to be saved, repent and pray--you can say something like, "Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I want to be saved. I repent of my sins, every one. I don't want to do evil anymore, I want to do righteousness through the blood of Jesus . I'm asking you to please forgive me of my sins against you. I want a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to be everything that You created me to be. I believe that Jesus shed His blood and died for me so that I could be saved from my sins. I believe that He rose from the dead on the third day. I want to be your child. Thank you for being merciful to me, a sinner. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving my soul from hell. I'll live for you. I'm giving you myself. Please show me what you want me to do. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen." I
HAD YOU ON MY HEART
He is the First and Last,
the Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all! He is the Architect of the universe and The Manager of all times. He always was, He always is, and He always will be... Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone! He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom! He was dead and brought life! He is risen and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace! The world can't understand him, The armies can't defeat Him, The schools can't explain Him, and
The leaders can't ignore
Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him,
The Pharisees
couldn't confuse Him, and
The people couldn't hold Him! Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him, The New Age can't replace Him, and
Donahue can't explain Him
away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God. He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure. His ways are right, His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging,
and
His mind is on me. He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior, He is my guide, and He is my peace! He is my Joy, He is my comfort, He is my Lord, and He rules my life! I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is
light, and
His goal for me is
abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise, The power of the powerful,
The ancient of
days, the ruler of rulers,
The leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and
The sovereign Lord of all
that was and is and is to come.
And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave
me,
Never forsake me,
Never mislead me,
Never forget me,
Never overlook me,
and
Ever cancel my appointment in His appointment book! When I fall, He lifts me up! When I fail, He forgives! When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way! When I am afraid, He is my courage! When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me! When I am broken, He mends me! When I am blind, He leads me! When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me! When I face persecution, He shields me! When I face problems, He comforts me! When I face loss, He provides for me! When I face Death, He carries me Home! He is everything for everybody, everywhere,
Every time, and
every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine! My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're
wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it and that settles it. God is in control, I am on His side, and
That means
all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is! I
love the Lord and thank Him for all that he does in my life, National Prayer Lord, we come to You on bended knee, We ask you Lord, to give courage Please give us the strength Lord, We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders And lastly Lord, we ask that You "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. Heavenly Father, 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 So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, All day long I had no time No time, no time, too much to do, God looked into his book and said 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,
I Have a Problem
Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew chapter
6: The following is taken from the site www.jesus-is-lord.com ; one of my favorite sites for learning about true Christianity. Prayer & Unction
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.
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. home
|