What is Prayer?

 

Prayer as defined by the Strong’s Concordance:

To petition, beseech, make request, inquire, search for something hidden, ask, demand, understand.

 

Supporting Scripture:

For every one that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:8)

A Note: Asketh is aiteo in Greek and means ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.

The basic principal of prayer: The basic principal of prayer is to communicate with God as a person. Prayer is not so much our words in the natural but of what our words and spirit does in the spirit. We are made of flesh and blood and God is a spirit. Prayer bridges the gap between flesh and spirit. As Christians our strength comes from the Lord, all of who we are is from Jesus Christ. Talking with the Father brings his presence in our lives. Therefore, communication with God is prayer.

Rules of Prayer!

Rule #1- Pray to the Father in Heaven as in Matthew 6:6.

Rule #2- Use Matthew 6:9-13 as a guide for your prayer.

Rule #3- Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. (John 16:23-24)(John 14:14-15)

Rule #4- Pray with all your heart and soul, all that is within you.

 

FAITH IN PRAYER

God’s Message on Faith

God tells us that faith is laying hold on to the unseen realm of hope and bringing it into the realm of reality. Too many times when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit or healing or an answer to a prayer, many of us are simply hoping we will receive. We must BELIEVE! It’s not hoping that gets results; it’s believing. A person can say I think my prayers will be answered. That’s not Faith, that’s hope, because hope is always future tense or pointing to the future while Faith is NOW, the present. A person with Faith says, I believe I have my petition now when I pray and the manifestation of the answered prayer may also come swiftly (suddenly) or in due season. It’s all in God’s time. We must have faith that God answers all prayers. It may be YES, or it may be NO, or it may even be WAIT, but He always answers our prayers! We must have Faith that He knows what is best for our lives.

Supporting Scripture

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 1:11)

(Mark 11:24),(Matthew 8:6-13),(Matthew 9:28-29),(Matthew 17:20-22)

 

TIPS FOR PRAYER!

Tip #1- Select a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. This way you can devote your whole self and concentrate solely on your prayer session and speaking with God.

 

Tip #2- Relax and clear your mind of all negative thoughts. These thoughts can and will impair your prayer from reaching God. Remember, God is Holy and does not like sin so you want to come to him free from sinful thoughts.

 

Tip #3- Give thanks and praises to God for what you have. Always give the glory to God not self for He makes all things possible.

 

Tip #4- Forgive all that have sinned against you. Make it earnest. You can not expect God to answer your prayers if you hold grudges against others.

 

Tip #5- Pray with all your heart and soul, boldly asking, expecting what you are asking for, knowing you are heard and will be answered.

God always answers us when we pray properly.

 

Tip #6- Believe when you pray. Believe you have and will receive what you have prayed for. Use the following simple technique when praying. Say, I believe, I receive!

 

Essentials for Prayer

Brother/Sister, answer this question, we are sure this will help you in your crusade.

When you pray, do you really expect anything to happen? You must! Our Father is pleased with prayers, ones of adoration, confession, intercession, petition, and praise.

 

Let me outline these for you.

 

ADORATION- Show the LORD that you love Him above all others! Show Him the deepest love and respect. Thank God for everything you have in your life, every answered prayer, big or small. Life itself, sight to see His wondrous works of the Earth, etc.

 

CONFESSION- Confess His Lordship in your life. Confess all our individual sins, repent from the heart and ask forgiveness.

 

INTERCESSION- God is pleased with our intercession on others behalf. As He says in the Bible we are to help one another in times of need.

 

PETITION- Present your petitions to Him according to His Word. Be assured He hears all prayers big and small and acts according to His will in your life. Remember, you can not begin to understand why things happen the way they do, but know God is there for you.

 

PRAISE- Always give praise to the Lord, NEVER take the credit for yourself. All glory goes to God!

 

TWELVE KEY ELEMENTS TO EFFECTIVE PRAYER

 

Believe- When praying you must believe you will receive an answer to your prayers. (See Matthew 21:22),(Mark 11:24)

 

FAITH- When you praying you must pray with faith in God. (See Matthew 9:29)

 

BE EXPLICIT- When praying be sure to explicitly make your needs known. Ask for exactly what you need or require. (See Luke 11:5)

 

BE BOLD- When praying pray boldly before the Throne of God asking your heart’s desire. (See Hebrews 4:16)

 

BE HUMBLE- When praying humble yourself before God. (See I Peter 5:5)

 

BE EXPECTANT- When praying expect to get an answer. Know that you have been heard and God is working according to His will in your life. (See John 14:13)

 

BE PERSISTENT- When praying be persistent until your answer is received. Do not give up! (See Luke 11:8-10)

 

BE IN AGREEMENT- When praying be in agreement with other Christians for your needs. (See Matthew 18: 19-20)

 

BE IN THE WORD- (Bible based) When praying pray according to God’s will and word. Base your prayers on scripture, God’s promises to all Christians. (See John 15:7)

 

BE OPEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT- When praying keep your heart and soul open to receive the Holy Spirit for guidance in your prayer. (See Romans 8:26-27)

 

BE THANKFUL- When praying present your prayers with thanksgiving in advance for God answering your prayers. (See Philippians 4:6)

 

PRESENT PRAISE TO GOD- When praying present praise so you are in a position to receive God’s blessings as your focus will be on Him and not your needs. (See Psalms 22:3)

 

ALWAYS TRUST IN GOD- When praying always trust in God for His answer, never doubt! (See Chronicles 20:12)

 

 

Biblical Miracle Lesson

 

A blind beggar in Jericho heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he yelled, “Jesus, have mercy on me.” People around him tried to make him be quiet, but he cried out all the more.

 

Jesus stopped…..and asked the beggar, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” the beggar replied, “I want to see.” Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight: your faith has saved you.” (Matthew 9:1-8)

 

The beggar immediately received his sight , and praised God; the people observing the miracle also praised God. (See Luke 18:35-42)

 

The Miracle Illustrates the following:

The man was specific (explicit) in asking. (He wanted to see.) Jesus commended his faith. The beggar did not let the others discourage him. He believed that if he could get to Jesus he would be healed, (persistent, expectant) (See Proverbs 3:5) When he was healed he praised God. All attention was now on God. (thanksgiving, praise)( See John 14:13) As we seek out and act on our faith in the prayers of petition we ask, we are to be specific in our requests, persistent in our prayers, and receptive to God’s Word and Will. We must not allow others to discourage us; and when our answer comes, we must give God ALL the credit. (John 5)

 

Hindrances To Prayer-

The three greatest hindrances to prayers being answered are unbelief, unforgiveness, and unconfessed sin.

 

UNBELIEF- When praying you must believe that God is capable and willing to answer our petition. Trust in Him for the answer. You must believe to receive. Say this after our prayer “I Believe, I Receive.” (See Mark 11:24) When praying you must first forgive all those that have sinned against you.

 

UNFORGIVENESS- You can not expect to receive God’s forgiveness and glory if you are not willing to forgive others. (See Mark 11:24-25)

 

UNCONFESSED SIN- When praying you must first confess all your sins individually to cleanse SIN ourself. This clears the way of communication and to receive God’s blessings. (See Proverbs 28:13)