Prayer 101

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

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I think we all to often under estimate the power of prayer. Maybe it is because we have prayed and some of those prayers have gone unanswered. If you have ever had a prayer go unanswered then I suggest you look at your relationship with God. Think about it like this, how much more likely are you to get something from someone you know then from a total stranger. Even more than that if the person is close to you like a parent or a best friend what are the odds of them giving you what you need? What I'm saying is that God wants a relationship with us and when we have that relationship we can come to him with our needs.

But wait there's more. Jesus teaches us that prayer is a result of a relationship with the Father and includes a commitment to obedience. He tells his disciples in the book of John that if they do what he has been doing, then He will answer their prayers. So as we can see our prayers have stipulations. Here are some steps that I use to pray.

Step 1 - I make sure my relationship with Him is right. If it is not then I need to repent and ask for forgiveness.

"I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin" Psalm 38:18

Step 2 - I think about what it is that I am praying for and ask myself if it is something that would glorify Him.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Step 3 - I start my prayer with thanksgiving. I thank Him for the blessings I already have in my life.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. Philippians 4:6

Step 4 - I present my request with humility.

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray..."

2 Chronicles 7:14a

Step 5 - I thank Him in advance for His response.

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart... Psalm 9:1a

Step 6 - I acknowledge the reason I am able to pray to Him. "In Jesus' name I pray" Because of his sacrifice we are able to present our prayers directly to God the Father.

I hope this helps you in your prayer life. May God bless you and answer the prayers of your heart. Have a great weekend and see you Sunday.