Prayer is an awesome thing! I love the fact that we have a God who loves us and wants to listen to us. Whether things are going good or bad, we often want to talk to those who are closest to us. We talk to friends, spouses, family, or even pay to see a therapist. Sometimes we simply want to “get things off our chest.” Other times we may be seeking advice or just want others to know about what’s going on in our life. The great thing about prayer is that even when no one else is there to listen, God is. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). With that in mind, consider the first point:
Pray to God. You might say, “well of course I pray to God, how does this help?” I mean, when you pray, pray knowing that He is there. In Matthew 6:6 Jesus says, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” We must realize that God is actually there. Praying is not talking to yourself or even out loud about your problems; Jehovah God truly is listening to us. Some say, “when I pray, God does not seem real to me.” However, it might be the case that God does not seem real to us because we do not pray enough.
Pray expectantly. James deals with this in James 1:5-7. James declares that an individual who prays while being doubtful is like a wave of the sea being tossed by the wind. Verse 8 goes on to say that this person is a, “double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James would later say in 5:16, “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” I must believe that. Why pray for God to heal the sick if you do not believe that He can? Why pray for anything if you do not have faith that God can, if it is His will, bring it about? Jesus said it this way, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mk. 11:24). Prayer is powerful. God is powerful. We need to not only in the power of God, but also in the power of prayer.
Pray sincerely. A sincere prayer is living the way that we pray. It is hypocrisy to pray for the sick and never minister to them. It is also foolish to pray for the hungry and the destitute but never work with our hands to help them. Praying for the spiritually lost will not save them. We still have a personal responsibility to evangelize (Mk. 16:15-16) and to tell people the gospel. However, God is able to open doors of opportunity. Prayer coupled with action is powerful. When God opens the door, be prepared and courageous enough to walk through. It is not enough to pray for the things that we also must be doing. Prayer is not a substitute for work. Pray often. Perhaps most Christians do not know how to pray because they do not pray often enough. The list of excuses is endless. “I do not have enough time,” “I do not know what to say,” or “I never think about it.” Prayer is like anything else. 1) You have to MAKE the time for it, 2) The more you do it the easier it gets, 3) We will always do what is important to us. Daniel was a man who prayed three times a day (Dan. 8:10). David prayed morning, noon and evening (Psalm 55:17). May we follow their example.
Prayer, like most things, gets better with time and practice. These are just a few recommendations on how to make your prayer life more effective when you go before His throne. It is my prayer that we fall in love with the God who loves us, Assembly Schedule: and talk to Him because He listens.
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