To the believer, Prayer represents many things.
Fellowship : A two way communication between us and our Father, via which He opens our eyes and heart to know more of Him.
Spiritual gymnasium : Just like you visit a gym to build physical muscles. Prayer builds your spiritual muscles. It brings us to an experiential reality of all we have received in Christ Jesus.
Just like you visit a gym to build physical muscles. Prayer builds your spiritual muscles. It brings us to an experiential reality of all we have received in Christ Jesus Click To TweetPrayer changes situations, In prayer, we partner with God for the fulfillment of His will on the earth. We receive our needs met.
The Christian who will live a victorious life must be given to a life of prayer.
In this post, I have highlighted a few things to note before you pray. They could be a determining factor for receiving answers. The bible regulates the modus operandi of our faith, hence it is not only enough to just pray, but prayer must be done according to the principles of scripture.
Get rid of unbelief
One major inhibiting factor to answered prayers is unbelief. Prayer is basically reliance on God. Thus, before praying, check your heart, do you believe God can change the circumstance?
Unbelief will often express itself in doubt. Jesus used the imagery of a mountain in Mark11:23-24 to explain the importance of believing what we say in prayer and not doubting. He says a man with faith and no doubts will move mountains.
James also describes the double-minded man in prayers as unstable. He emphasizes “such man will not receive anything from the Lord.” James1:6-7
“The very essence of anxiety is the imagining that we are wiser than God”
Charles Spurgeon
Unbelief could also manifest as worries and anxieties. Worrying is expressing faith in the situation rather than the power of God. In Phillipians4:6-7, Apostle Paul counseled “Be anxious for nothing”, but PRAY.
Locate the will of God concerning the matter
The will of God is largely revealed in His word or inspired by his Spirit. Find it out and align your prayers with that. What has God said about that sickness, lack, miracles? Find it out, then make your prayers based on what God has said.
God loves you
Think of prayer as a conversation between a father and his child, and that’s what it really is. Just that this heavenly father loves you even more than the earthly. He has lavished the greatest height of love on you by giving his Son. How will he not come through in other circumstances? God is committed to you. He is a responsible Father.
God is able
Before you pray. Ensure you believe in the ability of God; not just His ability to meet your expectations but in the fact that He is able to super exceed your expectations Ephesians 3:20. Believe that with God, all things are possible. Like the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, say to yourself “Is there anything too hard for my God?”
God is willing
Perhaps the best explanation of this is seen in the conversation that ensued between a certain leper and Jesus in Mark1:40-42. Seeing Jesus, the leper implored “If you are willing, please make me clean”. Jesus responding with compassion replies “I am willing, be cleansed.”
It is still the same Jesus. Full of compassion. His disposition towards us is goodness, healing, help. In his earthly walk, He went about doing good, healing the oppressed. He is still the same JESUS.
God hears you
Be conscious of this. When you pray according to God’s will, He hears you. You are not speaking in vain. Heaven has your attention. Answers are not faraway. 1John5:14-15
Always pray with the consciousness that God loves you, God is able, and God is willing. Click To TweetYou are not a weakling
NO! You are not. The Christian was forged in power. He has the Spirit of God; therefore he doesn’t lack power Acts1:8 Ephesians 3:20. You have been raised together with Christ and made to seat together in Him, in the place of authority. Be convinced of this. Christ has given us His name, and in His name, we can do the impossible. Mark16:16-19. Thus, your prayers are not in vain. Let your position show in your speech. Don’t be beggarky in prayer. Ecclesiastes 8:4
The Christian was forged in power. He has the Spirit of God; therefore he doesn’t lack power. The Believer is not a weakling.Do not be beggarly in prayer. Click To TweetAction Point – Get in the word first. Build convictions about the ability and disposition of God towards you. Learn about your rights in Christ Jesus. Then pray from that position of victory. Do not forget to persevere in prayer until you have a note of victory. Praying the same thing over and over until you are convinced of victory in your spirit is not vain repetition.
“If there be anything I know, anything that I am quite assured of beyond all question, it is that the praying breath is never spent in vain.”
Charles Spurgeon
Dear friends, let’s get praying.
