Thursday: Effective Prayer
There are many effective ways to pray. Some people have found it helpful to kneel before God with their Bibles open.
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Then they read a few verses and commune with God about what they are reading.
The Psalms are particularly inspirational as subject matter for prayer. Try meditating upon a particular psalm during your prayer times. Take one verse at a time. Read it aloud, and then talk to God about what the text is saying to you.
Others have found that their most meaningful prayer times are alone with God in some quiet natural setting. Still others have blended singing and prayer.
What do we learn about effective prayer from the following verses? Ps. 34:1, 50:23, 67:3, 71:6.
David’s prayers were filled with adoration or praise. When we meditate upon God’s goodness and matchless love, our hearts overflow with praise.
Read Daniel 9:8-13. What kind of prayer is this?
What feature does Paul add to an effective prayer life? Eph. 5:20.
What is the meaning of supplication in Ephesians 6:18 and Philippians 4:6, and why is this an important component of prayer?
Though we don’t want to give a formula for prayer, a broad outline could be as follows: we start with praise and adoration, thanking God for His goodness to us. We then confess our faults and shortcomings, and then thank God for His forgiveness. We conclude with supplications, making our requests known to Him, all the while seeking an attitude of submission and trust in His divine power.
Has your prayer life not been what it should or could be? What do you need to do differently? Why not make a more concentrated effort to spend more time in prayer? It can change your life.
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Prayer in an integral part of the Christian life. It is our life line, our umbilical cord so to speak. Prayer facilitate a vertical connection with our God. When there is no vertical connection with our Lord, it is not possible for one to claim a successful horizontal life. Without a vertical connection (prayer) to out lord and savior, we would forever be enveloped conflict, sadness and sorrow. Having no vertical connection, freedom from a life that seek relevance and one not engage in compromises could never achieved. The opportunity for us to realize our ability to claim the free gift of salvation that he offers surely would be none existent.
As evidence in Matt 14: 29-30, all that is needed to maintain and or regain a vertical connection with our Lord is prayer. Not a long monotonous long-winded prayer but a deeply concentrated prayer, a prayer of reverence just a Peter did in V 30 (“Lord save me “) Jesus says all we have to do is call on his name and we shall be saved. Our God is not one who discriminate, Joel 2:23 corroborates that fact. (“And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call")
There's power in prayer, what happened to Paul and Silus after they prayed?
David has inspired me in my personal prayer life. Actually sometimes I just sing my prayer to God and I find it reviving especially when it's in the middle of the night. I also have love using the book of Psalms and reading out aloud the scripture and claiming them in my life.
I have one question, some people have made some praying style as standard for everyone, there are people in our congregations today who believe that only kneeling in prayer is the good position to be in while praying and it has become the idol of many , but is it really the case? are there no other position accepted to be in while praying?
Thanks in advance for your comments and views on my question.
Regards,
Autriche NIYONGERE
PO Box 6670
Bujumbura, Burndi
Autriche
Kneeling is a popular position. It denotes the position of submission. While I do believe it is important to kneel. It is not the only position by which one prays. Some lie prostrate, some stand, and some sit to pray. The most important position is the position of the heart! Our heart must be humbly toward God. Our mind and thoughts must be turned toward our Maker. Once, the heart has taken a position of humility and the thoughts are focused upward, one is ready to pray.
When ever we come before the presence of God, we must reverence Him with our best of ability. God understands us and our limitations and He will accept our best reverence of Him. We must in all things come before Him with contrite hearts. Concentrate on your personal relationship with Christ and you will always discern the will of God in all aspects of life. God is not an author of confusion but the Author of Love and Power unto eternal life. Cheers!!!
The most reverence posture to our God is kneeling down. Though we have different postures from the scripture.
I thank you Lord for answering our prayers.
(edited) many people rush when praying but God want us to take time to have full concentration on prayer so dear friend we need to have good place to talk to GOD. We should not feel as if are too busy with something but take time with father through Jesus Christ.
I think the most effective prayer could be as short as "God help me."God requires a prayer from heart that knows without Him,nothing can be accomplished.A prayer is effective when we feel the need of what we ask for and acknowledge the power of Him who we expect to grant us our needs.Most people believe(especialy when praying as a group), that long prayers and quoting of scriptures is the most effective way of praying.While it is not entirely wrong if the prayer is coming from a humble and broken heart,such prayers avail nothing if they are done as way of impressing others how prayerful we might be.I believe prayers from a proud heart saddens God!
Oh!! i lyk dat Brian we dont have to do long fancy prayers but we need to tell our Father what is in our hearts
[Edited]
We should also noted one thing when we are praying we should try not to mention the name of God in vain. This is because when you are telling your father something you don't mention his name continuously.
Praying is a request. It must genuine, brief and be asking God to speak as His servant listens.
When I'm praying by myself, my prayer might be not answered. Do I need someone so that God hear me??
I think we need church fellowship and unity as an condicion for praying.
Hello Sthabile,
What makes you doubt that your prayer might not be answered? If it is some qualities which we cling to and not give up. Definitely that would be the perfect start for the Revival in us. As we surrender and commit with God for the transformation, Our Prayers will definitely be in synch with God's will and the prayer will be answered in His time for His Glory.
With Prayers,
Mathan
Prayer is the key to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Prophets, kings, and the disciples make prayer so powerful in their lives that they become prayer warriors. Miracles happened in prayer, conversions took place when we pray, and
peace flooded in our troubled soul when we pray. Pray without ceasing.
When praying, often a time people recite a crammed prayer which does not give the person the opportunity to believe and meditate on what he/she is saying...please learn to be creative and not simply recite a collection of words you learnt when young. There is this prayet for example which most of us are familiar with, 'May God bless this food before I take it in Jesus name i pray...Amen'. Is it effective?
Matelong, Only if it is spoken with the heart and not the head.
Pray without ceasing my GOD will deliver!
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"prayers " is a special way that we use to converse with our God,, however consistency is what we miss us as human beings. just like a heartbeat which is constant so is our prayers supposed to be.
I want to build a stronger prayer life and the posts here are helping me to better understand how to do that better. thank you