How to Pray Effectively
I had twittered a little message on Saturday, that ended with a comment about learning to pray effectively. I had someone message me today and ask me how you pray effectively. I just took a little time to write them back and this what I wrote:
Hey there,
That’s a good question! =) One it would do well for a lot more people to ask.
Simply put, an effective prayer is a one that is prayed according to God’s will. A book in the Bible called 1 John says:
14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
So how do we know what His will is? God’s will is very clear as you get to know His Word and you come into a real authentic personal relationship with Him (much different/better than just going to church) and come to understand His character.
But even if you pray a prayer in line with God’s will there are still some things that can make your prayers ineffective:
1. Doubt/Fear – If you a pray a prayer, but then all of your thinking and decisions/actions after you pray that prayer are contrary to the pray you just prayed, you don’t really believe that God heard you and his going to answer.
2. Sinful Lifestyle – Living a life filled with sin and living your own way, will render your prayers very ineffective. God loves that person, but sin brings with it spiritual death (separation from God). That is a very dangerous position to be in, because the just penalty for this ugly thing the Bible calls sin, is eternity in the Lake of Fire.
If you are living in sin, you can pray (even prayers according to God’s will), but the sin in your life will keep you from many answers to prayer.
Bitterness, hate, unforgiveness, sexual sin, lusting, lying, putting other things in life before God, taking God’s name in vain…all these things will rob you of having your prayers answered.
The most important thing to be able to pray effectively is to make sure your relationship with God is on point.
I have attached a link regarding that topic below:
://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=28958224621#/topic.php?uid=28958224621&topic=4782
If you want more info, check http://wayofthemaster.com/ and pick option 1 during the intro. =)
Hope this helps
Joel
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