Pray Continuously
“I love the Lord, because He hears my prayers and answers them. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath.” (Psalm 116:1-2 The Living Bible).
Heart Felt Conversation
Our God is awesome and wonderful and He has made the opportunity for us to communicate with Him so easy. All we have to do is start a conversation with Him and allow moments of quiet so He can talk to us.
He wants us to bring every concern that we have to Him. We do not have to worry about the eloquence of our words or the number of our words – we just need to come with a believing, thankful heart and converse with Him. (Matthew 6:7-8; Philippians 4:6-8.)
Remember: We can have the confidence that God will answer or prayers – even the simplest ones like – “God, help me” – because He is our Helper (Hebrews 13:6); and there is power in His name (Mark 11:24; John 14:13)
God simply wants to converse with us, in the same way we would with a friend.
God wants to converse with us, like we would with a friend. Click To TweetHow We like To Complicate Prayer
If we want to complicate things we can – should I stand, should I sit, should I kneel, should I lay face-down on the floor? Can I have my eyes open or do they have to be closed — caution if driving and you feel a desire to pray, please leave your eyes open. Do I have to stay still while I pray or can I walk, do I have to be poised or can I shake my fist if I am angry at God for something, can I have a cup of tea with God?
Guess what, we can choose how we will come to God in prayer. The most important thing is that we pray at all times, for all things, with the expectant hope that God will answer.
“God, keep reminding me that all You really want is a friendly, heartfelt conversation with me. Amen.”
God keep us mindful of the fact that all You want is heartfelt conversation. Click To TweetWho Can We Pray For?
Can I pray and ask God for things for me – yes; should I pray for the concerns of others – yes; should I let God know how much I appreciate Him and how much I appreciate all He does for us – yes.
Is There Power In Prayer?
YES!
In Acts 4:24, 31 – all the believers were united in prayer and the result was boldness in sharing God’s message.
The earnest heartfelt prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results (James 5:16).
“And the word of the Lord came to him, saying…so he went and did according to the word of the Lord” (I Kings 17:2,5).
The earnest heartfelt prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results Click To TweetHow To Be Effective In Our Prayers
As we read and study God’s Word, we will learn and know what His will and direction for our lives are (Psalm 119:105).
“”I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe!”” Psalm 116:1, 2 (Living Bible). As we spend time with God in prayer we will develop our own personal relationship with Him.
Four Keys Words That Show Us We Can Expect Answered Prayers
— Abide — To abide means to live a life of faith and obedience to God. (John 15:7). I like how Colossians 3:16 puts it – “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.”
— Ask — In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus instructs us to ask, seek, and knock. It we do these things we will receive, find and have doors opened to us. (Matthew 7:7, 8; James 4:3; John 16:24). Someone has said, when we get to heaven we’ll find a lot of unopened packages with our name on them because we did not claim them through prayer.
— Believe — We must believe – have faith that God does answer all our prayers. (Matthew 21:22). Believing is at the heart of answered prayer (Luke 17:6). It is the quality of our faith that is important – ask without doubting (James 1:16).
— Receive — If we are abiding in Christ, and pray asking with belief then we can expect to receive. John 16:24 says, “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” Begin to thank God for your answer.
Conclusion
“Prayerlessness is carelessness” (Ron Hembree).
“A week without prayer makes one weak.”
You decide what will motivate you, but please do not neglect the opportunity to spend time with God.
The usual process — Circumstances (every moment of our lives are filled with them) — Prayer (the need for many kinds and lots of them daily) – God answers (according to His will and purpose in each situation).
The only real ‘formula’ is: To pray to the Father, in Jesus name and expect the Holy Spirit to bring us the answer.
Please remember – prayer is something very simple that we can do, and appealing to God is very important and it can and does make a difference.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6.
What simple prayer do you use to hand your anxieties over to God?
