How to Pray
God made the Bible simple for all of us to follow. It is full of promises for many, many things. This is true with prayer too.
Simply put, prayer is a two-way conversation with God. He loves you and wants you to talk to Him and He wants you to listen when He talks to you. There are, of course, certain guidelines that you must be aware of and put into practice if you expect to have and build a relationship with God. Keep in mind the Bible from cover to cover speaks of the relationship between God and man. Let's look at a key verse concerning prayer.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.(James 5:16 KJV)
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways. (Job 22:28 NASB)
This verse is a promise with a condition. (There are many scriptures throughout the Bible that support this as well.) In order to get significant results through prayer, one must use the following:
- Righteous - To be righteous is to be just, free of sin, pure of heart. It is nearly the same as holiness. Gaining the righteousness of God can only be accomplished through Jesus. It is a growth process of prayer, obedience, discipline of the mind (2 Cor. 10:5). It is putting the Word of God into practice on a daily basis. As we grow, our prayers will be heard. Everyone is in a different place in their walk with Jesus. Where you are is important but it is not as important as where you are going. We all have the sin of the flesh to contend with but He will hear regardless.
- Fervent (earnestly, with zeal) - Fervency is a key factor in getting prayers answered. The act or state of fervency in your prayers draws you closer to God and hence is a determining factor in the growth of your relationship with Him. Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you (James 4:8). As you grow closer in your relationship with Him you will know Him better. This process also develops the faith that is necessary to get prayers answered. This faith has the natural result of exercising power and authority.
- Faith - Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
- Power and Authority - We are children of God and joint heirs with Jesus. Jesus has all power in Heaven and on Earth (Matt. 28:18). In I John 3:8 we see that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Being children of God and joint heirs with Jesus we are no longer servants but we are royalty. Because we are joint heirs with Jesus we also have all power in Heaven and on Earth through His name. When we say, “In Jesus name”, we are exercising a legal power of attorney and should expect by faith the same results that Jesus got.
- Be specific - Prayer must be specific and targeted.
- Warrior mentality - Develop a stubborn opposition to problems, issues, wickedness, etc. Determine that you will not give up but the problem will give up. Be aggressive! Be persistent. Be persistent. Be persistent. Don't give up! Don't give up! Don't give up!
For example, if someone is sick people will often offer up some "Caspar Milquetoast" prayer like, "Oh Father, if it is Your will let them live." Rather, you should pray something like what is found in Psalms 118:17, "'You will not die but you shall live to proclaim the works of the Lord.'" I command all sickness to get out now in the name of Jesus. I command this body to be healed from head to toe now in Jesus name!"
Keep in mind that building your relationship with Jesus is not a means to an end (getting prayers answered). When you experience Him you will find that the things of this world are of little concern in comparison. Applying these principles is a glorious cycle of growth and fellowship with God.
There have been a variety of prayer styles throughout history. What we introduce is a style that is different than most are familiar with.
We have found the aggressive application of scripted prayers that are targeted to a specific issue can be very effective.
In all of this, remember, it is the power of the spoken word and the faith behind it that brings results. A righteous man is, by definition, Spirit led. This righteousness also means that that person is walking in the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is understood that such prayers, coupled with the spoken word, faith, and God's anointing, will bring results.
There are a number of instances throughout the Bible where someone, including Jesus, spends a good deal of time and effort praying about an issue. It is not likely they went on for hours with a lengthily monologue. They most likely repeated their requests multiple times in the course of a prayer session. We have found this repetition effective as well.
Prayer is the most important tool you can use to defeat the enemy (devil) and to grow spiritually. It is also important to be specific when addressing issues in prayer. Although victory may at times seem so far away as to be unattainable, it is much closer than you may realize. Remember Jesus has overcome the world, and the Holy Spirit is your helper. We are overwhelming conquerors through Jesus!
In Joshua 3:13–17, the priests, as commanded by God, stepped into the Jordan, the river stopped flowing, and Israel crossed the Jordan. How many of us today are standing on the bank of the Jordan afraid or unwilling to get our feet wet? And what does the analogy of “getting our feet wet” mean?
To get one’s feet wet means to step out in faith. It is an act of faith and an act of surrender.
In order to cross that Jordan we all face, we need to know who we are in Jesus. We must know His word. We must know the nature of the devil’s lies. We must have the desire and determination that comes with that warrior mentality. In the book of Joshua we see that God spoke to Joshua on several occasions and decreed strength and courage to him. Since this is written in the Bible for our benefit, God is decreeing this to us as well.
Are you going to just stand on the bank of the Jordan waiting for something to happen or are you going to take action and get your feet wet?
Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest."
The following pages provide some
help and encouragement for the new and long-time Christian alike.
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Engage in to Effective Prayer and have a total victory.
Effective Prayers!
Enough is Enough! You have the right to overpower the enemy, and get the job done.
To
obtain genuine prosperity resides only in the gospel of Christ. God
desires all-around prosperity, success and health for His children.
Learn how to be victorious. Go to our School of Excellence page and we will teach you how to use Effective Prayers which will help you to be spiritually strong and no principalities will be able to harm you.
Prayer
is the most important tool you can use to defeat the enemy. You must be
wary of the fact that the enemy is all out to frustrate our lives.
You will be victorious at the moment you resist him through prayer.
Remember Jesus has overcome the world, and the Holy Spirit is our helper. We are overwhelming conquerors through Jesus Christ!
So, roll up your spiritual sleeves and go to work. Get ready to have the time of your life and see fast results.
Anyone
who wishes to live a victorious life in Jesus Christ should release
that we all are dealing with a myriad of attacks from the devil.
Many
of you are under attack without even realizing it, or you know that you
are under attack but don't know how to deal with it. The subject of
spiritual warfare is a necessary teaching that has unfortunately fallen
by the wayside in most churches today.
There
are numerous passages in the Bible that address this issue. Perhaps the
most important is that we are overwhelming victors through Jesus
Christ. Jesus made it clear that we have authority over these things and
we are not to be in fear.
A
ministry can easily be inundated by prayer requests from people all
over the world. Prayer teams can be formed for this purpose but the end
result is that no one learns how to win on their own and the attacks may
come back.
Spiritual
warfare education is one of the primary teachings of Power To Excel
Ministries. We teach people how to win when thinks are not going well in
their lives.
Achieving
this goal takes work and scripture makes this clear but the glories we
can experience will make the work, trials, and tribulations appear as
nothing in comparison.
Learn how to become an overwhelming conqueror through Him who loves us (Rom. 8:37).
- Learn to gain victory in every area of your life!
- Learn how to pray so you can achieve and maintain this victory.
Sometimes it is necessary to take action.
