Prayers

When we pray doesn't it sometimes feel like just words?  I go through this often, even though I believe God is calling me to a higher level in prayer.  I want my prayers to be meaningful, effective, filled with the power and promise of the Holy Spirit.  How do we get there?

First, I think we have to be aware.  Aware of what we are saying and Who we are saying it to.  Lose the "I'll pray for you," throw away phrase that we give people when we hear a need.  Instead, take the need we've heard and thoughtfully, bring it to the One who can do all things, who knows all things, who is filled with love and wisdom...our El Shaddai.  The Lord Almighty.  Remember Who we bring our requests to.  He is our Lord Almighty, but He is also our loving Abba Father.  

Second, remember prayer has power.  James 5:13-18 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.  Pray with the expectation that God will answer.  Don't forget though, leave that answer up to Him.  He is not a cosmic genie who grants our wishes but a Sovereign God who rules with all wisdom, love and kindess.  He sees the beginning from the end, the end from the beginning and everything in between and knows the perfect solutions that we can't even fathom. 

The Lord tells us in Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  We can come before Him, not in fear, but in faith.  But we also need to be humble enough to remember that He is God and we are not.  Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? 

Jesus talked about prayer.  Matthew 7:7-12 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.  Our heavenly Father desires to bless us.  And whether His answer agrees with ours or not, His answer is good.  He gives no other type of response.  

I could go on and on about praying.  God is showing me so much lately.  But believing my prayers are "real" and believing I am coming to a Being who desires to interact, communicate and respond are some of the biggest things He is teaching me.  Come expecting Him to answer.  Come expecting that answer to be the best response.  And come leaving the timing up the Him.  Patient, believing, trusting faith.  

Thank You Lord for this amazing truth...You desire to fellowship with us.  You desire to meet our needs.  Lord, help us to come in faith, not in our own solutions, but faith in Who You are and that You always want the best for Your children.  Give us an awareness of Yourself when we pray.  Whether our words be few or many, whether we are articulate or only cry out in Your Presence, Lord, let our prayers be heartfelt and trusting.  Teach us to pray.  And it is in faith, in the holy Name of Jesus that I ask this for each of us.  Amen. 

Matthew 6:9-15 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.