If prayer time feels stale or ineffective, it may be time to make some adjustments and revamp your prayer time!
Being reminded of the what is important to God in your prayers, and the prayers God doesn’t hear or won’t answer, gives you the opportunity to touch things up that will get His attention!
Good wheels need oiled sometime to run smoothly again, and a good time of prayer with the Lord may need to occasional touch up too!
Be encouraged by the following scriptures. Let them be the motivation to pray effectively. Watch things change on your behalf!
1. When you focus your entire life around the Lord, He will put in your heart the things He wants to be there. Therefore, when you go to Him and ask Him to answer your prayers, you can wait patiently and with assurance when you ask according to His will.
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”“And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14 – 5:15)
2. No area of your life should be off-limits to God. He cares about it all! Put your life in His hands and remember to give Him thanks when you pray!
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
3. When your heart is too heavy for words, and all you can express are tears and groaning, be encouraged. He doesn’t need your words. He understands every sound you utter, and the Spirit will help you to pray.
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
4. God isn’t impressed with eloquent words that are shouted on the street corner, attempting to show your spirituality and intelligence. He wants heart-felt prayer that is not for the purpose of making a display of righteousness. When you pray from the heart and in meekness too, your Father will reward you openly.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:6)
5. When you don’t know what to pray, follow the example of Jesus. His example teaches you to honor God, pray about your spiritual walk, ask for His provision for your needs, ask for forgiveness as you forgive others, and to ask to be kept from temptation and sin. That covers it all!
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9 – 6:13)
6. Want to see healing in your land? This is the formula! Can’t get everyone to join in? It still applies to your own “land”—your own life, your own family.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
7. Don’t stop short of asking God for something when you pray. Do your part! Seek! Knock! There’s a great world of wonder when you act beyond just asking! Seeking is how you discover treasures! Knocking is how you find opportunities!
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7 – 7:8)
8. If you only give God lip service, you shouldn’t wonder why your prayers go unanswered. You have to do more than say the “right” words.
“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” (John 9:31)
9. Want fulfilling joy in life? Ask your Father to answer your prayers according to His will, in His name. When you pray according to His will and He answers, joy will be yours because the answer will be in accordance with His will!
“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23 – 16:24)
10. Remember to lift your leaders in prayer. Their responsibilities are great, and their loads are heavy. Pray for them, and then move on to pray for others, as everyone can use a dose of heavenly strength in their lives!
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”“For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (1 Timothy 2:1 – 2:2)
11. Don’t wait for the church to come to you when you are sick or down. You need to go to the church! There is strength and healing when you reach out to others for prayer.
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”“Is any sick among you? 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:” (James 5:13 – 5:14)
12. Faith is an action word! When you pray for the Lord to move your mountains, have a shovel in one hand, and your prayers in the other! In other words, while you are praying for the Lord to move, do what you can, and He’ll make up the difference!
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” (Matthew 21:21)
13. When you lose your compassion to pray for others, you need to hit the “reset” button in your life. Give thanks for those who have prayed for you and put compassion and prayer back in motion!
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:” (1 Samuel 12:23)
14. When you feel the tactics and actions of your enemy affecting your life, you can take comfort in knowing that God cares, and He is pulling for you. He has your back! You will come out on the other side of the trial!
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31 – 22:32)
15. Want to see God move in a situation? Pray! Want to bring in back-up forces? Pray with friends! Bring your petitions to God, stand back and prepare to be amazed!
“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19 – 18:20)
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