WHAT MAKES PRAYER EFFECTIVE OR INEFFECTIVE ?

11/11/2019

AS I HAVE GROWN IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER AND COMMUNICATION WITH HIM HAS BECOME THE MAJOR FOCUS OF MY LIFE, AND HAS ALLOWED ME TO MOVE CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HIM. PRAYER SUSTAINS ME AND ALLOWS ME TO ABIDE DEEPER EACH DAY WITH HIM. I REALIZE THAT I HAVE MOVED FROM THE OCCASIONAL PRAYER HERE AND THERE, TO LIVING MY DAYS IN ALMOST CONTINUAL PRAYER. I AM IN AN AMAZING PLACE OF CONVERSATION WITH THE FATHER, JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGHOUT MY DAY, AND THE GUIDANCE, WISDOM, AND JOY I FEEL IS TRULY INCREDIBLE. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, I ATTENDED A PROPHETIC EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BRING AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION IN MY PRAYER LIFE. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THE POWER OF THE PROPHETIC WORD IN MY LIFE, BUT THE AMAZING KNOWLEDGE THE GROUP HAD OF ME, WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING ME WAS INCREDIBLE. ONE OF THE PROPHETIC LEADERS TOLD ME THAT I WOULD BEGIN TO AWAKEN VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND FIND MYSELF IN PRAYER AND GOD’S WORD EVERY DAY. TO SAY I WAS SPEECHLESS WOULD BE MILD….BECAUSE FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS PRIOR TO MEETING THEM, I WAS WAKING UP AT 5 IN THE MORNING AND DRAWN TO READING SCRIPTURE AND PRAYING DEEPLY. THE COOL THING WAS THAT MY PRAYERS WERE ALL CENTERED ON OTHER PEOPLE’S NEEDS. I PRAYED DEEPLY AND SPECIFICALLY FOR GOD TO INTERCEDE IN THEIR LIVES WHERE HE WAS MOST NEEDED, AND TO CONTINUALLY DRAW THEM CLOSER TO HIM NO MATTER WHERE THEY MIGHT BE IN THEIR FAITH JOURNEY. I PRAY FOR MYSELF THAT I MIGHT CONTINUE TO BE CLOSER TO HIM, FINDING WISDOM IN HIS WORD AND GROWING IN OBEDIENCE AND SERVICE TO HIS KINGDOM.

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS. Philippians 4:5-7

AND THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE TOWARD HIM, THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL HE HEARS US. 1 John 5:14

SO, HERE IS THE QUESTIONS I ASK YOU. AS A CHRISTIAN, ARE YOU PRAYING ? HOW ARE YOU PRAYING ? AND IF YOU ARE NOT PRAYING, YOU NEED TO DETERMINE WHY. NOT ? GOD HAS GIVEN US DOMINION OVER THE EARTH. HE EXPECTS US TO USE THAT AUTHORITY TO RULE THE EARTH AS HE WOULD; IN A RIGHTEOUS AND PERFECT MANNER. THAT MEANS SEEKING HIS WILL, AND BEING IN AGREEMENT WITH IT. IF WE DO NOT PRAY TO GOD FOR HIS INTERVENTION IN OUR LIVES AND OUR WORLD, PLENTY OF VOID SPACE CAN BE FILLED WITH THE INFLUENCE OF SATAN AND SIN. IF WE LOOK AT GOD’S MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS, IT IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE TO PUT HIM FIRST, THEN OTHER PEOPLE, AND LASTLY, OURSELVES. BOTTOM LINE: IT IS A NECESSITY FOR US TO PRAY CONTINUALLY SO THAT GOD’S PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES AND IN THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE MAY BE COMPLETE IN HIS WILL AND AUTHORITY.

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD; PLANS FOR WELFARE AND NOT FOR EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. THEN YOU WILL CALL UPON ME AND COME AND PRAY TO ME, AND I WILL HEAR YOU. YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME, WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART Jeremiah 29:11-12

EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS CENTERED ON THE WILL OF GOD, THEREFORE, SEEK HIS WILL IN PRAYER THAT IT MAY BE FULFILLED IN YOUR LIFE. EFFECTIVE PRAYER SEEKS THE TRUTH OF PLAN AND PURPOSE THAT GOD HAS ALREADY DESIGNED FOR YOUR LIFE. ASK FOR ILLUMINATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE THINGS, AND YOUR PRAYER WILL BE EFFECTIVE. REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU PRAY, GOD IS HEARING YOU, AND HE IS DESIRING FOR WELFARE AND GOODNESS IN YOUR LIFE, NOT EVIL AND DESTRUCTION. THAT IS WHEN YOU TRUST HIM AND YOUR PRAYER IS EFFECTIVE. INEFFECTIVE PRAYER IS MOST OFTEN SELF CENTERED, WANTING YOUR WILL AND NEEDS FULFILLED NO MATTER WHAT HIS WILL IS FOR YOU. INEFFECTIVE PRAYER RESULTS IN A FEELING THAT YOUR PRAYERS ARE NEVER ANSWERED, SO WHY PRAY AT ALL. THE THING ABOUT PRAYER IS THAT IT TRULY TAKES PATIENCE, TRUST THAT GOD DOES HEAR YOU, AND A RELATIONSHIP THAT ALLOWS YOU TO APPROACH HIM IN CONFIDENCE AND LOVE.

YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK WRONGLY, TO SPEND ON YOUR PASSIONS. James 4:3

AND THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE TOWARD HIM; THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL HE HEARS US. 1 John 5:14

IF YOU WANT EFFECTIVE PRAYER, START PRAYING. HE WILL HELP YOU WITH THE WORDS. IF YOU WANT EFFECTIVE PRAYER, SEEK HIM AND HIS WILL. HE WILL HEAR YOU, AND HE WILL ANSWER YOU….AND THE OUTCOME MAY NOT ALWAYS BE WHAT YOU WANT OR EXPECT, FOR HIS WILL MAY BE DIRECTED IN A DIFFERENT PATH. BUT ESPECIALLY IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, SEEK HIM EVEN MORE. HE LOVES YOU, AND HE ALWAYS HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE…..MAYBE BETTER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE YOURSELF !

BE BLESSED AND PRAY CONTINUOUSLY/JA