I. INTRODUCTION
A.Many Christians misunderstand prayer. Some conceive of
it as something dependent upon the right liturgy, terminology, or ritual. But prayer is simply talking with God. Remember Luke 11:1, "Lord, teach us to pray."
B.Prayer is not just a matter of saying words. The words in prayer must be an expression of our heart. We must not only talk to God, but also mean what we say.
II. PURPOSE OF PRAYER
A.Prayer satisfies the deepest needs of the human heart (Psalms 42:1-2 and 63:1, 5-8).
B.Prayer is a means of discovering God's guidance
(Matthew 7:7, James 1:5).
C.Prayer is the means God has given us to deal with worry (Philippians 4:6-7, I Peter 5:7).
D.Prayer communicates our needs and concerns to God (John 16:23-27; Hebrews 4:16, I John 5:14-15).
E.Prayer aids us in our fight against sin and temptation (Matthew 6:13 and 26:41, II Thessalonians 3:1-3).
III. DEVELOPING EFFECTIVENESS IN PRAYER
A.It is not only important to know why one should pray, but also the new Christian should have some workable suggestions on how to pray. Here are five steps to
effective prayer.
B.Be well rounded. A common problem in prayer is to become extreme in one type of prayer. For example, one might continually pray for personal needs; or perhaps he prays only for missions; or he might pray for others to the exclusion of his own needs.
C.Philippians 4:6-7 relates three essential elements of effective prayer:
1. Personal requests: The personal needs and desires we express to God.
2. Supplications: The requests we make for other people and projects.
3. Thanksgiving: Remembering to thank God for His answers and provisions for our needs.
D.Be systematic. Another common problem is to pray for or about something, and then forget it. Sometimes this can be done, but for other things, a systematic approach is required. For instance, a prayer list can be very valuable and helpful to help us remember all that we should be praying for and about (Ephesians 1:16, Colossians 1:9, I Thessalonians 1:2).
E.Be constant. Prayer must develop into a vital, constant communication with God. A helpful way for this to occur is to develop the habit of sentence prayer. This means saying short prayers throughout the day as a request or praise comes to mind (Romans 12:12, I Thessalonians 5:16-17).
F.Be specific. The Father knows exactly what we need (Matthew 6:8). He wants to give us blessings, but is waiting for us to ask in the prayer of faith. Those prayers must be specific (Matthew 7:7~11).
G.Be persistent. Many Christians pray for something once and then give up because of discouragement. Some unanswered prayer is the result of asking just for "things", or asking for the wrong reason. Some prayer however is often not answered by God to test our patience or faith in Him. Patient persistent prayer demonstrates our willingness to trust God and His timing in answers (Luke 11:5-9 and 18:1-8, Romans 1:9-10).
IV. POSSIBLE HINDERANCES TO EFFECTIVE PRAYER
A.The Bible discusses a number of obstacles to prayer and warns against them. The following is a list of some of these obstacles:
1.Not praying in faith or believing (James 1:5-8).
2.Simply not praying enough or really asking for anything (Matthew 21:22, James 4:3).
3.Asking for the wrong reasons (James 4:3)
4.Unconfessed sin in your life (Psalms 66:18).
5.Having unsolved marital problems (I Peter 3:7).
6.Request not in God's will (I John 5:14-15).
V. CONCLUSION
A.Start a prayer list and pray daily.
B.Continue to have a daily appointment with God.
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