1\/4\/2015 4 Keys to Prayer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The operation or\nworkings of prayer have been a mystery to some through the ages. For some\nprayer seems to be some mundane Christian civic duty; a check off list, if you\nwill, of something that needs to be done. For others, prayer seems to be\nelusive; difficult to understand the concept of and even more difficult to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good news! \nPrayer is not either of those things. Prayer is something that is given\nto us as an honor; as a way to reach the heavenly Father personally, one on\none. How awesome is that? Prayer is as essential to the Christian\nlife as breathing or eating. It is necessary to stay spiritually\nnourished in Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
So, when Jesus\u2019\ndisciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He gladly obliged because He Himself\nknows the significance and power in prayer. In this lesson there are four\nkey components that can help us have a more powerful prayer life. The\ngood news is, we\u2019re learning from the best. We are sitting at the feet of\nJesus and taking in these points as He shares with His disciples. \nBlessings ~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luke 11:1 How\nawesome it is for the disciple to see such a one as He doing the miraculous and\nbeing identified as the Son of God, still find a need for prayer? It\u2019s\nhuge! It lets us know that if Jesus needed constant contact with the\nFather to do life on earth, than so do we. Perhaps this is why a disciple\nof His questioned Him on prayer and wanted to know more on how to do it? Asking\nto be taught the ins and outs of this valuable resource was the beginning of a\ngreat discovery that Jesus was all too willing to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key #1: One has to have Acknowledging\nPrayer <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting with the\nstatement, \u201cOur Father which art in heaven,\u201d <\/strong>Jesus acknowledges to whom\none\u2019s prayers should be directed. And, in the verses following God gets\nthe credit for everything! This is acknowledgement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur Father\nwhich art in heaven,\u201d <\/strong>points one in the right\ndirection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHallowed be\nthy name.\u201d <\/strong>Respects His holiness. We are\nseeking His holiness on our behalf. Heaven knows how to treat His name, they\nsaid \u201cHoly\u201d 3 times! Isaiah 6:3<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThy kingdom\ncome. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.\u201d <\/strong>Accepts His will, His control, His plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGive us day by\nday our daily bread.\u201d <\/strong> Not that we can\u2019t provide\nfor ourselves, but our sufficiency is in God\u2019s provisions for us. We have no\nreal worries for we know God will provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\nprayer knows that forgiveness comes from God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 declares,\n\u201cIf my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,\nand seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from\nheaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.\u201d God wants\nto spiritually heal people from their sin sick ways. \u201cIf we confess our\nsins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from\nall unrighteousness,\u201d (1 John 1:9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In return, we are\nexpected to offer forgiveness to those who ask for it. Gulp! Yes,\nforgiveness in any form can be a hard pill to swallow. But, let me ask\nyou this. How many times has God said no to us whenever we sought healing\nand restoration for the wrongs we have done? Exactly, He hasn\u2019t! \nForgiveness, much like love, is nothing to be played with. It is not a\nlip service to please others rather, it is a heart service to the Lord. \nIt is, in a sense, showing to others the same grace and mercy that God showed\ntoward us. And, we acknowledge that this is His will for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key #2: One has to have Persevering Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 11:5-9 Jesus\nuses this scenario to teach us the power of persevering prayer. One\ncannot easily give up so easily. We have been afforded the privilege to\ncome before the throne of grace \u201cthat we may obtain mercy, and find grace to\nhelp in time of need,\u201d (Hebrews 4:16). We must be persistent in that\nprivilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus told the\nparable of the unjust judge and the widow to illustrate His point: \u201cYet because\nthis widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she\nweary me,\u201d (Luke 18:5). Jesus then asked, \u201cShall not God avenge his own\nelect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I\ntell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son\nof man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?\u201d <\/em>(Luke 18:7-8, emphasis\nmine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key #3: One has to have Expectant Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A powerful key\ncomponent of prayer is not to give up too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 11:9-10 When\none prays expect to receive an answer; expect to see some sort of fulfillment\nto come from your prayers. Look for something to happen as a result of\nyour praying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He doesn\u2019t tell us\nto \u201cask\u201d <\/strong>without the expectation of receiving something. No, He\nsays if you do this, then this will happen; and so it goes with the other\ninstructions to \u201cseek and knock.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if the answer\ndoesn\u2019t look the way you imagine it should, your prayers do not fall on deaf\nears. Be confident that God hears you. God is attentive to\nyou. God does not leave you in a state of wanting. David said, \u201cThe\nLORD is my shepherd; I shall not want,\u201d (Psalm 23:1). There will be\nresults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And this is the\nconfidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his\nwill, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know\nthat we have the petitions that we desired of him,\u201d (1 John 5:14-15). \nTherefore, we can expect to see results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key #4: One\nhas to have Believing Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 11:11-13 Believe\nin the goodness of God. Believe in your relationship with Him as a child\nof the heavenly Father. Believe that He always seeks to give you His best\n(ex. John 3:16). I often refer to God in my personal prayer as the Good\nFather who gives good gifts to His children. It\u2019s something we must hold\non to and depend upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe that God\nknows how to answer our prayers, in His time, in His plan for our best\ninterests. This is where a child like faith comes into play. This is a trust\nissue with Him. \u201cBut my God shall supply all your need according to his riches\nin glory by Christ Jesus,\u201d (Philippians 4:19). He is well able and wants\nto answer our prayers. \u201cAnd all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in\nprayer, believing<\/em>, ye shall receive,\u201d (Matthew 21:22, emphasis mine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe it today.\nAsk with a believing heart and He WILL give!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trust &\nBelieve<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expect<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 1\/4\/2015 4 Keys to Prayer The operation or workings of prayer have been a mystery to some through the ages. For some prayer seems to be some mundane Christian civic duty; a check off list, if you will, of something that needs to be done. For others, prayer seems to be elusive; difficult to understand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nLuke 11:2-4 When one acknowledges something\nor someone they are ascribing or giving them credit that they deserve. \nHere, opening up His teaching on prayer, Jesus jumps in without hesitation,\nstating, \u201cWhen ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven.\u201d Now, notice\nfirst that Jesus didn\u2019t say \u201cif\u201d ye pray. He point blank expected that\nHis people should have an active and working prayer life so He said, \u201cWhen ye\npray.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n