Pray With Power

"Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees."   - Corrie ten Boom

A common dilemma among many Christians is the "ineffectual" prayer. These are prayers that can be described by adjectives, such as: weak, feeble, half-hearted, spiritless, and poorly executed, among many others. Prayers submitted to God in this fashion are lacking in power and meaning.

When you pray, it is critically important to throw you entire heart and soul into it. In other words, pray like you mean it! If not, your prayers won't have any more substance to them than your own shadow. Seriously, what's the point of praying if you are not going to give it your all?

Prayer is our one-on-one time with God. It's our chance to sit down and have an intimate chat with Him, so to speak. Supplications lacking in earnestness and desire are unavailing and futile; they lack any real impact; hence. they are "ineffectual." But, why is this the case?

There are numerous causes for anemic prayers. One of the most common is our unwillingness to tune out distractions as we pray. Our concentration is less than stellar. Our thoughts are all over the place, thinking about this and that, Does this sound familiar to you?

Talking to God in this way would be similar to having an audience with the Queen of England, and texting your friend, or checking your Facebook account during your visit with her. No doubt this would be considered an insult to the Queen, as it would be to God.

In addition to giving God your undivided attention, there are some other things you can do strengthen your prayers, and deepen your communication with Him. First, do you sincerely believe in God? This has do with faith. Jesus said in Matthew 21:22 that, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Prayer packs a little more punch if it's backed by a strong faith. Also, consider this when you pray, are you praying for good things? Needful things? Many see God as a candy dispenser, handing out favors on demand. Or, only keep Him in mind when it is suitable or convenient.

Our priority should be on His Kingdom, that is, "others" before ourselves, God is aware of our needs, and will take care of them as He sees fit. Our prayers should also come from a righteous heart. Confess your sins to God and clean up that conscience (Matthew 7:11; Philippians 4:19; James 5:16).

Having a grateful heart, meaning an attitude of appreciation, is also helpful when praying (Philippians 4:6). I can't leave without mentioning one more thing that is urgently important to prayer. Are you praying according to God's will?

Look, anyone can throw prayers out there. But, if you want God to grant them we must pray, or ask, according to His will. This is when we pray for things that, a) honor and glorify Him and, b) pray for what the Bible clearly shows us what God's will is.

How can we find out what God's will is? Ask Him for it! God promises to give us wisdom if we ask (James 1:5). 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 helpfully outlines some things that are God's will. If your prayers don't follow these meaningful guidelines, then don't expect to hear from God anytime soon.

Our Father in Heaven does listen to every prayer, and responds accordingly. His response may big, or quiet, and subtle. God might not respond right away, or perhaps not at all because He has decided it is best not to do so. No matter what, it is always His call and not ours.

God invites us all to pray. Nothing makes Him happier than to communicate with us. Don't fret if your prayers aren't up to par. Very few of us are born prayer warriors. The important thing to is that you do pray! There are no shortcuts. Good, strong prayers, will only develop through daily practice and persistence.

Scripture: Philippians 1:3-4; Matthew 21:22; Psalm 50:15; Jeremiah 29:12; Luke 18:1

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I always give thanks to God for you because of His grace that was given to you. Amen

May God bless you always!

Brandi