5 steps to a successful prayer life
1. Know
the One you are praying to.
For 24 years I prayed to a God I did not
know. The results I experienced were a
clear indication of that relationship. I
knew of Him, but did not know
Him personally. Can you imagine walking
up to a perfect stranger and start rattling off a list of requests and
praises. "Heal me, help my son,
guide my daughter, fix my car, help me get a raise, and oh yeah…thanks for all
you have done for me." That
stranger would look at you and wonder what planet you just landed from.
John
10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
2. Seek
only His will in your prayer life.
We have a tendency to give God a long list
of things we think we need and then give Him a 12 step method that He
"might" use in accomplishing our specific desires. Of course, we know we should only desire His
will, so, at the end of every prayer we are careful to tag on, "…but not
my will but Thy will be done". I
was recently reminded of how Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus once made a
request of Jesus here on earth.
Actually, it was not a request at all.
All she did was present a situation to Him and completely trusted Him to
do the right thing. In John Chapter 2
Mary is at a wedding with Jesus and His disciples. She makes a simple statement to Jesus,
"…They have no wine.". No
request is made; simply a problem or a need is presented. His response to her was less than encouraging
in John 2:4 "…Woman, what have I to do with thee?
Mine hour is not yet come."
Today people would go off pouting but Mary trusted Jesus and told the
servants, "…Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it". There is a perfect example of knowing Who
you are speaking to and seeking ONLY His will in the matter. He will always do the right thing.
3. Have a time when it is good for YOU to pray.
Throughout Scripture we
see God's people praying in the early morning, in the midnight hour, praying
always, and praying without ceasing. You
decide when the time is best for you to pray…and pray. I find most Christian's problems are not that
they don't know how to pray…it is simply that they do not pray.
4. Keep right with God.
You cannot love God and
the world. Psalms 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me:”
Amazing an all-powerful and all-knowing God…will not hear me.
5. Men…keep
right with your wife.
1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, ye
husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the
wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of
life; that your prayers be not
hindered.”
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