Strategies for Effective Prayer


What is Prayer

We must first understand that Prayer is communicating with God. Many of our prayers are delivered with no more consideration that an order placed at a drive through window. Communication is a two way informational stream. After we have have given God praise, Confessed our sins, Thanked Him for all He's done and placed before Him our problems, we must learn to find that quite place in our spirit that will allow us to hear from God.

Trust God's Timing
After we pray, we must trust God's timing. The best explanation that I've heard in regards to Gods timing in answering our prayers was," He will answer prayers when He is most glorified".

Pray Without Ceasing 
Praying continuously for most seems like an unattainable task as we go about our daily routine. I have come to realize that our staying connected to the Holy Spirit throughout the day is how we are able to pray without ceasing. Therefore our conversations with others must incorporate our communication with God and must edify Him, represent Him, and glorify Him.

Staying Connected through Prayer
Imagine using a GPS device to go to a place that you have never been before and in the middle of nowhere your device goes out. You are left guessing, and using your own understanding to navigate to your destination. The possibility of wrong turns, wrong choices are great. This is what happens when we disconnect from God. We make wrong decisions, wrong choices, and find ourselves in places, situations and with people  that we were never meant to be with. Our disconnection happens when our conversations, actions, and motives stop giving God glory. I'm so grateful that grace and mercy are often there to reconnect and redirect us back to Christ and His purpose in our lives.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Your Purpose is a Blessing

Image
"...Great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve." Jeremiah 32:19 Have you ever considered what would happen if someone who is called to be a dentist one day decides that he wants to become a cardiologist? If you were a heart patient, how confident would you be in his ability to successfully treat you? Not very confident at all! You would be uncomfortable with the fact that he is working outside of his calling.  Now consider that this same dentist was present and in place when you come into the dentist office with excruciating pain and discomfort. Would you hesitate in asking and trusting him to help you? No, not at all!! Your confidence lies in knowing that he is operating in his calling. When you operate in your calling you become a blessing to all those God sends your way. So, if you are called to be a dentist or doctor, operate in yo
Read more

Be Careful How You Treat Others

Image
Having grown up around many Christian leaders and teachers, I have seen those who have humble spirits, and those who do not. I have seen those who by way of their popularity have found themselves requiring dutifulness of those they were called to help. Just because we are called to help others does NOT elevate us to a position to rule over them. Be careful of how you treat those God has called you to help. Our teaching should always be seen as a pay it forward opportunity.  John 13:14   says; " Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." I agree that it feels good to empower others, to bless others, and to help others, but in the end the only one that should be glorified is God. We must abstain from seeing ourselves higher than we aught to, and requiring it from others...  Romans 12:16   says; "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do
Read more

Purpose: Perspective and Position

Image
My husband and I have always believed that participating in sports would be beneficial to my children in order for them to learn teamwork, rules, etc. We were blessed to have some pretty awesome coaches cross path with our kids. One coach, in particular, left a lasting impression and life long lesson with me as he coached my middle son. My middle son was scrappy, quick and ...well... he just wanted to hit something. The coaches were allowed to remain on the field with the players to give direction, make adjustments, and call plays. I began to notice that he would at times grab the back of my son's jersey, move him from side to side and eventually point him in the direction and toward the person he wanted him to tackle. We laughed and joked about it because it started to make my son look like he was going to attack someone or something as soon as the coach let him go. Sure enough time after time, he would reach his mark and fulfill his purpose. It wasn't long before the coach co
Read more