Monday, September 24, 2018

Increasing Your Effectiveness in Prayer

Prayer. Pray. When we pray we talk to God and that talking, that communion is what we call prayer. Praying is one of those things that you can always improve upon, like communication in a relationship. Even with excellent communication, as you learn another facet of the person you're communicating with, your constant interactions will reveal your new knowledge. There's always room for growth in our relationships and our relationship with God is no different. My church recently completed a weekly Bible study on prayer, and I was tremendously blessed. Here are some thoughts from The Battle Plan for Prayer that can increase your effectiveness as you communicate with God.



First here are ten reasons for hindered prayer.
  1. Not knowing God - John 14:6. 
  2. Praying from an unrepentant heart - Psalms 66:18. 
  3. Praying for show - Matthew 6:5. 
  4. Praying empty, repetitive words - Matthew 6:7,8. 
  5. Prayers not prayed; don’t let the devil put your prayer life on mute - James 4:2.
  6. Praying with a lustful heart. Loving the thing more than the Creator. - James 4:3. 
  7. Praying while mistreating your spouse - 1 Peter 3:7. 
  8. Praying while ignoring the poor - Proverbs 21:13. 
  9. Praying with bitterness in your heart; bitterness is a toxin - Matthew 6:14,15. 
  10. Praying with a faithless heart. Doubt locks out us of our prayer closet - Hebrews 11:6. 
As you deepen your communication with God here are ten keys that can ignite your prayers.
  1. Praying persistently - Matthew 7:7-8. 
  2. Praying in faith - Mark 11:24. 
  3. Praying in secret - Matthew 6:6. 
  4. Praying according to Gods will - Romans 12:2. 
  5. Praying in Jesus’ name - John 14:13-14. 
  6. Praying in agreement with other believers. Kingdom math has exponential potential - Matthew 18:19. 
  7. Praying while fasting. Nehemiah fasted and prayed then rebuilt the wall in 52 days -Nehemiah 1:4. 
  8. Praying from an obedient life - 1 John 3:21,22. 
  9. Praying while abiding in His Word - John 15:7. 
  10. Praying while delighting in the Lord - Psalms 37:4.
For me, praying is a sanity saver. Yes sometimes it's a particular time where I spend dedicated time communing, but these days more often than not it's moments throughout the day. Because I know He's continuously present I am reassured that I can constantly speak to Him. My lips may be moving like Hannah's mouth did, but I'm not drunk (1 Samuel 1:12) - I'm talking to my Father. The more you pray, the more you'll know God, and the more you'll see answers. Praying is what connects us to Him. Don't sever the connection, increase your effectiveness by praying.

--Nylse

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5 comments:

  1. Wow! Love the many verses you've shared with us about prayer, Nysle! Definitely something I want to pin! And I agree about the "sanity saver!" It's my sanity and sanctuary from the harsh moments of life. Lovely post!

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  2. Ahh, man this hit me! I will admit that I need to pray more. I do it but reading this just gave me a bit of a jolt that I should be praying more. Thank you!

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  3. Great post! So many excellent reminders. Just what I needed today.

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  4. Love this! I've done two series on prayer this year and touched on so many of these points. Prayer is so important - it breathes life into our relationship with God, yet just as in all our relationships, we must continue to work at it. So many awesome resources here, Nylse - especially the verses. How wonderful that your church has been working through this!

    Blessings to you,
    Lori

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