June. 8th Praying Effectively I
Bible Reading: Mat. 6:5-15; Exod. 3:14
Is. 65:24 ‘it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear’
Rest assured God is not erratic, unreliable or unpredictable about how He responds to prayer. Answered prayer is built on solid biblical principles and you must know the most effective way to pray. Remember, ‘’if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ Ps. 11:3
The disciples of Jesus observed His commitment to, as well the amazing results of prayer and said ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Lk. 11:1 God’s kingdom is a kingdom of principles and once you understand them you can pray a hundred times a day and receive a hundred answers.
Jesus was an authority on prayer and taught His disciples how and what to pray. The first paramount principle He taught is that prayer must be directed to God the Father. You must be born again and able to approach Him as a child of God.
‘For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together’ Rom. 8:15-17
God is not an abstract impersonal and distant ‘god’; He is a compassionate and merciful Father. He didn’t spare His only Son Jesus and reconciled you to Himself. He is now your Provider, Defender, Counsellor, Healer and so much more. When you pray, approach and address Him as ‘Abba Father’
Prayer:
i. Pray that your heavenly Father will manifest Himself to you on a personal and permanent basis. 2 Chron. 17:3
ii. Ask God to revive His church, the Body of Christ, in the area of prayer. Hab. 3:2
Thought for the Day:
The Creator of all things is my loving ‘Daddy’.