How Do You Pray?
It’s been said that “Prayer is the key to heaven and faith unlocks the door.” Simply defined, prayer is submitting yourself to the Lord. It’s an outpouring of the heart, where pride is abandoned. Prayer is simply communicating with God.
Many come before the Lord with a specific desire, request or praise. As we communicate and listen to the Spirit of the Lord, I believe praise is one of the most important ingredients in prayer.
Over the years, I’ve had people ask me to pray that God would change the will of another person. “All I want Pastor is for them to love me.” “Pastor, pray they’ll give me more attention” or “Pastor, I want you to pray they’ll marry me.” God doesn’t operate this way. He gave us a ‘free will’ and God doesn’t tamper with the will of man, even in salvation.
I’ve also heard people who’ve been hurt by someone, pray for that person’s harm or demise. Matthew 5:44 tells us to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and PRAY for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” The Spirit wasn’t given to us to harm, but to be a help to mankind.
I’ve even had people ask me, “Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” I often point them to James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Prayer is not asking for what you need, but asking that His will be accomplished in your life. God knows what we need before we ask [Matthew 6:8].
So how should we pray?
First, recognize and honor God. Ask for His will to be done in your life, not your own. Ask for His living word daily in your life. Forgive others, so that you will be forgiven. Pray for deliverance from the spirits that are tormenting you and praise Him for His power, strength and His glory!
Pray the way Jesus instructed his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, Father I honor and respect Your Holy Name and I pray that Your Kingdom be demonstrated to all those I see. Father I want Your will in my life, on this earth as it is in heaven. God I truly thank You for all my provisions. Forgive me Lord, as I forgive others and keep me from temptation and evil. Lord the Kingdom is Yours, along with the power and the glory. Father I thank You that You will abide with me forever. Amen
In prayer, we must learn to seek the will of the Father for our life. Prayer in not about begging God, it’s about surrendering to Him. It’s not asking God to change the circumstance, it’s asking Him to change us.
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