~1~~We need a clean heart to pray. " If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 68:18 NKJV) If there's any sin, strife, confusion or whatever keeping you from praying, you need to address it. Its kind of like going grocery shopping when you're hungry. If I have sin and things in my heart I haven't dealt with then I'm probably not going to be able to truly focus on God.
~2~You have to believe. “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (MT 21:22) This sound like a no brainier, right? I bet there are many people who have not been answered, who are quick to say. "Look, I told you there was no God, He didn't answer MY prayer."
We shouldn't believe because we pray, we should pray because we believe. One of my favorite places in the bible is when a father came to Jesus and asked him to heal his son; "Lord, I believe but help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24 KJV) This verse means so much me because the man was honest. He did believe, but he was human and doubted because he knew the logical out would be that his baby girl was going to die. He even believed this AFTER the servants came and told him she was dead. His belief came from the heart of a daddy who just wanted his daughter to be healed and believed it could be done
~3~ Pray in Jesus' name. "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father" ( John 14:14 NIV). We all like to get what we want, when we want it and how we want it. I think this verse, too, is Taken out of context. I may need a new car (let's pretend I can drive). I pray for a BMW. Now, yes, God may chose to bless me with a BMW. However, He may allow me to perches a new or used car that isn't so elaborate, someone could gift me a car, I may have the money to fix my current car or He may direct me towards a different means of of transportation. He may simply tell me to keep what I have. The underlining need here is I need a way to get from here to there. Just because I don't wake up and find a 2019 BMV in my driveway doesn't mean God hasn't answered my prayers.
MT 6:7- 13 says "7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply." Just because God doesn't answer or prayers the way we want Him to, doesn't mean He doesn't answer them at all.
~2~You have to believe. “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (MT 21:22) This sound like a no brainier, right? I bet there are many people who have not been answered, who are quick to say. "Look, I told you there was no God, He didn't answer MY prayer."
We shouldn't believe because we pray, we should pray because we believe. One of my favorite places in the bible is when a father came to Jesus and asked him to heal his son; "Lord, I believe but help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24 KJV) This verse means so much me because the man was honest. He did believe, but he was human and doubted because he knew the logical out would be that his baby girl was going to die. He even believed this AFTER the servants came and told him she was dead. His belief came from the heart of a daddy who just wanted his daughter to be healed and believed it could be done
~3~ Pray in Jesus' name. "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father" ( John 14:14 NIV). We all like to get what we want, when we want it and how we want it. I think this verse, too, is Taken out of context. I may need a new car (let's pretend I can drive). I pray for a BMW. Now, yes, God may chose to bless me with a BMW. However, He may allow me to perches a new or used car that isn't so elaborate, someone could gift me a car, I may have the money to fix my current car or He may direct me towards a different means of of transportation. He may simply tell me to keep what I have. The underlining need here is I need a way to get from here to there. Just because I don't wake up and find a 2019 BMV in my driveway doesn't mean God hasn't answered my prayers.
MT 6:7- 13 says "7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply." Just because God doesn't answer or prayers the way we want Him to, doesn't mean He doesn't answer them at all.
why prayer is so important to me
I love to pray. What little girl doesn't long to talk to and be in the presence of her Daddy?
I have direct access to MY GOD. Pray is such a special, unique way to communicate with God. No one on earth has a prayer life exactly like mine. Its a always a little bit different; sometimes I use my prayer journal, sometimes I just pray in bed, I may read out scripture and I very frequently cry and scream at God. No matter how I do it, I'm talking to God. When I was a teenager, I really struggled with being disabled; Why me? I didn't believe I had the right to question God. Our Church priest, Father Bernard, told me that God was big enough to take my anger and my questions. This was a game changer. Once I was able to ask God WHY and talk to him about the CP, He started to open my eyes and reveal to me things about myself through my disability. Now, please don't that I never asked God about my CP; I do on a daily basis almost. However, it was a start at looking as my CP and my life in general. That experience altered the way I prayed, because it allowed me to become more intimate with God.
I have direct access to MY GOD. Pray is such a special, unique way to communicate with God. No one on earth has a prayer life exactly like mine. Its a always a little bit different; sometimes I use my prayer journal, sometimes I just pray in bed, I may read out scripture and I very frequently cry and scream at God. No matter how I do it, I'm talking to God. When I was a teenager, I really struggled with being disabled; Why me? I didn't believe I had the right to question God. Our Church priest, Father Bernard, told me that God was big enough to take my anger and my questions. This was a game changer. Once I was able to ask God WHY and talk to him about the CP, He started to open my eyes and reveal to me things about myself through my disability. Now, please don't that I never asked God about my CP; I do on a daily basis almost. However, it was a start at looking as my CP and my life in general. That experience altered the way I prayed, because it allowed me to become more intimate with God.