LEARNING
TO PRAY CORRECTLY
Most people even Christians do not know there is a right way
and a wrong way to pray. Neither do they know there are different prayers for
different circumstances. This is why they don’t always get their prayers
answered.
Prayer is a means of communication and a contact with our
heavenly father that is combined with faith in Gods word. Prayer is a channel
through which and by which His power can be released to meet our needs, allowing
Him to get involved in our circumstances.
There is a real lack of understanding about the operation
of prayer and therefore God is being falsely accused of things he had nothing
to do with.
God does not hear your prayers because you cry or beg,
nor because you’re on your knees, or because you are sincere. He does not hear
you just because you are in church. God hears your prayers when you pray in
line with his word and if you are standing in righteousness before Him.
From the standpoint of having the ability, because he is
God, he bases everything upon his written word. He has designed this system of
praying in accordance with his will to work for the one praying.
In the world, man, the planet, the universe, he has built
certain laws that govern and control it all.
Prayer is not a Russian roulette game that you play where
sometimes you hit it, also said sometimes you get the answers and sometimes you
don’t. You should be getting answers to every prayer you pray, if you are
praying correctly.
Philippians
2:11-12 11 And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as
ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
So how do we get Gods presence in the circumstances we
are having in our lives. Through prayer and faith: working in conjunction with
each other.
When we invite Him into our situation through prayer and
faith, which are the power twins, we give him the opportunity and the
permission to get involved in our circumstances on our behalf.
There are certain biblical rules and principles regarding
prayer. It doesn’t matter how big your need is, even though he already knows,
God does not respond to your need. He responds to his word through prayer and
faith.
I have found out there are different kinds of prayer for
different kinds of circumstances, and each kind of prayer has its own spiritual
rules that govern it. You have to know the rules that govern the kind of prayer
you are using or it will not work.
Just as there are different rules that govern Golf and
Tennis there are spiritual rules that govern different kinds of prayers.
1.
Prayer of agreement: Matthew 18:19 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall
agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for
them of my Father which is in heaven.
According to the scripture it is a prayer for people who
live on earth and it says they have to ask and they have to be in agreement in
asking it. The people who are praying must agree or it will not work.
2.
The prayer of faith – petition prayer. Mark 11:24
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Jesus did not say that you would receive something that
resembled what you prayed for, he said whatever you ask for you get.
Matthew 21:22 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.
He did not say, see that you
might receive them, he did not say understand that you receive them, he certainly
did not say, feel like you receive them. He said believe you receive them.
You might ask, how can I believe
that I am healed when my body still feels like it is not? Jesus said: if you
believe you receive, you will have it.
When you operate in the prayer
of faith there is no sight; meaning, no physical senses involved. There are
many people who miss it because they are bound by their senses. Like, I don’t feel
like it, or I don’t understand it.
Hebrews 11:1 11 Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
So, what is evidence or
proof? Evidence or proof is when the thing you prayed for gets there. If faith
is my evidence of things not seen, that means that I can not look to anything
in the senses realm to validate my faith. I have to look to a higher source: which
is the word of God.
3.
Prayer
of intercession: Romans 8:26-27 26 Likewise the
Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
This is when you pray for someone else totally and completely. There
are two sides of intercession. One is where we get in agreement telling God what
we want. Two is Two the very high end of intercession is where you may not even
know who you are praying for the Holy Spirit will place a strong urge in your
spirit to pray for something or someone. This is where you get into the true
intercession. You will not do this in your natural language, because you will
not know what to pray for. This is what Romans 8:26 is referring to.
4.
The prayer of praise and worship. This is a prayer between you and
the Lord. All you are doing is telling him how much you love him. Not asking
for anything, you are sending up a sweet savor to him of adoration,
appreciation and thanksgiving.
5.
Prayer of consecration and/or dedication. This prayer is where you
place yourself in a position to be used of God. You have to use “if it be your
will” in this type of prayer. You can not find Gods will in the word concerning
where he wants you for his purpose.
But
you never use dedication and consecration prayers when you are trying to pay
your bills, if you tack on, if it be thy will onto a petition prayer, you are
praying in doubt. You are canceling out your prayer.
When
you decide what you want from God and the scripture that promises you that and you
are standing on that scripture, be prepared for a fight. If you are not
prepared for a fight you are not prepared to pray. Satan is going to contest
every inch of ground that you try to claim or reclaim.
You
must ask, there is no such thing as a silent or unspoken request. How did God
create the world? The bible says that God said it, it did not say God thought. Nothing
came into existence until after God said it. Nothing is coming to you until you
say it.
Titus 1:2 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot
lie, promised before the world began;
Since God can not lie, then that means he can only tell the
truth. If he can only tell the truth when he tells me to pray and believe that
I receive and I shall have it. Praise God it is on its way. I have it and it is
mine.
Now if you have confidence that you have prayed according to
Gods will you should be confident that he heard you. You should not pray for
the same thing a second time, that is like saying you did not get it the first
time. It is best to Thank God for hearing and answering your prayer.
Here is a good example of how you can pray the prayer of petition
in faith using Mark 11:24 and a guide.
Mark 11:24
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Monday morning you get up and say; Heavenly Father you said
in your word that what things I desire I can have.
In the name of Jesus, I desire a new pair of shoes, I pray
now and I believe that I receive a new pair of shoes. You say in your word when
I pray and believe I receive. I now believe that I receive a pair of brand-new
shoes and you said I shall have it. I want to thank you. I believe that I receive
it.
Tuesday morning the shoes have not come, so in your prayer
you say Father I just want to thank you for my new shoes that I believe that I have
them and I thank you for them.
Wednesday morning: Father I thank you and praise you, I believe
I receive my shoes on Monday. I want to thank you. I believe that I have them. I
am not going to get them; I believe that I have them by faith.
Thursday the same prayer. Never loose faith, keep thanking
and praising him… it will happen.
