Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is an offering of our desires to God for all things lawful and needful with humble confidence that we shall obtain them through the mediator of Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Prayer is a worship addressed to the Father, in the name of Christ and the owner of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the soul of a man talking to God.
The Nature of Prayers as a Means of Communicating with God
God is invisible, but we communicate with Him through prayers. The nature of our prayer includes:
Faith: People must ask in faith. They must not doubt.
Belief in God: The answer from God depends on assurance in God.
Steadfastness: Steadfastness reveals our Love for God.
Hope: Hope in the eternal is evidence of believing in faith.
Persistence in prayer: Men always ought to pray3and not to faint
Pray with humility: ‘If people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, I will hear them….'(II Chronicles 7:14).
We must be prepared to repent from our sins-‘turn from our wicked ways…'(II Chron. 7:14)
Ask God things that are edifying and for the glory of God. James encourages his readers to count it all joy whenever they meet various trials, for it is a test of their faith that produces steadfastness, and its full effect makes them perfect and complete.
If anyone lacks wisdom, let him pray to God who gives all men generously without reproach. They should ask in faith, not doubt.
For a doubting man is unstable, like a wave of the sea. And that person will receive nothing from God.
James exhorted the Christians that they should pray whenever they are suffering. And when cheerful, they should sing praise.
The sick ones should call for elders of the church to pray over them. For the prayer of faith will save the man and the Lord will heal him and if he has committed any sin, he will be forgiven.
To substantiate this, James cited Elijah, a man like us, who prayed and there was no rain for three and half years.
The Causes of Unanswered Prayer
Unbelief: He who doubts is a double-minded person. He is like a wave of sea blown by the wind and tossed. God is not pleased with a double-minded person.
An unforgiving spirit: A forgiving attitude towards others as well as faith in God is essential for effective prayer.
Iniquity: The Psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”.
Ask amiss: Asking with the wrong motive or out of the will of God. A believer does not receive what he asks for if he asks with the wrong motive.
The Right Attitude to Prayers
We must pray in the will of God: Christians do not know what they should ask as it is necessary. In their weakness both the content and the manner of prayer include them but the spirit comes to their rescue and intercedes for them.
We must forgive others before God will hear our prayers: One who has accepted God’s forgiveness is expected to forgive others just as God has forgiven him. If he does not, he forfeits God’s forgiveness in his daily life.
We must pray in faith believing: that God is always ready to respond to obedient believers’ prayers, and they can petition him knowing that no situation is impossible for him.
We must keep His commandments: For as believers are conscious of God’s will, their requests are subject to God’s will.
We must abide in Christ: Effective prayer is based on faith in Christ and his words remaining in believers.
We must pray in the Holy Spirit: To pray out of hearts and souls that are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is praying in the power of the Holy Spirit.
We must pray in Jesus’ name: This ties the re-quests to the work of the Son in doing the Father’s will. ‘Hither you have asked nothing in my name, ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full’
Praying for the erring brethren: Christians are enjoined to do all they can to bring back brethren who have neglected the truth, through persistent prayer and love.
Humility before God-this is required to have our prayers answered.
Significance of the Study
- Effective prayer depends on our relationship with God.
- Effective prayer does not depend on how loudly or privately one prays.
- God can hear our prayers no matter who prays a pastor or ordinary person in the church.
- God hears our prayers no matter our position and place of prayer
- Faith is very important for effective prayer.
- Christians should endeavor to observe the following to make their prayers effective.
- Christians should live a holy life before God and man. Sin should be removed from their lives, for God is holy and will not condone any sin, unless it is confessed and repented of
- Prayers must be made in faith-when we make our requests known to God, we should believe that he can meet our demands and he will surely do so.
- Prayers must be made according to the will of God. It is His will that we ask for those things that will glorify Him, things that will satisfy our needs, and things that make us depend entirely on Him.
- Humility is another pre-condition for ensuring effective prayers. We have to plead and entreat God in all meekness to answer our prayers. He has the prerogative of mercy to answer or not to answer.
- Equally important is the need to confess our sins to God in prayer and ask for his enabling power to renounce them once and for all, so that our prayers may be unhindered.
- We must be persistent in asking until our joy is full.
Prayers
- Almighty God, give the understanding to pray in the name of Jesus.
- Give me the humility in the process of prayer from now on in the name of Jesus.
- Every pride that blocks my prayers is canceled right now in the name of Jesus.
- Faith that accelerates my prayers to answer is received right now in the name of Jesus.
- From now on, my God, make my prayer life a better one in the name of Jesus.
- Lord Jesus, increase my prayer life today in the name of Jesus.
- Oh God, let the power of prayer descend on me today in the name of Jesus Christ.
- My Father, silence the power of darkness that is tampering with the life of my prayer from now on in the name of Jesus.
- Eternal Rock of Ages, make the power of burning prayer activated in my life from today in the name of Jesus.
- Oh Lord, make my life a life of prayer from today in the name of Jesus.
- From today, do not pray in vain, that is I must not pray a fruitless prayer in the name of Jesus.
- Thank you for giving me the passion of prayers.
- I appreciate the power placed on me to pray and receive the answers without delay in the name of Jesus.
- Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes to how to pray and pray right.
- May the Lord Almighty direct my soul, Spirit, and path to the ways of success.
