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Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5)! He didn’t say “If you pray” or “When you get around to prayer.” Our Lord assumed that we would pray!
I pray regularly, I know others who pray often, and I’ve forgotten how many books I’ve read written by those who pray. I’ve noticed three symptoms of a satisfying and effective prayer regimen with believers.
First: Answers
The word “ask” is used hundreds of times in the New Testament in connection with prayer. Why? Simple. God wants us to ask, and praying reflects God as God and us as us, who need a God who answers prayers.
The Greek word for “ask” is “aiteo,” which means to “ask specifically.” Jesus says, “If your son asks for bread…” Jesus doesn’t say, “If your son asks to be blessed.” We know when we get the bread, but how do we know if we are blessed?
Only specific asking in prayer yields answers.
Two: Presence
Jesus taught. . .
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7, ESV).
Spending time with God means abiding in His presence and in His Word. The presence of God destroys anxiety and fear. This awareness of God’s presence enables effective praying, which shows no fear when tangling with demonic strongholds or the simple frustrations of daily life.
A great praying sister or brother brings a matter to God and finds peace, a solution, and wisdom. As Scripture teaches. . .
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (James 4:7-8a).
Third: Growing Faith
Our spirit, like our physical muscles, can be exercised into growth. Our confidence in God stems from growing in the Spirit by developing our spirit. Just as regular exercise allows for more weight to be lifted, growing faith enables us to make larger requests.
Here’s the formula: God leads, we ask, God directs, we obey, and our faith grows. We repeat this routine until our faith can move mountains!
Mountain-moving faith will be needed by all of us in the last days. Trials and tribulations will increase in frequency and intensity. Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?”
This is a quote from a book I’m now reading on prayer. . .
To pray in His name is to pray as He prayed. Christ is our example because He is our Head, our Savior, and our Life. In virtue of His deity and of His Spirit, He can live in us. We can pray in His name because we abide in Him and He abides in us.
To read a book on improving your prayers with answers, presence, and faith, click the photo to purchase the book “The Battle Plan for Prayer: From Basic Training to Targeted Strategies” by Stephen and Alex Kendrick.