THE SECRETS OF PRAYER

 

What is Prayer?

Prayer is conversation with God.

Prayer is a bridge that can help you reach God.

 

Prayer is a foundation on which you can build your personal relationship with God.

 

The importance of Prayer

Prayer can do the things that you cannot do.

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17, 18)

 

Why should you Pray?

God actually seeks to have relationship with us.

Praying according to the Word of God helps us to increase our time with God, which strengthens and prospers our fellowship with God.

Without Prayer we can do nothing “…for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

 

How should you Pray?

1. Pray according to the Word of God

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)

 

2. Pray according to the Will of God

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (I John 5:14, Matthew 26:39)

 

3. Let your prayer be acceptable to God

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocritesare: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:5, 6)

 

4. Believe

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)

 

5. Pray in Faith

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6)

 

6. Pray with all your whole heart

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

 

7. Don’t regard iniquity in your heart

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalm 66:18)

 

How long should you Pray?

“Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17)

 

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, there was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:1-8)

 

Jesus Christ is your best model to Pray:

Jesus prayed to God in all situations and in all circumstances. Jesus fulfilled God’s will because His life of prayer was a foundation.

“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

 

1. He prayed when he was happy.

 “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23)

 

In this passage we see that several thousand of people were listening to God’s Word for a long time without food. There were only five loaves and two fish. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and looked up to heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who  ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

We can clearly understand that this was one of the most amazing and wonderful moments with joy and happiness. Usually as human beings we like to stay with the crowd during this moment instead of praying. But the Scripture says, that Jesus dismissed them and went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

 

2. He prayed when he was in agony.

 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

 

3. He prayed when he was tempted.

 “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” (John 6:15)

 

4. He prayed when he was on the cross.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)

 

It is good to Pray on your knees

1. Jesus Christ knelt down and prayed

 “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and  kneeled down, and prayed,” (Luke 22:41)

 

2. King David prayed on his knees

“My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.” (Psalm 109:24)

 

3. King Solomon knelt down and prayed

“For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,” (2Chronicles 6:13)

 

4. Ezra prayed on his knees

“And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” (Ezra 9:5)

 

5. Daniel prayed on his knees

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his

knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10)

 

6. Apostle Peter prayed on his knees

“But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.” (Acts 9:40)

 

7. Stephen prayed on his knees

“And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:60)

 

8. Apostle Paul knelt down and prayed

“And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.” (Acts 20:36)

 

It is good to lift up your hands and pray

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1Timothy 2:8)

 

The assured Promises of Prayer

1. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

 

2. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Matthew 7:7)

 

3. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)

 

4. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)

 

5. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)

 

6. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)

 

7. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” (Ephesians 3:20) 

 

8. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 John 5:14)