Hey lovelies
So I've been reading a few books on prayer lately and decided that it would be good to dive into the topic of one's prayer life. I finished reading a book by Myles Munroe titled, Understanding the purpose and power of prayer. And I found it interesting that Jesus disciples wanted to know more about it too, since they asked him to teach them how to pray. They saw him pray regularly and how this impacted his ministry, life and the lives of others.
If you've ever felt unsure on how to go about praying or simply desire a stronger prayer life, this book will answer your questions and help you grow. See, prayer is not just us talking to God about our day but its a weapon we use against the enemy as to remind him of what God promised. When we pray we thank God for what He has done, who He is and also bring forth our petitions to Him. And we make it a point to stand on the Word given to us and declare what it says over ourselves and our situations. We intentionally meditate on scriptures and speak in unknown tongues - that is speaking mysteries unto God.
I looked at a few individuals in the Bible and I became more aware of the effects and results of prayering. Just have a look:
1. Moses prayed and the Red Sea parted (Exodus 14:13 - 16).
2. Hannah prayed and she had a son (1 Samuel 1:20).
3. Job prayed and the Lord restored his fortunes (Job 42:10).
4. David prayed and he was strengthened (Psalms 18:1).
5. Daniel prayed and he was delivered (Daniel 6:10).
6. Jonah prayed and God saved him (Jonah 2:1-10).
7. Jesus led the way for his disciples. He showed us how we should live. He prayed regularly for he was persistent on preparing, waiting on God and His timing. He prayed for others (interceded). He prayed with others. And he prayed for himself, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your Will to be done, not mine" (Matthew 26:39). Thus, God's Will was done, Jesus suffered pain but he also conquered sin and death.
8. Peter prayed and he received knew vision (Acts 10:9 - 17).
9. Paul prayed and people were healed (Acts 28:8).
With that said, I hope you know that nothing is too small to pray about. And God wants to hear from all of us. His line is open all day and all night. And regardless of when we're happy, sad or angry we can 'call Him' because He's always available.
For those who feel like the hardest part is getting started, I'd like to suggest you begin with 'Our Father' prayer. Some of us have been taught this prayer at a young age and maybe it's the only prayer you know. But I hope that after reading this post, you consider taking the time to pray in the morning before you go to work or school, pray before you eat (asking God to bless the meal and the hands that prepared it), pray in the evening before you go to bed and thank Him for all for blessings and protection. I've broken the prayer down so one can see what each line means and go from there. You can also have a look at Matthew 6:9-15.
Our Father ➡ our Lord, the Head of our homes and hearts. We call God our leader and our source. And we begin with Him because He is the creator of the universe. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. As a father, He loves His children and wife (the church). And He desires to provide, protect and commune with us daily. So we praise Him for Who He is and what He has done.
Who art in heaven ➡ God resides in heaven, outside our realm. But He is also omnipresent (He is present, everywhere at the same time), that means He's also with us because He is omnipotent (He has infinite power and unlimited authority). And is omniscient (He has complete and unlimited knowledge and understanding of everything).
Hallowed be Thy name ➡ Holy (set apart) is Your name. God's name is one that is to be praised and worshipped for He is loving, faithful, full of grace and integrity. We honour Him above all else and that's why we exalt Him.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ➡ God has a throne and kingdom. And our focus should be on His kingdom and what He wants done. That also includes what He wants done in the world and in our lives. By praying like this we align our will with His and we declare that His will be done in our lives. We yield our will to His will. Therefore, asking that He change our plans to His plans for us.
Give us this day our daily bread ➡ we ask the Lord to provide for us and the needs of others for He is after all, our Provider. He gives us light, oxygen (breath), seed, soil, water, time, growth, energy, food, good health and strength etc. And we ask Him for things believing that we receive them. For God has a storehouse with many goods and there is no lack in Him. We also go on to thank Him for sustaining us, providing for our every need, protecting and blessing us and the work of our hands.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ➡ we want God to hear us when we pray, so we ask for forgiveness of our trespasses and that we too, forgive those who may have wronged us (present or past). We do this with the following statement in mind, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14–15). Relationships are important and God doesn't want anger to make us bitter or that the way in which we walk to be closed off from Him to hear and answer our prayers. So we make confessions, repent and ask for forgiveness. Because such a prayer releases the offender and the offended.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ➡ we ask God for wisdom to make good decisions as we run our race. We want Him to order our steps, protect us and not fall into traps. Thus, we also ask Him for guidance and strength to withstand temptation. May we not put ourselves in harm's way and compromise our faith. But may we be alert to the devices of the devil.
For thine is the Kingdom, Power and the Glory forever and ever ➡ we end off the prayer by worshipping God and declaring what is His. We glorify Him and give thanks in advance for answers, deliverance and favor. We also thank Him for His presence. And in essence we just praise Him - for His goodness, mercy and kindness.
Amen ➡ which means so shall it be. Basically saying, "May it be so".
Please note that your prayer does not have to end there. As you pray you can share your prayer requests with God. And tell Him what's on your heart and believe that you recieve what you've asked for. Pray in Jesus Name, John 15:16 states that whatever you ask of the Father in his name, He will give it to you. Another tip, find scriptures that promises you what you're praying for such as 1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 7:7-8 and Mark 11:24. I love the fact that God keeps His Word because He values it. And if He said a thing, He WILL do it - He's a promise keeper. Thereafter, don't utter a word of doubt or ponder on the opposite so your prayer is not rendered ineffective. It will come to pass!
- Mel
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