Introduction.
Prayer is our lifeline to God. This is when we praise God for keeping us, tell Him about our day, ask for His guidance and strength, intercede for others, and repent for any wrongdoing. That’s all good, but I like to think of prayer as a time of fellowship. It’s a chance to be in His presence and get filled with the Spirit and the oil.
In this Blog, we’ll be focusing on ways to pray effectively. Remember, prayer is not about formalities, but it does benefit us to have some format so we don’t get off track. It’s more about having a genuine connection and true fellowship with God. He’s seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24 NKJV
Effective Prayer Methods.
1] Give God Praise.
For people who have a personal relationship with God, we know that we’re the Holy Spirit's temple and the Body of Jesus Christ. As Jesus’ followers, we should give God praise just as He did while on earth.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4 KJV
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 NKJV
2] Add Repentance to Your Prayer Time.
Definition of Repentance and How to Activate.
Seeking forgiveness is not the same as repentance. The basic word "pent," which means to tread up; to go, is where the word repentance originates. It is evident from the word "penthouse" that it denotes the highest place. So repentance means to go back to God. He is the most high. Leave the mistakes, sins, and behind you and go to God who is before you. To rephrase, it is returning to God’s way of viewing things, like walking in His truth, His Word, righteousness, and avoiding sin. And repenting when we do sin. You realize that God’s Word is right and you were wrong, and you readily admit it, and you make all adjustments in life to stay on the right road.
Repentance is needed to get saved, and it is needed to stay rightly connected to God. See Luke 13:3 and Luke 15:7. It takes a humble person to admit he’s wrong and repent. The cleansing and refreshing makes it all worthwhile.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be [c]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:10, 11 NKJV
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19 NKJV
Forgive Yourself and Forgive Others.
Forgiving those who have sinned against us is major, but it’s just as important for us to forgive ourselves. If we don’t forgive people of their sins, then our sins are not forgiven.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NKJV
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:12, 13 NKJV
3] Ask for God’s Guidance.
God is all wise and all knowing. He loves to hear our prayers. It is important for our spiritual growth and our success in life that we consult God about any major endeavors and to also include Him in all areas of our lives.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [b]direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5, 6 NKJV
Blessings,
Tanda
Attribution:
Photo by Kemi Taiwo used for the Cover Image for this Blog. Link to Photo Creator: https://www.pexels.com/photo/raised-hand-to-the-sky-13789711/
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