Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
When something is effective, it is successful in
producing a desired or intended result.
Prayer is a solemn request for help or expression of
thanks addressed to God on an object of worship. It refers to the multifaceted
communication of believers with the Lord in addition to the words of prayer and
praying.
This activity is
described as:
· CALLING
ON THE LORD: Psalm 17:6: I have called upon thee, for thou wilt
hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
· LIFTING
ONE’S SOUL TO THE LORD: Psalm 25:1: Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift
up my soul.
· SEEKING
THE LORD: Isaiah 55:6: Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near.
REASONS FOR PRAYER:
Believers are commanded by God to pray. The command comes
from the lips of:
· PSALMISTS:
1st Chronicles 16:11: Seek the LORD and his strength,
seek his face continually.
· PROPHETS:
Amos 5:4: Thus, saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, seek ye
me, and ye shall live: vs 5: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into
Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
and Bethel shall come to nought. Vs 6: Seek the LORD, and you
shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it,
and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
· APOSTLES:
Ephesians 1: 16: Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers: vs 17: That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: vs 18: The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
· THE
LORD JESUS HIMSELF: Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, that
you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.
Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father desires our
fellowship with Him. But many times, we allow things to get in the way of
giving Him quality time in prayer.
Prayer is the necessary link to receiving God’s blessings
and power to receive the fulfillment of His promises. What promises?
Perfect PEACE – Isaiah 26:3: Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee.
His sustaining PRESENCE – Isaiah 41:10:
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of my righteousness.
Guidance and Counsel – Psalm 32:8: I
will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will
guide thee with mine eye.
Strength in Weakness – 2nd
Corinthians 12:9: And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Vs
10: Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am
weak, then am I strong.
Amongst so many others, this is just to name a few of the
promises.
I believe many things will be accomplished in the Kingdom
of God through intercessory prayer.
Intercessory or intercession can be defined as
holy, believing persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of
another or others who desperately needs God’s intervention. Jesus, who is our
example, prayed for the lost He came to seek and save through intercession. He
prayed for His disciples, both individually (Luke 22:32) and as a
group (St. John 17:6-26). He even prayed for His enemies while hanging on
the Cross (Luke 23:34). His intercession is essential to our salvation. What
about our intercession for others.
Talking about “effective prayer”, when praying, we need
the Holy Ghost’s assistance because as we’re praying with our natural words we
may give out of words to say. Without repeating the very thing you’ve prayed
for concerning a person, a circumstance or situation, we need the Holy Ghost!
But when we pray in the Holy Ghost, He makes intercessions for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered (sounds made with one’s voice) (Romans
8:26-27). The Holy Spirit intercedes according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26: Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth
our infirmities:
Likewise, meaning, in the same way also; in a
similar manner. Helpeth is from the Greek root word which means joint
help. It is the assistance afforded by any two people to each other, who
mutually bear the same load or carry it between them.
Infirmities are physical, mental, or moral
weaknesses or flaws. But Jesus took and bore all those things for us!
· Matthew
8:16: When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed
all that were sick: vs 17: That it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses.
Vs 26: For we know not what we should pray for
as we ought:
For: we would make many mistakes in prayer
if the Spirit did not inspire us with proper desires and help us fulfill those
desires in the will of God.
But the Spirit itself (Himself, for He is a Person)
maketh intercession (applies oneself to intercede for another) for us
with groaning (stenagmos’) [an unutterable gushing of the heart]
which cannot be uttered. To “utter” is to make a sound with one’s
voice. This “groaning” denotes a deep inarticulate sound
conveying pain or pleasure.
Vs 27: And he (Christ) that searcheth the
hearts (kardi’a)
[thoughts; feelings (mind)] knoweth what is the mind (phron’ema)
[(mental) inclination or purpose); exercise; disposition] of the Spirit, because
he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Intercession is to intercede; to act as an agent
or manager in all phases of salvation and dealings with God. Intercession in Matthew 8:26 is to apply oneself
to intercede for another.
There are requirements of “effective prayer”. When
we pray, we must:
BE
Sincere (eilikrines’)
[tested as genuine and pure]: and Believe (pisteu’o) [have faith in;
committed to; trust].
·
St. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto
you, what things whatsoever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive
them and you shall have them”.
·
St. Mark 9:23, Jesus said unto him (the
father of a demon possessed boy), “If thou canst believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth”.
Even James encourages us when asking to 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). Vs 7: For let not that man think
that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
HAVE AUTHORITY (the power or right to give orders, make
decisions, and enforce obedience).
Remember, the “authority” is in Jesus’ name, the
name above every name. Jesus Himself expressed this principle when He said in St.
John 14:13, “And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son”: vs 14: “If you
shall ask anything in my name, I will do it”.
Our prayers should align with the person, character and
will of our Father!
MUST BE IN HARMONY
(agreement) WITH GOD’S WILL AND WORD:
· 1st
John 5:14: And this is the confidence (trust;
belief; faith) that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according
to his will, he heareth us.
When Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10, He said “Thy will
be done in earth as it is in heaven”. He said the same thing in Luke 11:2,
when the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. We can be sure
that any prayer based on the Word of God and His promises, can know for
certain, your prayers are “effective”!
Elijah was certain, he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that
God would answer him by fire (1st kings 18:21-24) and later with
rain (vs 31-46). He was fully confident that God was greater than any of their
pagan gods.
WE MUST BE LIVING IN HARMONY
WITH HIS WILL:
· Matthew
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness: and all
these things shall be added unto you.
What things? What you shall eat, what you shall drink,
and wherewithal you shall be clothed. Matthew 6:32b: For your (our)
heavenly Father knows that you (we) have need of all these things.
2nd Chronicles 7:14, If my people which are
called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways: then, will I hear from heaven and will forgive their
sin and will heal their land.
WE MUST PRAY AND FAST:
·
Matthew 17:14:
And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man,
kneeling down to him, and saying: vs 15: Lord, have mercy on my
son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falls into the fire,
and oft into the water. Vs 16: And I brought him to thy disciples, and
they could not cure him. Vs 17: Then Jesus answered and
said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you”? “How
long shall I suffer you”? Bring him to me. Vs 18: And Jesus
rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from
that very hour. Vs 19: Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and
said, “Why could not we cast him out”? vs 20: And Jesus said unto
them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if you have faith
as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to
yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Vs
21: Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.
WE MUST BE PERSISTENT IN
PRAYER AND FAITH:
· Luke
18:1-8 (The widow was persistent with the Judge): vs 2:
There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man: vs
3: And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, “Avenge
me of mine adversary”. Vs 4: And he would not for a while: but
afterward he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man: vs
5: Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me.
This sounds like perseverance to me!
Jesus Himself said, Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you”. Vs 8: For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks
finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
Elijah, even after getting a prophetic word that rain was
coming, he yet persisted in prayer until the rain came (1st Kings
18:41-51).
LASTLY, METHODS OF
EFFECTIVE PRAYER:
Methods are forms of procedures for accomplishing or
approaching something, especially systematic or established ones. Therefore,
to pray effectively, we must:
adore
and praise our Father:
· Psalm
150: Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the
firmament of his power.
·
Romans 15:11: And again, praise the
Lord all you Gentiles: and laud (epaine’o) [applaud; commend; praise] him all you
people.
WE MUST GIVE THANKS:
· Philippians
4:6: Be careful of nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Supplication
is the action of asking begging for something earnestly or humbly.
WE MUST PRAY FERVENTLY
(enthusiastically; passionately) FOR OTHERS:
· Luke
22:31: And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you like wheat: vs 32: But I have
prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren.
How
are we to pray?
What is
the condition of your heart? Are you praying out of duty or sincerity? Empty
words will not be heard. We found that out at Mt. Carmel when Elijah challenged
the false prophets in 1st Kings 18.
Prayer
should never be boring because there are so many ways to pray. I used to
believe I had to be on my knees every time I prayed. Believe me, there is
nothing wrong at all with being on your knees, but I realize through the Word
of God, there are more ways to pray, and our Father still hears us.
·
We can pray silently: 1st Samuel 1:13: Now Hannah, she spoke in her
heart: only her lips moved but her voice was not heard therefore, Eli thought
she had been drunken.
·
WE CAN PRAY ALOUD: Nehemiah 9:4:
Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel,
Shebniah, Bunni, Sherebaiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice
unto the LORD their God.
Ezekiel 11:13: And it came to pass when I
prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my
face and cried with a loud voice and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Wilt thou make a full
end of the remnant of Israel?
We can pray in our own words or use the words of
Scripture. We can pray with the mind or we can pray with the Spirit or tongues.
·
1st Corinthians 14:14: For
if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is
unfruitful. Vs 15: What is it then? I will pray with the spirit,
and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the understanding also. Vs 16: Else when thou
shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the
unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what thou
sayest? Vs 17: For thou verily give thanks well, but the other is
not edified. Vs 18: I thank my God; I speak with tongues more
than you all.
We
can even pray by groaning, not using any human words at all, knowing
the Spirit will surpass our human words.
· Romans
8:26: Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession
for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.
SINGING is another
method of praying to the Lord:
· Psalm
92:1: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing
praises unto thy name, O most High: vs 2: To show forth thy loving
kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.
· Colossians 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: teaching
and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Earnest
(sincere; intense conviction) prayer to the Lord will at times be accompanied by
fasting:
· Ezra 8:21: Then I proclaimed a fast there,
at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek
of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
· Daniel 9:3: And I
set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: vs 4: And I prayed unto the
LORD my God and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful
God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that
keep his commandments.
· Matthew 6:16: Moreover,
when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they
disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you,
they have their reward. Vs 17: But thou, when thou fastest,
anoint thine head, and wash thy face. Vs 18: That thou appear not
unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which
see in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Besides
the many ways to pray, there are no limits on posture. The bible records:
·
praying while standing: 1st kings 8:22: And
Solomon STOOD before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the
congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven.
Nehemiah 9:4: Then
STOOD up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebniah,
Bunni, Sherebaiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD
their God. Vs 5: Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani,
Hashbaniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Sheaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “STAND UP and
bless the LORD your God forever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name,
which is exalted above all blessing and praise”.
·
PRAYING WHILE
SITTING: And David the king came and SAT before the LORD and
said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me
hitherto”?
Luke 10:13: Woe unto thee,
Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago
repented, SITTING in sackcloth and ashes.
·
PRAYING WHILE
KNEELING: Daniel 6:10: 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.
Acts 20:36: (speaking of Apostle Paul) And when he had thus spoken, he KNEELED and
prayed with them all.
· PRAYING LYING ON A BED: Psalm 63:5: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and
fatness: and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: vs 6:
When I remember thee upon my BED and meditate on thee in the night watches.
· PRAYING WITH UPLIFTED HANDS: Isaiah 1:15:
And when you spread forth your
hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I
will not hear: your HANDS are full of blood.
1st Timothy 2:8: I will therefore that men pray everywhere, LIFTING
UP HOLY HANDS, without wrath and doubting.
Brothers
and sisters, there are all ways of communication with our Father – in tongues
with our own words, with groaning, praying in tongues, singing
to our Father, and all can be done while STANDING, SITTING, KNEELING,
LYING IN A BED, and with UPLIFTED HANDS.
But just
know, it’s not the posture of the body, but the condition of the heart that
matters!!!
·
1st Corinthians 13:1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass and a
tinkling cymbal.
Evangelist
Mary Woodard