Effective Prayer

Effective Prayer

“Prayer wonderfully clears the vision; steadies the nerves; defines duty; stiffens the purpose; sweetens and strengthens the spirit. ~SDGordon

This quote made a Twitter friend ask: “How can I then pray effectively?” A good question. Prayer really is the key to communicate with God Almighty. Because by prayer we become what God has called us to be. Over and over again we need to be re-focused on God. It is a human tendency to concentrate on our own stuff. But in prayer God can work in us. In prayer we get re-grounded in God and his ways for us. In prayer we are been mold to Christ-likeness.

What makes prayer effective? Here’s what Jesus taught us (Matthew 6:8-13, MSG)

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

The main thing is to surrender to Jesus in your prayer. God will do the rest. Let your life become a life of prayer. May prayer become the air that you breathe. Then you can be effective in your prayer. Because then it’s not you praying anymore but the Holy Spirit in you. Then it’s not about techniques and methods but about living and loving God Almighty. Then it’s not only about you telling God what you need but about listening what God has for you. Then it’s not about your will but about God’s will for you. Then it’s not about you but it’s all about God.

 

Gracious God,
We thank you for giving us the gift of prayer.
We thank you for always being there for us.
We thank you for teaching us how to pray.
Help us to live our lives in a continual conversation with you.
Enable us to live our lives focused on you and your tasks for us.
May thy will be done in our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What are you prayer concerns or questions/tips about prayer?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim! Rejoice! God wants to interact with you!

Photo courtesy of Luke Skilbeck

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RSS
Follow by Email