Need a guarantee? Here’s 1; PRAYER will change your life

Prayer does change things. That’s one thing you’ll will live to testify about all the days of your life – if you try it. And for prayer to change your life, you need to do it right.

When we were little we were taught that prayer is a communication between God and man.

But it’s sad how most adults have turned prayer into a begging session, all they do is ask , ask, ask and ask!

Not that it’s wrong to ask God for one’s needs, in fact you really should ask because much as God knows what you need, he wants you to ask for it. And God does favor those who ask!

If there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking, by all means ask!

~ Clement Stone

In Matt 7; 7-8, God says,” Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

But this isn’t an invitation to us to beg throughout prayer!

There are four components of prayer, which I will get back to in a bit. All of them need to be included as you pray, don’t just skip to the asking part.

Prayer is a dialogue

Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. You talk and God talks too, and you really need to be attentive to hear Him. And he does talk in various ways for example through His word, through people, through the still small voice in your heart, through our circumstances and so many more. 

Also take note that He answers in many ways.

Not that God will always answer you how you expect but yes He sure does answer. He answers all our prayers.

I’ve found these to be the most common of God’s answers in my Life.

1. Yes, you can have it.
2. Yes and here’s more.
3. No, you deserve better
4. No, have this instead
5. Hang in there.

Of course we would all have to have yeses to our prayers but that’s not always the case.

But the good news is God always knows what’s best for you, Trust Him.

I learnt my lesson in trusting God’s answers the hard way- here’s my experience.

So ask, by all means ask and God will answer you the best way He finds. Then trust His answer, whatever that looks like.

The four basic components of prayer

First there’s confession- taking some time to ask forgiveness for your wrongs.

• Then there’s worship or call it adoration, – Here we acknowledge our dependence on God, and all He is in our lives- Creator, protector, provider, Almighty, Infinite Father, and (so many more)
• Then there’s praise where we lift the Lord’s name on high.

•  Gratitude or call it giving thanks, here we express our gratitude for life’s blessings, big and small alike.

• Supplication; this is where asking for your needs comes in.  God knows what you desire- He really does. But he wants you to ask for it and plead with Him to grant it. That pushes you to be grateful when you receive it.

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.

~ Jim Rohn

Those who kneel to God can stand up to anything.

Paul Evans advised, “To stand up to any challenge, spend time on your knees.”

But above all you have to ask, remember to ask.

And don’t be afraid to ask your father. Ask for everything you desire, however small and however big. Remember that you can never ask too much and nothing is too small for his attention.

Everything that bothers you, however small is worth your father’s attention.

All He longs for is seeing you happy, and imagine how much happier you could be if he granted you that small thing you are too casual about asking for.

It could be getting the boy or girl of your dreams, overcoming a bad or shameful habit, getting a date to prom, maybe you just wish someone could do something special for you. Whatever it is, bother him with it.

The day God starts to answer your “small requests”, I promise you you will notice all the difference in your life. How happier you’ll become and so on. And for the first time, you’ll begin to feel that God really does like you, He doesn’t just love you.

Yes, he does want to answer your big, world changing prayers, but he also longs to meet your personal, most intimate desires too, even those you never talk about and are most probably too shy to admit.

And that realization of God’s extravagant goodness will make all the difference in your life.

Forever keep in your heart these words, “Wishing will never be substitute for prayer…” ~ Edwin Louis 

 May they always remind you to ask, and Pray.

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY AND PRAY.
NEVER TIRE OF PRAYING.

If you only pray when you’re in trouble, ….. you’re in trouble.

Unknown

The only limits to prayer are the promises of God and His ability to fulfill those promises, “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.”

~ E.M Bounds

Once you acknowledge your God’s own, you get up to prayer, then raise your head high, breathe in, straighten your crown, smile and walk confidently into your day.

When things don’t work out like you would like, get on your knees and pray.

The shortest distance between your problem and its solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.

~ Unknown

 So when you feel overwhelmed, stop crying, stressing out and Rest in the Lord.

He cares about your smallest needs and whatever pains you concerns Him, so involve Him! Let him change your life.

Pray and let God worry. ~Martin Luther

Did you know there’s more than one type of prayer?

There many types of prayer among them

Prayers of;

1. Adoration or praise
2.  Worship
3. Supplication or call it petition
4. Thanksgiving
5. Intercession
6. Spiritual warfare

During adoration and praise, we focus on acknowledging God for all He is in our lives, we express our dependence on Him and show our love for Him. This is also usually done by way of singing and dancing or adoration sessions particularly common among the Roman Catholics.

During worship, we concentrate on lifting his name on high. Can also be by way of songs or words or both.

During supplication, we focus on lifting our needs and requests up to God.

In intercession, we take our eyes off the familiar territory of our own needs and pray for the needs of others and God’s intervention in their lives.

And in spiritual warfare, we pray against attacks from the enemy, for deliverance from the enemy’s strongholds and for God to safeguard us from all harm. Spiritual warfare prayers are particularly common in Pentecostal churches.

Closing note

God answers us because of His extravagant goodness and mercy and not because of our righteousness or on our own merit. Once we understand this, we won’t fear to ask Him for anything. And we won’t ever feel unworthy, too ashamed to pray or too dirty to pray.

Do everything you want to do, but by all means pray.

Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power.

~ R.A Torrey

Nothing lies out of the reach of prayer, except that which is out of the will of God. ~ Khaja Rajeev

You are currently living at least one of the prayers you used to pray.

~ Aaron Will

And however strange that seems, you’ll find it to be true.

So start shaping your tomorrow, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY and PRAY.