Understanding How Prayer Works

Prayer is an address as a petition to God either in words or thoughts. It is an earnest request or wish.


This is the only medium we get to commune with God as friend with friend.


However, the importance of prayer should not be overemphasized as far as human existence is concerned.


When we pray, they are obviously too many things we pray for, sometimes because we lack spiritual insights to understand that we need to pray believing that our request has been granted, we end up praying for a particular thing almost all the time.


We are all Bible students and as such we're already familiar with the popular Bible verse that talks about ASKING, and I mean, Matthew 7:7


“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you".

(New Living Translation)


James' account on ASKING came out distinctly different from Matthew's... It said; "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5)


Your prayer is effective when you're certain of what you pray for, and believing that it is settled!


You see, when I get to that part, I omit wisdom and include any other thing that I wish my creator do for me, fully aware that He will give me generously without reproach.


If this was to be a computer science class, a specialist would likely say; "what you garbage in is what you garbage out".


Reading down to verse 6 of James 1, you'll see that there is a condition for asking, and that condition is having faith; being in possession of "believe".


"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (no doubt). For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed".


The Bible is already comparing you to sea waves if you end up being a double standard fellow.


This very scenario is like having a child, while he/she requests for valuables of any kind from you, you hope to give it to them, yet they still go around trying to get it from another source. You as a parent wouldn't be happy to see that your ward doesn't trust you enough to believe that he/she can definitely get that which they requested for, no matter how long it gets.


I maintain that you wouldn't be happy. And you know what?


That's the same way your Heavenly Father feels each time you ask him for something and you're still running around for alternatives.


Oh! Heaven help those who help themselves!


Really?


Show where that is recorded in the scriptures and I will prove you wrong immensely.


Matter of fact, what does exist in scripture notes that God helps those who cannot help themselves, which is what grace is!


So you have every reason upon the face of the earth to wait on God. He remains the author and finisher of your faith.


Another aspect of prayer I would love for us to consider, which actually is the last from today's focus is seen in James 4:3


Bible says "And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure".


At some point, do you wonder why you pray, requesting for certain things and you don't get them? James 4:3 just gave the best and perfect answer to that very question.


When you pray with a wrong motive, truth is, you won't get answers. God had already weighed your heart as well as your mind.


So from today, decide that you're gonna be led by the Holy Spirit on the things you should pray for.


This is one thing I so love about Apostle Paul. He said in Philippians 3:12 "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me".


Even I as sit back to type this message, of which you're reading, I am telling you that I am not perfect, but one thing I believe, just like Paul; my focus is on this one thing: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead".


I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.


Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.


Pray with understanding; pray believing that your heavenly father is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask of Him.