Five Ways to Help Your Prayer
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 John 5:4
How important is it to pray? How often do we pray? Does God really answer our prayers? Do you wait in expectation of his answer? Do we doubt when we pray? We will consider prayer as conversation with God. How can we get to know someone if we do not have conversations with them? The more we pray and commune with God the more we come to know him and understand his ways. Below are five ways to enhance your prayers and to help you to overcome doubt.
Give Glory to God
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13). Our prayers should bring glory to the Father and the Son. Such prayers are for becoming more Christ-like, for worldly needs, for health, and for the needs of others. When we pray in the Spirit our prayers bring Glory to God. We should also glorify God for hearing our prayers, especially when he answers them.
Pray in God’s Promises
Use God’s promises from scripture in your prayers. For example, when you are going through difficult times pray using the following scripture: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Know that whatever you are going through in life God will use for your good and his glory. He will use everything in life to mold us to be more Christ-like, and this is a great blessing.
Pray Without Ceasing
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Praying without ceasing can be understood as communing with the Lord throughout the day. This is like having Jesus walking with us through the day and having an ongoing conservation with him. The Spirit of Christ is in us and the Spirit has direct connection to Christ, meaning we can have a direct connection to Christ. We speak to and hear the Lord primarily through our thoughts. The more we know the Word the more we can recognize the Lord’s thoughts.
Pray First
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:8). Praying first is praying in advance of what is expected in the future. If the Lord goes before us and we pray concerning upcoming events, then the Lord will prepare us. Other things that the Lord does for us as he goes before us are beyond our knowledge. If we develop the habit of praying in advance for things we are facing, then the power of God can be revealed in our lives.
Pray With Faith
Praying with faith means trusting God. The key to overcoming doubt is knowing that our prayers bring glory to God, and that He hears and will answer our prayers. We must accept his divine answer and timing and continue to serve the Lord while we are waiting for Him to answer. It is important that we pray every day and leave the answer in his hands while continuing to serve him. We risk becoming our own god if we don’t continue to serve him or if we get fearful because he has not answered a prayer in the way we want or in the time we want. Trust God with the answer to your prayer and continue to serve him. This is the faith that pleases God and relieves our doubt.
Today remember these five points when you pray. Commune with the Lord today and pray that the Lord will help you to commune with him throughout your day. Communing with the Lord gives us peace and confidence and keeps us close to him.
Let’s Pray: Lord, receive my prayers as I put my trust in you for everything in life. I will pray as your servant, bringing everything the Spirit puts on my heart to your attention. Help me to remember that I am your servant and that I am to be light in the world no matter what happens in my life. Lord, give me the strength to endure. In Jesus name, Amen