How Can I Pray Effectively Part 4






How Can I Pray Effectively part 4


Our Christian book for this month is How to Pray Effectively since the National Prayer Day is observed on the first Thursday of May and will be held on May 2, 2019 and May 7, 2020 and May 6, 2021.


How to Pray Effectively is a Bible study which uses practical examples from the Bible to show you the things you should do to ensure your prayers are answered. This Christian prayer book also answers the following questions:



*Who can pray effectively?
*How can I pray effectively?
*When can I pray effectively?
*Where can I pray effectively?
*What can I use to pray effectively?





How to Pray Effectively Book Excerpt
How Can I Pray Effectively? Part 4

To pray effectively, you have to do the following:

Praise God

The Bible tells us that At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God while imprisoned. Suddenly there was an earthquake and the foundations of the prison were shaken. All the doors were opened and all the prisoner’s chains were loosed. (Acts 16:25-26)

If you want to pray effectively, you have to praise God because we can see from Paul’s example that combining praising God with prayer can achieve great results since God is enthroned in the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3)
We can also see that when King Jehoshaphat was praying after his country was attacked, he begun by praising God for He said, “O Lord God of our Fathers, are You not God in heaven? Do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the earth? In Your hand is there not power and might so that no one can withstand You?” (2 Chronicles 20:6)
By asking these questions in his prayer, Jehoshaphat was praising God for being in control in heaven and in all the kingdoms on the earth. He was also praising God for being so powerful that no one could resist Him including the Ammonites, Moabites and people from Mount Seir who had attacked the Israelites.
King Jehoshaphat also placed the choir that was singing praises to God in front of the Israelite army when they were going to position themselves in the battlefield. As a result of their praises, God caused the enemy armies to fight each other and the Israelites won.
Therefore make it a point to always begin your prayer sessions by singing praise and worship songs because we are to Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. (Psalm 11:4) Then, continue to praise God as you pray by enthroning Him as God over your situation by declaring that He is still in control of your situation even if it has left your control.
At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God. (Acts 16:25)

Thank God


The Bible tells us that In every situation combine prayer with supplication and thanksgiving as you make your requests known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

So, if you want to pray effectively, you have to thank God after asking Him for what you need.
Emulate Jesus Who thanked His Heavenly Father when He was praying for Lazarus’ resurrection for He said, “Father I thank you because You have heard me.” (John 11:42) His prayer was answered and Lazarus woke up and walked away from his tomb.
Jesus also thanked God before He miraculously fed 5000 men with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. (John 6:11) His thanksgiving worked wonders because 12 baskets of leftovers were collected after these men and their families were fed.
Therefore as you pray, thank God for the blessings that He has already given you in the past and for those you are expecting to receive in the future. Thank Him also for listening to your prayers and even when you are waiting for your answers to come, Continue earnestly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2) 
Do not be anxious about anything. In every situation combine prayer and supplication with thanksgiving as you make your requests known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Remind God

The Bible tells us that, Remember now O Lord I beg You how I have lived before you in truth and with a perfect heart and how I have done what was right in Your sight. (Isaiah 38:3)
If you want to pray effectively, remind God of the good things you have done.
We can see that when King Hezekiah became sick, God sent his Prophet Isaiah to tell him to set his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah then turned to the wall and prayed, “Remember now O Lord I beg You how I have lived before you in truth and with a perfect heart and how I have done what was right in Your sight.” (Isaiah 38:3)
God responded to his prayer by sending Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell him that He had heard his prayer, seen his tears and added 15 more years to his life. (Isaiah 38:1-5)
We can also see another example of this from the centurion whose servant was sick because when he sent Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal him, they reminded Jesus of the centurion’s good works for they said, “He loves our nation and he has built us a synagogue.” (Luke 7:5)
Therefore, when you are praying, remind God of the good things that you have done not because God needs to be reminded, but because it serves to boost your faith.
For example if you have been helping the less fortunate members of your society, remind God of your acts and what His Word says for it is written, “Blessed is the person who considers the poor because the Lord will deliver them from trouble, preserve them and keep them alive. They will be blessed on earth and God will not deliver them to the will of their enemies. God will strengthen them when they are sick and sustain them on their sickbed.” (Psalm 41:1-3)
In addition to reminding God of the good things you have done, you can also remind Him of the good things He has done for you especially if they are relevant to the problem you are praying for.
We can see this after King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were attacked because he prayed, “Are You not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land and gave it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever? And they dwelt here and built You a sanctuary?” (2 Chronicles 20:7-8) By reminding the Israelites that God is the One Who had defeated the people who had been living in their Promised Land, Jehoshaphat was also telling them that God was also able to defeat those who were attacking them.
Therefore, also remind God of what He has done for you in the past with regard to the issue that you are now praying about. Do this not because God has forgotten, but to strengthen your faith in Him.
Remember O Lord how I have lived before you in truth and with a perfect heart and how I have done what was right in your sight. (Isaiah 38:3)

To learn more read How to Pray Effectively which uses practical examples from the Bible to teach you 20 things that you should do to ensure your prayers are answered. This Christian prayer book also answers the following questions:
*Who can pray effectively?
*How can I pray effectively?
*When can I pray effectively?
*Where can I pray effectively?
*What can I use to pray effectively?







This blog post is part of our Prayer Series. Click on the links below to read other blog posts in this series.
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