The Privilege of Prayer
And this is the confidence we have in Him, that,
if we ask anything according to His will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions we have desired of Him.
I John 5:14,15
I once heard it said: “All Christian failure is a prayer failure.” James 4:2,3 says it this way: “…You do not have because you do not ask. When you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” In other words, it is important both to ask and to ask in agreement with God’s will.
Prayer is a conversation with God. Through Jesus, we have the right to approach God boldly, making our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6). When we say “Amen,” we can leave God’s presence saying: “I believe, therefore I have received” (Mark 11:24).
In 1st Timothy and elsewhere, the Bible tells us about different types of requests before God: “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks.” Why do you think we are given such explicit details about prayer? Because God desires for us to have that for which we ask Him.
Prayer is the awesome avenue through which our Source of Supply meets our needs. God’s attitude about prayer is always: come boldly, have confidence and obtain. In other words, He expects prayer to achieve its intended purpose! He expects our prayers to move mountains on the earth. God never intended for prayer to be like wishing on a star or hoping our dreams come true. No, His design is that when we pray, we get results!
What do you see when you pray? I ask this because we don’t think in words. We think in pictures, images and patterns. When you talk to yourself, that inner conversation within you, you may hear the words, but you also see images! When you pray, do you see the lack or do you see the supply? If you are asking for wisdom, do you see yourself making wise decisions? If you are asking for your family to come to the Lord, do you see your family attending church together?
By using your ability to see the outcome of the answer to your prayer, you begin your prayer with a thankful attitude because you are already experiencing God’s answer. It is only a matter of time until God brings your prayer into the realm of reality.
Is this because you have willed your request into manifestation? Absolutely not! We pray with confidence because our every prayer is based on the Word of God. By praying God’s words, we know we are in agreement with His express will. This gives us the confidence that we have “the petitions we have desired of Him.”
Don’t allow the privilege of prayer to become dry and routine. Your Father waits to hear from you.
Will you choose to approach God’s throne boldly, exercising your privilege, making your requests known? Now, that’s the choice-driven life!
Today’s Bible Reading:
2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chr 32; 1 Cor 9; Ps 67
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Although I am in constant prayer I never thought about it this way…excellent article!
denny hagel recently posted..Hot Topic of the Week: Do You Have a Favorite Child?
I totally believe this, that all of our lives are a direct result of prayer… and sometimes we have negative results because our prayers are negative, worry-prayers. I’m trying to focus on keeping my thoughts positive, especially as I pray…. creating a new and better world around me. It’s certainly not the norm, as studies indicate that most of us think negative thoughts 80% of the time!
I’m glad you’re holding the compass needle for us, with reminders to live a higher, biblical life! Thank you, Olga!
Susan McKenzie recently posted..The King is Coming!