EFFECTIVE PRAYER- Jesus Taught Us How

The Lord’s Prayer

“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.
 for yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Matthew 6:9-13

​Acknowledge God.

How often do we start our days with thinking about God’s awesomeness and telling Him how much we appreciate WHO He is, not just what He’s done for us?
This question only recently hit me and I’ve been pondering over how I approach prayer. Coffee in hand, sleep still in my eyes and I slump in whatever chair I choose to sit in to pray. First thing I do is grab my phone and look for today’s quick devotional. They usually offer up a prayer of some sort. A few of these I copy down to remember, maybe pray again later.

“Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed (or Holy) is your name.”

Respect for who we are dealing with.

The Lord God Almighty who created the Heavens and the Earth. He has made a way for us to come directly to the foot of his throne. He made that way by sending his own son to die for us. Why? Because he loved and loves us- that love is eternal and never-ending. Not to mention, it’s an unconditional love that sees past our faults and sins.

Yes! Father God, holy is Your name in all the Earth! We bless you and praise you. We are grateful for all You have done now and forthcoming.
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This is our act of worship when we acknowledge His goodness and strength. Take a few quiet moments each day to contemplate who God is, what He’s done, and how blessed we are to know Him. See what happens in your life!

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

When I looked back on my old journals, I quickly saw how much I came to God with my needs, my wants, my complaints. Yes, mostly whining and complaining.

I’ve burned those old journals. I repented of my selfishness and self-centeredness. Then I started a new prayer journal. It’s time to step up and learn to pray not only properly, but effectively.

I now pray for His kingdom to come. I don’t mainly ask for what I want him to do for me. At least, not as often. I ask how I can be part of building, of increasing, of helping to further His kingdom here on earth. I ask that His will be done first in my life, in the lives of my family and friends, too. I have lists that I refer to, so I can remember everyone. That way, nobody gets left out.
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How many times have I told someone I was praying for them, only to be too bogged down with my own list of demands and request that I forget my promise? Too many. Write their names down. 

Now this is the confidence that we having in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-1

Give us today our daily bread. 

It’s okay to ask God for what we need. I have a section in my prayer journal where I write down all my Heart’s Desires.

Some things have been answered… Other things, not. I rest in the peace that God loves me, knows what’s best for me, and when the time is right to grant the things that I think I want. I don’t get upset or impatient. (Most of the time) 

I have some amazing stories of whispered prayers, things I wished for, things I wouldn’t bother to tell anyone but God. AND… oh my, many times He has come through for me. Usually when I least expect it. And it’s usually those little wishes that I think will never happen, but it would be nice if they did.

Those prayers...He hears them.
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He knows of our needs. Jesus said that if God takes care of the birds of the air, how much more will He care for us. God is not magic genie, but as the scripture below says,
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1
I believe He delights in blessing us. He’s a good, good Father. We are His beloved children. Wouldn’t you do the same for your own? 

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

​Easy right? Confess our sins and repent. However, we need to be sure to forgive those who’ve wronged us. Keep your slate clean. Deal with the little weeds that crop up. Don’t try to hide them. Pluck them up, hand them over to God and let him help you with those things all of us struggle with in one way or another. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Ask God for his protection. In every aspect of your daily lives. He will protect us from the sins we aren’t strong enough to fight on our own. He will place a hedge of protection around us to keep Satan from getting in and causing havoc. Ask for it!

When storms come…literally and spiritually, take a moment to stop what you are doing and ask God to place his hand over you and your home, your family.

I did this before Texas experienced the biggest snowstorm we’ve ever seen. The weather people were saying it was going to be bad. I remember pausing before the television and thinking, I need to take this to God. I stopped what I was doing and asked Him to place his hand over our home, our cars, our family until it blew over and things were safe again.

Do you know, several people ended up without power! All around us, people were dealing with rolling blackouts, or total loss of power for days on end. Not us! We were able to invite people over who needed to recharge their phones, or who needed a place to stay until the storms left. That was God! I give him complete credit for seeing us through what we Texans humorously refer to as snowmageddon. I honestly do.
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If you see problems heading your way, go to your knees! I’ve seen and experienced enough to know this is the best way to combat attacks. 

Let it soak in...

​As you read over the Lord’s Prayer, let the words wedge deeply into your heart. Let them become part of everything you do. Let them be a guide on how to pray effectively. God loves you more than you’ll ever realize this side of eternity. Jesus often went out to pray, to seek direction, and understanding.
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Oh, there’s so much more I want to share with you concerning prayer and my journey to becoming a prayer warrior. I hope you’ll come back again. Until next time…