Prayer Begins With...Thanksgiving and Praise
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4
Thank God for what He has done for you – for answers to prayer, for forgiving your sins, for coming in to your life, for making you His child. We can thank Him both for blessings seen and those as yet unseen. It is a key to faith, and it is natural and right that we give thanks always to the One from whom all good things come (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thank God for the results of prayer, both before and after you see the results (Philippians 4:6-7). Pray with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving expresses your confidence that God has heard and answered your prayer even before you see the result.
To praise God is to tell Him how great He is. This is declaring good things about God, both about His character (who He is) and also His actions. To say “God is good” is to praise God, and it is good to use the Word of God to praise Him. This is not a form of flattery in order to get God to give you things, but it is only fitting to praise Him and to Honor Him in reverence. Thanking and praising God will increase your faith, since you will begin to fix your eyes on God, His goodness and faithfulness and greatness and power, and not on your problem.
There are many styles of praise. Some are noisy and exuberant; others are calm. Praise can be well-expressed through music, singing, words, shouting, clapping, dancing, and giving to God. It can also be expressed in quiet surrender. It is truly a matter of the heart – an expression of authentic love and adoration for the Almighty. Regardless of your style of praise, just remember to P.R.A.Y. – Praise, Repent, Ask and Yield and then watch God work in you and the situation you are praying in to.
This article is part six in our 8-part series on Prayer.
Thank God for what He has done for you – for answers to prayer, for forgiving your sins, for coming in to your life, for making you His child. We can thank Him both for blessings seen and those as yet unseen. It is a key to faith, and it is natural and right that we give thanks always to the One from whom all good things come (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thank God for the results of prayer, both before and after you see the results (Philippians 4:6-7). Pray with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving expresses your confidence that God has heard and answered your prayer even before you see the result.
To praise God is to tell Him how great He is. This is declaring good things about God, both about His character (who He is) and also His actions. To say “God is good” is to praise God, and it is good to use the Word of God to praise Him. This is not a form of flattery in order to get God to give you things, but it is only fitting to praise Him and to Honor Him in reverence. Thanking and praising God will increase your faith, since you will begin to fix your eyes on God, His goodness and faithfulness and greatness and power, and not on your problem.
There are many styles of praise. Some are noisy and exuberant; others are calm. Praise can be well-expressed through music, singing, words, shouting, clapping, dancing, and giving to God. It can also be expressed in quiet surrender. It is truly a matter of the heart – an expression of authentic love and adoration for the Almighty. Regardless of your style of praise, just remember to P.R.A.Y. – Praise, Repent, Ask and Yield and then watch God work in you and the situation you are praying in to.
- Lance Wubbels
This article is part six in our 8-part series on Prayer.
(Taken from “A Time for Prayer” published by Inspired Faith for the National Day of Prayer – used with permission)
Prayer Begins With...The Holy Spirit
Rather than rushing into God’s presence and saying many things, it is good to quiet your mind and wait in God’s presence so you can feel God’s heart and pray the things that the Holy Spirit shows you to pray for (Habakkuk 2:1). God promises to renew the strength of those who wait patiently on Him (Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 27:14). Through this you express to God in a practical way “not my will but Yours be done.” If you are always talking in prayer, you will not be able to hear what God is saying.
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13), and He will guide you into an understanding of how to pray. Jude instructs us to “pray in the Holy Spirit “ (v. 20), which means the Spirit of God is “guiding” how we pray and what we pray for. We confess that without the help of the Spirit we cannot pray as we should. The apostle Paul tells us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). The Holy Spirit will lead you in the kind of prayer you offer to God. He is the one who motivates and enables and energizes your prayer.
And if you cannot find the right words to pray, know that the Holy Spirit will gladly assist you. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). God sees the longing, the groaning, the desiring, the crying of your heart. He understands without the words. We utterly trust God for His help by the Spirit as we pray, and we consciously depend on His divine working.
This article is part five in our 8-part series on Prayer.
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13), and He will guide you into an understanding of how to pray. Jude instructs us to “pray in the Holy Spirit “ (v. 20), which means the Spirit of God is “guiding” how we pray and what we pray for. We confess that without the help of the Spirit we cannot pray as we should. The apostle Paul tells us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). The Holy Spirit will lead you in the kind of prayer you offer to God. He is the one who motivates and enables and energizes your prayer.
And if you cannot find the right words to pray, know that the Holy Spirit will gladly assist you. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). God sees the longing, the groaning, the desiring, the crying of your heart. He understands without the words. We utterly trust God for His help by the Spirit as we pray, and we consciously depend on His divine working.
- Lance Wubbels
This article is part five in our 8-part series on Prayer.
(Taken from “A Time for Prayer” published by Inspired Faith for the National Day of Prayer – used with permission)
A Prayer for America by Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham
Lord,
We are thankful for the abundant blessings You have bestowed on America. Our forefathers looked to You as Protector, Provider, and the Promise of hope. But we have wandered far from that firm foundation. May we repent for turning our backs on Your faithfulness.
We pray that this great nation will be restored by Your forgiveness.
From bondage, You grant freedom.
Through Your own sacrifice, You offer salvation.
From the state of despair, You offer peace.
From the bounties of Heaven, You have blessed – not because of our goodness – but by Your grace.
You have given us freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your holy Word instructs. May our lives honor You in word and deed. May our nation acknowledge that all good things come from the Father above.
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that our nation should set apart a day for national prayer to confess our sins and transgressions in sorrow, “yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon… announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
“We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own… we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us! It behooves us then… to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Help us to pray earnestly for our president and leaders who govern, that they will humble themselves and seek Your guidance so that everything we do will shine the light of Your glory in a darkened world.
May our prayers as a people and a nation be heard and blessed for such a time as this. We make this plea in faith, believing in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen
Be Strong In The Lord
The road of the intercessor is a long one. Daniel is an example. In the year 551 BC Daniel received a vision of the rise and fall of empires. A six-year span of time was described in the vision where deceit would prosper as a “ram” (Medo-Persian Empire) and a “goat” (Greece) would battle both Media and Persia. Daniel was astonished and appalled, grew faint, and lay ill for several days after the vision. (Daniel 8) Nothing transpired until the year 539 BC when God gave Daniel another vision which foretold the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Anointed One.
Two years later in 537 BC, Daniel received revelation of a great war which caused him to seek God and mourn for 21 days. A “Heavenly Warrior” appeared to him who described what had been going on. Evidently, for three full weeks a tremendous spiritual battle had ensued between this Heavenly Warrior and the “prince of Persia.” Even the Archangel Michael had been brought in on the action. Finally, after 21 days, there was a breakthrough in the battle against the “prince of Persia” and Daniel was given an up-to-date battle report.
Then the angel spoke words that every intercessor needs to hear: “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed… peace! Be strong now, be strong.” (Daniel 9:19) These words were spoken to Daniel to impart strength and give him courage. Even the mighty Daniel, a valiant man who had endured much and suffered the inside of the lion’s den, grew weary.
It is natural and easy for intercessors to become weary and tired. But we need to understand that there are battles being fought in the heavenlies at this very time that we don’t know much or often anything about. We are unaware, but God and His hosts are engaged! Be strong, Intercessor! Realize that God has dispatched His mighty warriors. He is ever working behind the scenes in the heavenlies.
The Liberty Bell carries this quote from Leviticus 25:10: “… proclaim liberty and freedom throughout all the land….” This Bell was ordered in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s Charter of Privileges, its first Constitution, signed in 1701. Fifty years of hoping—and certainly praying—saw many still waiting for God to bring this passage to reality. Another 25 years unfolded before the colonies would experience liberty as a country—as the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Revolutionary War was begun. After another 80 years passed, the abolitionists adopted the Liberty Bell and the Leviticus passage as their symbol of freedom. Finally, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863. Surely there was someone who was praying for liberty in 1701 who never lived to see 1776, and it is a certainty that those praying in 1701 did not live to see 1863.
Sometimes we, as intercessors, are called to pray for things that we may never see manifested or brought to resolution. Intercession is often tough enough without this truth, but this is also the raw reality before every praying believer. It is not whether we see victories; it is whether we are obedient and persist in our prayers. Let us continue in expectant faith and anticipate victories, but let us not give up if all is not “answered” in short order—or even in our lifetimes.
Listen now to the words spoken to Daniel, and hear them for yourself: “Do not be afraid, O man (or woman) highly esteemed … peace! Be strong now, be strong.”
It would seem that many who pray for this nation have seen some breakthroughs and political shifts in recent days; but keep yourself braced—we are engaged in battles whose total victory will not be seen until the Lord returns. We are standing on the shoulders of faithful Christian intercessors who founded this country. They demonstrated patience and stamina; so must we. Our task is not done until the Groom has come for the Bride. “Be strong now!” Even so, come Lord Jesus!
—Dave Kubal serves as President / CEO of Intercessors for America
Two years later in 537 BC, Daniel received revelation of a great war which caused him to seek God and mourn for 21 days. A “Heavenly Warrior” appeared to him who described what had been going on. Evidently, for three full weeks a tremendous spiritual battle had ensued between this Heavenly Warrior and the “prince of Persia.” Even the Archangel Michael had been brought in on the action. Finally, after 21 days, there was a breakthrough in the battle against the “prince of Persia” and Daniel was given an up-to-date battle report.
Then the angel spoke words that every intercessor needs to hear: “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed… peace! Be strong now, be strong.” (Daniel 9:19) These words were spoken to Daniel to impart strength and give him courage. Even the mighty Daniel, a valiant man who had endured much and suffered the inside of the lion’s den, grew weary.
It is natural and easy for intercessors to become weary and tired. But we need to understand that there are battles being fought in the heavenlies at this very time that we don’t know much or often anything about. We are unaware, but God and His hosts are engaged! Be strong, Intercessor! Realize that God has dispatched His mighty warriors. He is ever working behind the scenes in the heavenlies.
The Liberty Bell carries this quote from Leviticus 25:10: “… proclaim liberty and freedom throughout all the land….” This Bell was ordered in 1751 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s Charter of Privileges, its first Constitution, signed in 1701. Fifty years of hoping—and certainly praying—saw many still waiting for God to bring this passage to reality. Another 25 years unfolded before the colonies would experience liberty as a country—as the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Revolutionary War was begun. After another 80 years passed, the abolitionists adopted the Liberty Bell and the Leviticus passage as their symbol of freedom. Finally, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863. Surely there was someone who was praying for liberty in 1701 who never lived to see 1776, and it is a certainty that those praying in 1701 did not live to see 1863.
Sometimes we, as intercessors, are called to pray for things that we may never see manifested or brought to resolution. Intercession is often tough enough without this truth, but this is also the raw reality before every praying believer. It is not whether we see victories; it is whether we are obedient and persist in our prayers. Let us continue in expectant faith and anticipate victories, but let us not give up if all is not “answered” in short order—or even in our lifetimes.
Listen now to the words spoken to Daniel, and hear them for yourself: “Do not be afraid, O man (or woman) highly esteemed … peace! Be strong now, be strong.”
It would seem that many who pray for this nation have seen some breakthroughs and political shifts in recent days; but keep yourself braced—we are engaged in battles whose total victory will not be seen until the Lord returns. We are standing on the shoulders of faithful Christian intercessors who founded this country. They demonstrated patience and stamina; so must we. Our task is not done until the Groom has come for the Bride. “Be strong now!” Even so, come Lord Jesus!
—Dave Kubal serves as President / CEO of Intercessors for America
Prayer Begins With...A Purpose
When you come to God, know what you are going to pray about. It is difficult to pray fervently without knowing what you want or desire from God. We should have a clear-cut, well-defined idea about what we are asking God for (being flexible to His leading). “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
You should pray in such a way that you will know afterward what you prayed for, and you will recognize when the answer to your prayer is manifested. Jesus commanded us to specifically ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). In asking, we must be definite. If it is a good and right request, it is promised to the sincere seeker. In seeking, our goal is to know God and commune with Him. In knocking (intercession), we must understand what the Lord wants to do and pray according to His Word for that thing. The Lord is glad to open the door to every knocking soul. Have faith and enter through holy courage.
Sometimes we do not know what to pray for, and so we can pray in the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). Paul stated that he prayed both with the spirit and with the understanding (I Corinthians 14:15). Our whole being, including our minds, should be involved in praying. Our minds should understand what we are asking God for.
The fact remains that when we set ourselves to pray, especially in a group, we must be agreed about what we will pray for (Matthew 18:19). Then watch God work!
This article is part three in our 8-part series on Prayer.
You should pray in such a way that you will know afterward what you prayed for, and you will recognize when the answer to your prayer is manifested. Jesus commanded us to specifically ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). In asking, we must be definite. If it is a good and right request, it is promised to the sincere seeker. In seeking, our goal is to know God and commune with Him. In knocking (intercession), we must understand what the Lord wants to do and pray according to His Word for that thing. The Lord is glad to open the door to every knocking soul. Have faith and enter through holy courage.
Sometimes we do not know what to pray for, and so we can pray in the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). Paul stated that he prayed both with the spirit and with the understanding (I Corinthians 14:15). Our whole being, including our minds, should be involved in praying. Our minds should understand what we are asking God for.
The fact remains that when we set ourselves to pray, especially in a group, we must be agreed about what we will pray for (Matthew 18:19). Then watch God work!
- Lance Wubbels
This article is part three in our 8-part series on Prayer.
(Taken from “A Time for Prayer” published by Inspired Faith for the National Day of Prayer – used with permission)
A Prayer for America by Dr. Henry Blackaby
Dr. Henry Blackaby
Oh Heavenly Father, You have made Yourself known to us as a nation by Your mighty works throughout our history.
From the beginning, You have been with us and through many wars and conflicts Your Right Arm has saved us. We have been amazingly and graciously blessed.
Today, we confess our sin of not responding to Your right to rule in our lives and our nation. We have despised and rejected Your will while imposing our own, and are now fully under Your judgments. Draw us back to Yourself, that you may return to us once again. Without You we can do nothing. You have promised that if we honor You, You will once again honor us!
For Your honor and glory we pray,
Amen
A Prayer for America by Ravi Zacharias
Dr. Ravi Zacharias
Holy Father,
In a world where so many are hungry, You have given us food in abundance; In a world where so many are hurting, You offer to bind up our wounds; In a world where so many are lonely, You offer friendship to every heart; In a world longing for peace, You offer hope.
Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant. Have mercy upon us, Lord. Our nation is at a crossroads; we look to you to be our strength and shield.
Please give us guidance and may we honor you and respond to the wisdom from above so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.
In Jesus’ holy name.
Amen
Prayer Begins With...A Clean Heart
Prepare your heart for fellowship with God (Psalm 23:3-5). Begin your prayer with the confession of any known sin in your life (1 John 3:21-22; Hebrews 10:19). In confession of sin, we tell God with our mouths specifically what we did, or we acknowledge what we failed to do that we should have done. This is necessary to restore communion with God and is a preparation for further fellowship with Him.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness…and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:9, 7). There is nothing that you will ever think, say, or do that cannot be washed away. You can be “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). You can be made completely new inside, but only Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross can give you this freedom from your sins. His death is of infinite value, because He who never sinned gave Himself as a sacrifice in your place. He alone can make and keep you pure within. It is but one simple prayer to make it your own.
If you have not forgiven others who have offended or hurt you, forgive them as God has forgiven you (Mark 11:25-26). Then see yourself as dead to sin and sinless in the eyes of God (Romans 6:11, 2 Corinthians 5:21). In this way the blood of Jesus cleanses us and prepares us to really relate to God.
This article is part two in our 8-part series on Prayer.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness…and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:9, 7). There is nothing that you will ever think, say, or do that cannot be washed away. You can be “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). You can be made completely new inside, but only Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross can give you this freedom from your sins. His death is of infinite value, because He who never sinned gave Himself as a sacrifice in your place. He alone can make and keep you pure within. It is but one simple prayer to make it your own.
If you have not forgiven others who have offended or hurt you, forgive them as God has forgiven you (Mark 11:25-26). Then see yourself as dead to sin and sinless in the eyes of God (Romans 6:11, 2 Corinthians 5:21). In this way the blood of Jesus cleanses us and prepares us to really relate to God.
- Lance Wubbels
This article is part two in our 8-part series on Prayer.
(Taken from “A Time for Prayer” published by Inspired Faith for the National Day of Prayer – used with permission.)
Lessons from the Life of Daniel
If anybody understood politics and the rise and fall of administrations, it was Daniel. His initial experiences were with Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians from 605-561 B.C. You probably know the story. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and Daniel interpreted it. Daniel and his three friends got promoted, but next there was a plot against them. Daniel’s three friends were thrown into a blazing furnace. They were supernaturally delivered and even Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of the Hebrews. Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, assumed the throne and threw a big party. The finger of God miraculously appeared and wrote on the wall. Daniel interpreted the words. The message predicted Belshazzar’s demise, which brought Darius the Mede to the throne. Shortly after this we find Daniel in the lion’s den. Daniel’s deliverance in the lion’s den caused Darius to honor God. The story continues ...
Ups and downs. Successes and failures. But a pattern emerges: God’s chosen are in trouble, God supernaturally moves in the life of the King, the King honors God, God’s chosen are spared, people around the King are jealous, God’s chosen are in trouble once more and it starts again.
It is in Daniel, chapter 9 that we gain tremendous insight into the character of Daniel and how he handles the roller coaster of political leadership. Here are a few aspects of Daniel’s life that act as examples to us:
He was a man of faith: “Then I set my face to the Lord God to make my request by prayer and supplication with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Dan 9: 3) Daniel was not a young man at this point and with all the ups and downs, he was still full of faith. He remained willing to fight for God’s purposes to be brought to earth. He easily could have given up many times before, but yet he expectantly interceded for his people. Daniel knew that at any point the King could receive a vision, a message, or writing “could appear” on the wall.
He carried a burden for the sins of his people: “… we have sinned and committed
iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.” (Dan 9:5) Even though Daniel himself walked uprightly with God, his heart was pained that his fellow Jews did not. To the American mind this seems preposterous, but it is a great lesson for us—to accept a greater responsibility through prayer and discipleship for how fellow believers walk with God.
He understood the connection between faith and reality: “… the Lord has kept the disaster in mind and brought it upon us …” (Dan 9:14, 16) In Daniel’s mind there was an obvious connection between disasters and people’s sins. To him it appears that God, though long suffering, is not a God who will forever permit people to behave the way they desire. As with individuals, God has the ability to corporately guide a nation’s actions by the retributions and calamities He permits them to experience. After national disasters it is suddenly acceptable to say “our thoughts and prayers are with you.” The rest of the time there are ongoing efforts to eliminate public prayer.
We can learn much from Daniel. We have seen many political ups and downs in recent days. While the present seems particularly dark, we must remain people of expectant faith. With “fasting, sackcloth and ashes,” we must continue to intercede for our country. At any point God’s finger could write on the wall of the Oval Office and deliver words that could transform many things in short order. We also must surrender our self-centered individuality in order to carry a burden for the righteousness of all the followers of Christ. We need to be pained at the things that pain God’s heart.
—Dave Kubal serves as President / CEO of Intercessors for America
Ups and downs. Successes and failures. But a pattern emerges: God’s chosen are in trouble, God supernaturally moves in the life of the King, the King honors God, God’s chosen are spared, people around the King are jealous, God’s chosen are in trouble once more and it starts again.
It is in Daniel, chapter 9 that we gain tremendous insight into the character of Daniel and how he handles the roller coaster of political leadership. Here are a few aspects of Daniel’s life that act as examples to us:
He was a man of faith: “Then I set my face to the Lord God to make my request by prayer and supplication with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Dan 9: 3) Daniel was not a young man at this point and with all the ups and downs, he was still full of faith. He remained willing to fight for God’s purposes to be brought to earth. He easily could have given up many times before, but yet he expectantly interceded for his people. Daniel knew that at any point the King could receive a vision, a message, or writing “could appear” on the wall.
He carried a burden for the sins of his people: “… we have sinned and committed
iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.” (Dan 9:5) Even though Daniel himself walked uprightly with God, his heart was pained that his fellow Jews did not. To the American mind this seems preposterous, but it is a great lesson for us—to accept a greater responsibility through prayer and discipleship for how fellow believers walk with God.
He understood the connection between faith and reality: “… the Lord has kept the disaster in mind and brought it upon us …” (Dan 9:14, 16) In Daniel’s mind there was an obvious connection between disasters and people’s sins. To him it appears that God, though long suffering, is not a God who will forever permit people to behave the way they desire. As with individuals, God has the ability to corporately guide a nation’s actions by the retributions and calamities He permits them to experience. After national disasters it is suddenly acceptable to say “our thoughts and prayers are with you.” The rest of the time there are ongoing efforts to eliminate public prayer.
We can learn much from Daniel. We have seen many political ups and downs in recent days. While the present seems particularly dark, we must remain people of expectant faith. With “fasting, sackcloth and ashes,” we must continue to intercede for our country. At any point God’s finger could write on the wall of the Oval Office and deliver words that could transform many things in short order. We also must surrender our self-centered individuality in order to carry a burden for the righteousness of all the followers of Christ. We need to be pained at the things that pain God’s heart.
—Dave Kubal serves as President / CEO of Intercessors for America
Prayer Begins With "Our Father"
Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). Prayer will only work in the context of this relationship where we recognize God as our loving Father and Jesus as our Friend and Brother and Savior. Jesus made it clear that prayer is simply speaking and listening to your heavenly Father, respectfully but openly, just as He did. It is the natural expression of our heart that expresses the intimacy that flows spontaneously from our love for Him.
It is because of our relationship with Jesus Christ that we are “in Christ,” that God hears our prayers. We must pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, not our own name (John 16:24, 26; Colossians 3:17). This means that we are basing our approach to God on Jesus’ righteousness and goodness, not on our own. We receive His righteousness when we repent, confess our sins, and believe that we receive His righteousness. We should know then that “in him we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and we can come directly and boldly to have an audience with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus in our place (Hebrews 4:16).
We come as children of God (Galatians 3:26; John 1:12), as members of the royal family of God (Revelation 1:6), and not as beggars or strangers. Therefore, when we pray, we should expect that God will answer our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). Answered prayer is how He manifests Himself in our lives and makes this relationship personal. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
This is part 1 of our 8-part series on prayer.
It is because of our relationship with Jesus Christ that we are “in Christ,” that God hears our prayers. We must pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, not our own name (John 16:24, 26; Colossians 3:17). This means that we are basing our approach to God on Jesus’ righteousness and goodness, not on our own. We receive His righteousness when we repent, confess our sins, and believe that we receive His righteousness. We should know then that “in him we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and we can come directly and boldly to have an audience with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus in our place (Hebrews 4:16).
We come as children of God (Galatians 3:26; John 1:12), as members of the royal family of God (Revelation 1:6), and not as beggars or strangers. Therefore, when we pray, we should expect that God will answer our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). Answered prayer is how He manifests Himself in our lives and makes this relationship personal. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
This is part 1 of our 8-part series on prayer.