What must I do to develop an effective prayer life?
How can I become an effective prayer warrior capable of orchestrating divine possibilities through prayers?
Find out in this article.
Thomas had just given his life to Christ and joined himself to a Bible-believing church hoping to grow in his newly found faith. He was visibly enthusiastic about being a believer and like every newly saved person he was zealous to know, walk with and work for God.
One Sunday morning, Thomas' pastor preached about prayers. His teaching centered on the benefits of prayers, why believers must pray and how to pray effectively. He concluded his sermon that morning by saying that all believers must give quality time to God in prayers.
Thomas had not as much as understood what prayers was about and his pastor was teaching on the need to pray and to do so for long hours.
After the sermon, Thomas decided he was going to implement what he just learnt – pray for long hours.
Thomas had not prayed for fifteen (15) minutes before the frailties of his humanity rose and he had to stop praying.
Thomas didn't relent.
Again he tried to pray and he was only able to pray for ten (10) minutes before he got tired again.
This continued for a long time. Soon Brother Thomas became weary of prayers and considered prayers only for very spiritual people and men of God.
What do you think was Brother Thomas' problem?
Whilst you ponder, the story of Brother Thomas is the same story with many believers today. We have read books on prayers, listened to various sermons on prayers, studied the Bible about prayers yet like Brother Thomas we do not find prayers convenient to practice.
It is expedient to note that knowledge is not enough. Knowing how to pray and why you must pray is not enough for you to pray.
Have you not read different books by different men of God on the subject of prayers?
Have you not attended several prayer conferences?
Have you not listened to your pastor and other men of God teach on prayers?
Have you not read your Bible on the subject of prayers?
Why then are you unable to pray?
The problem is not in the sufficiency of knowledge. It is in the deficiency of the understanding of what prayer is actually about. Yes! Understanding!
We are not able to pray because we lack the foundational understanding of what prayer is actually about. The lack of understanding on the issue of prayer is grossly associated with the reason why many of us do not pray at all let alone pray effectively.
Today, I would be sharing with you what I believe to be the foundational understanding needed for the mastery of the art of prayer. I trust that after going through the words of this piece you would understand the basic principle of prayer and your prayer life would change for the better in Jesus name, Amen!
The basic or foundational understanding of prayer I would be sharing is in two spheres.
The first is that prayer is a communication between God and man.
Prayer is not a monologue i.e communication by only one person. Prayer is a dialogue i.e communication carried out by two people.
Many of us think that prayer is simply us tabling requests before one exalted personality. This idealogy of what prayer is not is the pivot behind our ineffectiveness in prayers.
Prayer is not a tool for channeling our requests to God. It is a technology of communication designed by God with which humanity can commune with divinity.
As you seek desperately to talk to God, He also wants to talk back to you. If all you do is pray without any feedback from God then you're short-circuiting the effects of prayers.
Begin to see prayers and as a communication between you and your father (God) and you'd begin to cultivate an effective prayer life.
The second sphere of the foundational understanding of prayer is that God is ever-ready to respond to you when you pray.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8
If you would develop an effective prayer life then you must arm yourself with the understanding that you're praying to a God who is ever willing and ready to respond to you when you pray.
Jesus was trying to give voice to this fact in Matthew 7:7-8. He was showing us that your duty is to ask, seek and knock. Then He assures that anyone who asks shall receive, he who seeks will find and the one that knocks would have the door opened for him.
Do the asking, seeking and knocking because God is ready to answer, to give, and to open the door.
God is not a tryrant. He is not wicked. He waits for us to call on Him as He is always on standby ready to answer.
He says;
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. – Jeremiah 33:3
Habakkuk understood that God would always answer when he prays that was why he said;
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. – Habakkuk 2:1
David also understood this principle that was why he said;
O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. – Psalms 65:2
God hears your prayers and He is willing to respond to it. See how The Message Bible puts Hebrews 11:6
It's impossible to please God apart from faith because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that He exists and that He CARES ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.
Glory to God! He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.
He says you should ask him in prayer and He assures you that He will answer you.
When you pray carry this understanding,
i. Prayer is a dialogue i.e as you talk to God, He also wants to talk to you.
ii. God is ever ready to answer you when you pray to Him.
Quit from seeing prayers as a monologue; a request tabling session. Begin to see prayers as a medium for communication between humanity and divinity, between your heavenly father and yourself. Only then can you cultivate and develop an effective prayer life.
God is your Father and He cares enough to respond to you when you call on Him. This is the primary step on how to develop an effective prayer life.
Now pray with this understanding...
"The story of Brother Thomas is a product of my imagination and does not represent the life of anyone I know. Any resemblance to anybody is clearly a coincidence!"
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