How Effective is Prayer? Part 3: How do you pray?

PRAYER:
I think a lot of people struggle with prayer. I have talked some about prayer on this blog. Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. It is the heart and soul of every successful relationship with God. Jesus prayed a lot as we read about Him in the gospels of the Bible. So if Jesus prayed as much as he did because he needed it, shouldn't we as Christians need prayer that much more!? Jesus cried out "Daddy" (Abba) before he was crucified in the garden. He asked his daddy to take the cup of suffering from Him, if it was God's will. Jesus wanted to be in the will of His daddy, and we need to be that way too. Three foundations to a powerful prayer life starts with the fact that you must view your daily prayer time as a relationship with God and not just something you have to do out of obligation. It should be a sincere time, and not just another thing to check off the list. We as Christians have the privilege to go to the very throne of God whenever we want to. It's how we communicate with Him. The difference in our lives that sets us apart from the world begins with our prayer life. It is something a non-Christian has not experienced or know is available to them. It says in Matthew 22:37 that "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." If we love God with all the we are and have in us then our love for prayer shouldn't be hard to do. We need Him to fill these parts of us so we can be all we need to be in our relationships. The second foundation is that we must make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time, and place alone with God in uninterrupted prayer. Some of us might need to turn our cell phones off, and our computer off. The last foundation to a powerful prayer life requires the "balanced practice" of all five types of prayer.
1. Praise, thanksgiving, and worship. This is acknowledging all he has given us. The Psalms is something you can pray back to God. Just thank Him. Thank him for His creation, for who He is, for who He has blessed you with, for all the blessings He showers on you. Recognize what He has done.

2. Confession and repentance. This is a way we can receive God's forgiveness and maintain a Spirit-filled life. We've got to bow our head and swallow our pride fullness and die to our sin. He is the lifter of our heads, but sometimes He can't lift our heads because we haven't bowed it yet. God can't have anything to do with sin, so if you have unconfessed sin in your life you need to deal with it before you go to the next type.

3. Petition and supply. This is the way we present our individual needs and desires to God. What are you desperate for God to do in your life?

4. Intercession. This type of prayer focuses on the needs of others. Just as Jesus intercedes for us in prayer to the Father, we need to do that for others. I find myself praying for others more than I do praying for myself. Even though I love the people I pray for, I am coming to realize if I don't pray for myself I won't be all or maybe have all the needs I have met. I won't be the friend, daughter, niece, or sister I need to be if I don't ask God for what I desire and need. Praying for others is good, just don't overlook yourself.

5. Meditation. The act of reflecting on God's Word and quietly listening for His still small voice. I have found this part of prayer in my prayer to be the most moving times where I feel Him most near. Pray to feel His presence, and change your point of view of whatever circumstance you are facing. I have experienced the most healing, and renewing time when I meditate. Sometimes in this point of prayer, I find myself having to go back and hit on confession and praise.

A verse found in Ephesians 5:13-14 "But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

This wasn't apart of the study, but I have interpreted this verse that lines up with the types of prayer. I might be way off in my interpretation, but as I was meditating on The Word a few years ago I believe God revealed to me what this verse means. The light is Jesus. "Awake, O sleeper" is recognizing, or acknowledging Him. "Rise up from the dead" that would be repenting. Like I said above, to die to your sin, and pride fullness. "and Christ will give you light" Jesus renews us. In our time of meditation Christ give us His light to shine before a lost world.
All this talk of prayer has made me want to pray! So lets pray!!

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing us for this day, thank you for the sunshine that makes us smile. Thank you for how you love us, and give us people in life to love. Thank you that you always keep pursuing us, and never give up on us. You are our healer, our lover, our sustainer, and hope; without you we are nothing. Thank you for making us something. Father, we proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, and your faithfulness in the evening. How refreshed we are by your power.
If there is anything you find offensive in us please show us, search us. We fail so many times in a single day. We hurt you in our thoughts and actions. When we make even reading our Bible and praying a chore, or something to check off the list we offend you. Help us to make you the center of our lives, and that we would desire to spend time with you. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for the sacrifice of your Son so many years ago that Saved us so that we may be in your presence, and be seen through His blood as faultless.
I pray for myself, Father, that you would continue to work in my life and heal me. I pray that you would give me the boldness to keep proclaiming you. That you would control my every decision and action, so they will be pleasing to you. Fill me with your love so that I may love the people you have placed in my life like you love. I pray that I would be the person they need me to be, that I would be sensitive to their needs and thoughts.
For everyone reading this prayer and blog, thank you for them. I pray you would bless them in a special way today. I pray that they would be filled with your presence, and whatever challenge they face today they would feel you near. Keep them unspotted from the world. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort when discouraged or sorrowful. In their heart may your peace always fill them.
As we all face this day guide us with your light, and shine through us to all we come in contact with. Renew us. Help us to see whatever challenge or circumstance that comes up today through your eyes. We are still and listening for your voice. Speak to us Lord. We need to hear your voice. You are a God who answers prayer. We love you our Savior and King. In Jesus' name we pray.
AMEN