POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE PRAYER!

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16b (NIV)

As believers in Jesus the Christ, many of us know this scripture. However, we often feel as though our own prayers are not getting through. We may feel that are prayers are not effective at all and certainly not powerful. What is wrong? Are we praying in error?

Beloved, we are blessed as believers in Jesus the Christ because the word of God offers us answers to all of our questions. If we want our prayers to be powerful and effective we can find solutions in the word of God. Even in the scripture of above we receive the first part of our answer. The scripture reveals that for our prayers to be powerful and effective then we must first be righteous.

How then do we become righteous? Again the word of God offers solutions. Romans 3:22 tells us that, “this righteousness is given through faith in Jesus the Christ to all who believe”. Understand, that our actions, works, or behaviors do not determine weather or not we are righteous in God’s eyes. It is our faith in Jesus the Christ as the risen savior that makes us right in the eyes of God. Once we accept Jesus the Christ, the Holy Spirit in us will motivate us to good works and behaviors. Ephesians 2:18 further explain that it is  “through him [Jesus the Christ, that] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit”. When we accept Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior we gain access to the Kingdom of God.

In Mark 11:24, Jesus the Christ gives us more instruction on our prayer lives when he says, “therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. You see Beloved, we must understand that when we accept Jesus the Christ we become children of the Most High, All-Powerful, All-Seeing, All-Knowing God who created the heavens and the earth. If we are the beloved children of an all-powerful God then we have access to everything and all things are possible. When you pray you must have this complete understanding and, furthermore, you must believe this in your heart.

You may say that you are saved and you do believe in your heart that God is capable to do all things; yet your prayers fail in power and effectiveness. James 4:2 goes on to explain that sometime our prayers are lacking because, “when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”. You see beloved, we often asked for things we WANT. However, as disciples of Jesus the Christ we are to be subject to the will of God, not our own will. Remember that, “I shall not want”. We must trust that God has a perfect plan to prosper us in every way. Therefore when we pray our motive should be for God’s will to be done, not our own.  In Matthew 6, when Jesus the Christ instructs the disciples how to pray, he is not telling them to memorize that specific prayer. He is offering us all a roadmap on how to approach God in a way that unleashes the powerful will of God into our lives. We pray to God that, “thy will be done”.

Beloved, do you want to pray powerful and effective prayers? Then accept Christ as you personal Lord and Savior, believe in the awesome power of God, and pray that not your will, but His will, be done in your life. This unleashes the power of God in every circumstance.

Blessings!

Brother Christian

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