Sermon Central
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Keys To Effective Prayer
Contributed by Brian Menear on Jan 3, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Have you ever prayed and felt God did not answer? Following and understanding these keys will ensure an answered prayer
The Key To Effective Prayers
Prayer is one thing that every Christian does or should do, but not everybody does correctly.
To make our prayers more effective, we must first have a better understanding about prayer.
What is Prayer? What is is not
1 Prayer is a relationship, not an activity
-Personal communication with God
Understand God will never say anything inconsistent with his character-HOLY
(“God told me to do it”)
When God speaks to you, what you do next reveals the condition of your heart
-Prayer acts as a balance point between you and God/ A fulcrum
-Transfers the weight of our situation to Gods shoulders
(Cast all your cares)
2 A 2 way communication, but not of equal parties
-Communication between a mortal and a infinite all knowing God
-Communication that will change you
29 When Moses came down the mountain carrying the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face glowed because he had spoken to the Lord face to face.
3 Gods way of adapting us to his plan for us, not us adapting him to our plan
-God answers all prayers, the answer is not always “yes”
-The mark of spiritual growth and maturity is ability and willingness to accept when God says “Not Yet”
-There is a reason why God is waiting(Time not right, not ready yet)
-When God makes us wait, our strength is renewed
4 Gods way of transforming us
-The key to God changing us is not found in what we say but what we hear when we pray and the action we take afterward
-If change hasn’t happened on the outside, it means God still has work to do on the inside
-Gods purpose and plan sometimes involves personal risk(Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Paul & The Apostles)
3 Kinds of Prayers
1 Cry out to God in distress
6“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. 8Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them.
2 Ask God for wisdom or direction
5 If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
3 Ask God to bless you
8The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.
Keys To Effective Prayers
1 Pray To The True God
The God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob
The Creator, The Father
The Giver of Every Good Gift
James 1:17,18
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. 18 In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.
2 Study The Bible
-God’s instructions for how we should live
-Read the Book of Matthew
(Paying attention to what Jesus said, Many examples of answered prayers)
-Study People
(King David-obeyed,walked, talked with God regularly through prayer)
3 Repent Of Your Sins
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
-Repenting is part of Salvation
-God can answer your prayers, but he doesn’t have to
59 Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. 2 But there is a problem—your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
-The Bible tells us to keep The Commandments
24 Those who obey God’s commandments live in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.
4 Those who sin are opposed to the law of God, for all sin opposes the law of God.
-The Holy Spirit will help us in our walk with God
4 Forgive Others
-Bitterness only acts as poison in your Christian life
5 God Hears The Unconverted Unbeliever-Why?
-To show them his glory
-So that they me know him
