HOW TO GET PRAYER ANSWERED (Part 2)
"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to
all who call
on him in truth." Psalm 145:18 (NIV).
Seeing God answer prayer can be very encouraging
and exciting. However, the key to getting our
prayers
answered is knowing how to pray the right prayers?
The following steps will help:
First, pray responsibly. God won't do for us
what we can
and need to do for ourselves. Many a time,
for example,
when I was a student, I'd pray furiously for
God's help at
examination time -- especially when I wasn't
adequately
prepared. I managed to pass my exams, but not
because
of any pray-instead-of-study prayers.
Pray for truth. When we have a problem, a bad
habit, a
conflict, or some sicknesses, we tend to focus
our prayers
on the symptoms rather than on the cause/s.
And as
counselor Dr. Cecil Osborne used to say, when
we hide
a deeper sin or fault, we often confess a lesser
one all the
more vigorously [or somebody else's]. This
is because
we don't see or are afraid to face the often
deeper cause
or causes of our problems.
So whenever I have a problem, I acknowledge
the
problem but also ask God to show me the root
cause
of it, as so many of our problems are the fruit
of
a deeper root -- the presenting problem being
the
symptom of a deeper problem.
This is why I ask God to face me with the truth
of what
I am or might be contributing to what I am
praying about,
and to give me the courage to see the real
problem, and
lead me to the help I need to resolve it.
Praying for the truth is one of the most effective
prayers
I know. However, sometimes I fear facing the
truth so I
tell God that I am willing to be made willing
to see it --
whatever it might be.
Whenever I have prayed this way, I have always
had
my prayer answered. Sometimes the answer comes
quickly, other times slowly. It usually depends
on
when I am ready, willing and able to receive
it. Facing
one's truth can be quite a challenge -- but
very freeing
and healing!
Pray honestly. If I pray that God will bless
my neighbor,
but in my heart I hate that neighbor, which
prayer will
God hear? Obviously, what my heart is saying.
The only
way God will bless my neighbor in answer to
my prayer
is if I admit that I hate him and ask God to
help me love
him.
Meaningless repetition doesn't mean a thing
to God
(Matthew 6:7). The prayer he hears and answers
is
the one that is honest and comes from the heart.
As
the today's Scripture says, "The Lord is near
to all
who call on him, to all who call on him in
truth."
Pray believing. Faith, too, is essential for
effective prayer.
As Jesus said, "All things, whatever you ask
in prayer,
believing, you will receive" ( Matthew 21:22,
NIV), and
"according to your faith will it be done to
you" (Matthew
9:29, NIV).
To be continued ...
Suggested prayer, "Dear God, thank you that
you answer
genuine prayer. Please help me always to pray
the right
prayer so I will always get the right answer.
Gratefully in
Jesus' name. Amen."
~~Dick Innes~~
 
 
 
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