Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
When you believed Jesus as the Christ and received Him as your Lord and Savior, God gave you the privilege of prayer.
Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19). When you pray in Jesus’ name, you can move heaven and earth! God has given this privilege only to His children.
Before you pray, know the mystery of the Triune God—Immanuel (Eph 1:13-14). Experience your heavenly background where the incredible power of the Triune God is present.
God the Father still carries out His covenant through the Word; God the Son executes the work of the Christ, destroying the curses of Satan, sin, and hell; God the Spirit applies the blessing of salvation, empowering us so that we may stand as Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. The work of the Triune God is hard to express, but it is real.
You must also believe that when you pray, your Father will give you the best gift of all: the filling of the Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13). He will not withhold anything from you. He even let His own Son suffer for us and gave Him for all of us. So now, with Jesus, God will surely give us all things (Rom 8:32).
Because our True Priest Jesus lives in us, we can come before God’s throne with confidence, where we receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it (Heb 4:16).
When you meet with God in prayer, you will taste the greatest joy of all—being with Him. When you ask for anything in Jesus’ name, God will do it, and His glory will be shown through the Son (Jn 14:13).
As you experience the presence of God, you will grow strong in His grace and see His plans accomplished in you and through you. You can pray and ask God for everything you need in every situation!
Learn to live a life of prayer. Never stop praying (1 Thess 5:17). You may wish to set aside specific times for prayer (Dan 6:10, Ac 3:1). Like breathing, make prayer the rhythm of your life. Also, praying with other believers is powerful and effective (Mt 18:19-20).
When you pray, begin with praise by acknowledging who God is (1 Chr 29:11-12). Your Father, to whom all greatness, power, glory, victory, honor, and everything in heaven and on earth belong. The Ruler over everything.
Do not hide your guilt and the sins you committed before God (Ps 32:5). Experience the blessing of forgiveness by holding onto what your True Priest Jesus has done on the cross—breaking the power of sin over you.
Always give thanks to God for everything, believing in God’s perfect plans in all circumstances (Eph 5:20). Don’t forget to lift others in your prayer, as your prayer for them is powerful and effective (Jas 5:16). Of course, you may present any requests to your Father (Mt 7:7-8).
God is not expecting some tremendous religious faith from you. He wants you to believe in Him. To that end, remain in the Word (Jn 15:7). Hold on to God’s promises and His plans revealed in the Word.
Finally, know the power of the name of Jesus when you pray (Jn 14:14). Ask by faith (Mt 21:22). Believe that you have already received the things you asked for, then they will be yours (Mk 11:24).
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the privilege of prayer. Teach me how to live a life of prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.