Topic: PRAYING CORRECTLY Part 3.
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:5-15.
I will like to list all the points we have discussed plus the new ones to discuss on this topic, so that you can know the way to pray correctly, and experience an answering prayer life.
To pray correctly, you must;
1. Pray with right motives. God does not only responds to your words he responds to your heart, your motives behind what you pray for. The thoughts of your heart sound louder in heaven than your voice, and until your motives are pure and right in line with God's will for your life, God will not be committed to answer your prayers.vs.5.
2. Prayer must not be once a while it must be a daily practice. If you actually got the third point we will discuss well, you won't be praying once a while. That is if prayer is a fellowship with God to you, you will always wanting to pray, Jesus kept saying when you pray, not if you pray, prayer is a must on daily basis.vs.5a,6a,7a
3. Pray to the target. Let your prayer points be well spelt out, Jesus said you should avoid vain repetitions. This does not mean you may not pray the same prayer again, but listen to what Jesus said in vs.7, he said they do the repetition because they THINK God will hear when they repeat prayer. But no, God does not answer prayer because you repeat it, but He answered because you pray in faith.vs.7.
4. Prayer must be based on relationship and fellowship. Jesus said pray to YOUR FATHER in secret.vs.8. Also he said in vs.9, when you pray say OUR FATHER who is in heaven, prayer must be because you have a father who you know cares for you and you must daily come to and fellowship with. Many people today only pray because they have one crisis, except there is a problem heaven is so sure that their voice can not be heard. If that is your ideology of prayer, you won't be enjoying an answering prayer life. Prayer must be a fellowship between a son/daughter and his father, he/she must be sure when I pray there would be answer. That was why Jesus gave the steps to follow in prayer when you pray, this steps, people have turned it to mere recitation today, after the main prayer, they call it our Lord's Prayer. But I want you to have a correct idea of prayer, that prayer must be about fellowship, communion, relationship between son and his father. You can tender your request, or tell your father about your problems and challenges through it, but it must not be that the only or main reason for your prayer is all about problems. In prayer you recognize Him, you worship Him, you pray for His will to be done in your home, at work, your town and country, pray for preservation from sins, also tender your request to God, in this way you can pray a complete prayer that God will listen to and not reject.vs.8&9.
5. Pray with no offense in your heart, your prayer will never be answered you pray with unforgiveness in your heart. People will hurt you but you must learn how to forgive them, this is for your sake and not just for their sake. When the Devil brings a matter up between you and somebody, that leads to offense, know that you are the target of the Devil not the person who offended you, it is so that Devil can stop your prayer.vs.14&15.
And these are the little we will discuss on this topic for now, I trust God that you will begin to experience an answering prayer life in Jesus name.
Pray Points: Pray that the spirit of supplication and prayer will come upon you, and that the Holy Spirit will daily help you to pray correctly.
(Courtesy of THE PRECEPTS SEEKERS CHURCH INT'L. Email: pastoryomieniola@gmail.com, phone: +234 806 755 0234)
