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How to pray effectively!
A lot of people have a hard time learning to pray.
We tend to think that prayers should be long, boring, formal recitations full of "Thee"s and "Thou"s because, often, that was the only kind of prayer we heard as children. And because that language is unfamiliar to us now, we fear we will use it incorrectly and be laughed at or that God won't listen.
But now that you are a child of the Father, praying to Him should be as easy as talking to your best friend (John 15:13-15). This guide is to help you learn to pray about topical events and needs without awkwardness.
As the sons of God, the Father has given us the power of faith which we exercise through prayer. We can literally move mountains with this gift of faith (Mark 11:23-24). Jesus tells us that we will do greater things than He did while He was with us in body (John 14:12-14). And Paul reminded us that we can do all things through Christ. So how do we get and use this power? Ask the Father like Jesus did! (John 11:41-43)
Using an ordinary newspaper, you can learn how to pray God's power into this world. No matter what you need or are worried about, this method works.
·First, find a newspaper article with something to pray over. Maybe it is about some disaster, some kidnapped child, some great injustice, or some law that needs to be changed. Read the news article. You must be informed about problem in order to ask the Father for assistance.
·Second, identify who needs assistance from God. Who is the injured or ailing party?
·Third, identify what they need, or what changes must be made for justice, mercy and peace to prevail and the great commission to proceed.
·Fourth, be specific. Tell the Father exactly how the article made you feel and why. Tell Him what you want and for whom.
·Last, rest assured that He will act. Be prepared for specific instructions and opportunities from Him about how you can help.
Dont worry that your faith is too small or weak to move mountains. It is by God's power that these things are done and He knows our faith is small. Remember the man who asked that his son be healed. Jesus asked, "Do you believe?" The man answered correctly, saying, "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief." The man knew his faith was weak and asked Jesus to help him anyway. Jesus of course did, as He will also do for you (Mark 9:23-24).
Lets practice by praying about this:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/08/13/connie.missing/index.html
1. Read the article.
2. Who needs help in this story? The girls, the mothers, the community, the classmates.
3. What help do they need? The girls need to be found, the mothers need hope and help, the community needs hope and peace and the classmates need to have their friends returned.
4. Be specific-- the girls need to be found alive, healthy and able to resume their lives. The moms need to have comfort and peace from the Lord while they wait, and the grace to accept their girls back and help them heal from the ordeal. The community needs to keep searching and helping the mothers and the police until the girls are found, and the classmates need to have adults who are spiritually mature help them understand that God still loves them.
5. Listen for the Lord to tell you how to pray, and how to help.
There. Keep practicing this method with all the prayer requests that come your way, and you will find that your prayers are much more effective.
Or
How to pray effectively!
A lot of people have a hard time learning to pray.
We tend to think that prayers should be long, boring, formal recitations full of "Thee"s and "Thou"s because, often, that was the only kind of prayer we heard as children. And because that language is unfamiliar to us now, we fear we will use it incorrectly and be laughed at or that God won't listen.
But now that you are a child of the Father, praying to Him should be as easy as talking to your best friend (John 15:13-15). This guide is to help you learn to pray about topical events and needs without awkwardness.
As the sons of God, the Father has given us the power of faith which we exercise through prayer. We can literally move mountains with this gift of faith (Mark 11:23-24). Jesus tells us that we will do greater things than He did while He was with us in body (John 14:12-14). And Paul reminded us that we can do all things through Christ. So how do we get and use this power? Ask the Father like Jesus did! (John 11:41-43)
Using an ordinary newspaper, you can learn how to pray God's power into this world. No matter what you need or are worried about, this method works.
·First, find a newspaper article with something to pray over. Maybe it is about some disaster, some kidnapped child, some great injustice, or some law that needs to be changed. Read the news article. You must be informed about problem in order to ask the Father for assistance.
·Second, identify who needs assistance from God. Who is the injured or ailing party?
·Third, identify what they need, or what changes must be made for justice, mercy and peace to prevail and the great commission to proceed.
·Fourth, be specific. Tell the Father exactly how the article made you feel and why. Tell Him what you want and for whom.
·Last, rest assured that He will act. Be prepared for specific instructions and opportunities from Him about how you can help.
Dont worry that your faith is too small or weak to move mountains. It is by God's power that these things are done and He knows our faith is small. Remember the man who asked that his son be healed. Jesus asked, "Do you believe?" The man answered correctly, saying, "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief." The man knew his faith was weak and asked Jesus to help him anyway. Jesus of course did, as He will also do for you (Mark 9:23-24).
Lets practice by praying about this:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/08/13/connie.missing/index.html
1. Read the article.
2. Who needs help in this story? The girls, the mothers, the community, the classmates.
3. What help do they need? The girls need to be found, the mothers need hope and help, the community needs hope and peace and the classmates need to have their friends returned.
4. Be specific-- the girls need to be found alive, healthy and able to resume their lives. The moms need to have comfort and peace from the Lord while they wait, and the grace to accept their girls back and help them heal from the ordeal. The community needs to keep searching and helping the mothers and the police until the girls are found, and the classmates need to have adults who are spiritually mature help them understand that God still loves them.
5. Listen for the Lord to tell you how to pray, and how to help.
There. Keep practicing this method with all the prayer requests that come your way, and you will find that your prayers are much more effective.
