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How to Pray

April 27, 2018

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16

1. TAKE TIME TO PRAY. It’s worth it to spend time with Jesus. The great fruitfulness of our lives is rooted in meaningful, biblical prayer. When you go to God, start out with praise first and focus on God before going into your petitions. There is an abundance of wisdom and resource found in the presence of God.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:6 NKJV

2. FIND A PLACE TO PRAY. It’s important to pray as we go about the day, but it’s also important that we set aside specific times to pray without distractions like the phone, TV, or other people. Go to a quiet place where you can be alone with God and regularly spend time with Him. Pour out your heart to Him. Hidden prayer with God yields real results.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15

3. EXPECT ANSWERED PRAYER. Jesus reassured us that when we pray according to God’s will, He hears and answers us. If you’re not sure about God’s will, spend time in the Scriptures studying and finding out what God thinks about a certain area. Find promises in the Bible that correspond to your problems and meditate on those verses. And remember: when you pray, first forgive (Mark 11:25).

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
God, I place You first in my life. You are so great and wonderful and worthy to be praised. Your will be done in my life and in the earth. I forgive anyone who has offended me. Help me to accomplish Your plans in my life. I trust You, God! In Jesus’ Name, amen!

pray, verb
To speak to God especially in order to give thanks or to ask for something. To make a request in a humble manner. To address God . . . with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.

Copyright © 2018 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. “Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 April 2018.