«

Prayer: Communication with God

June 19, 2015

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

1. Take Time to Pray. The great fruitfulness of our lives is rooted in meaningful, biblical prayer. Jesus is asking us just as He asked His disciples: Can’t you give Me an hour in prayer (Matthew 26:40-41)? It’s worth it to spend time with Jesus.

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 you go about your day, but it’s also important to set aside specific times to pray without distractions like your phone, TV, or other people. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked from alone-time with God. Covert prayer with God produces overt 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 don’t know God’s will, read the Word to find out the things that we already know are God’s will—like healing, blessing, and favor. And remember: when you pray, first forgive (Mark 11:25).

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.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2015 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. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. “Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 17 June 2015.