I recognize that my prayer life is not what I would like it to be. This is something that God is working on me right now. I want to continue to grow in my prayer life.
I know that God answers prayer and I know that prayer really works but what makes up an effective prayer?
4 qualities of effective prayer
1. Effective prayers are humble prayers.
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble … Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will life you up.” James 4:6b, 10
We are given a promise in this verse.
Our God, who is the Creator, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords … He is the One that will lift us up.
But what we have to understand is that humbling and humility precedes the miraculous in our lives.
You want to get God’s attention? You want Him to move? You want Him to listen to the prayer that you’re bringing to Him?
Humble yourself. Humble yourself before Him.
This means recognizing who God is (what He is alone is capable of) and who we are (what we are not capable of).
2. Effective prayers are specific prayers.
“… You do not have, because you do not ask God.” James 4:2b
How simplistic is that? And yet we drive right past that verse, don’t we?
I’ve got to be honest with you. So many times in my life, I have been a wishy-washy pray-er, a non-specific praying kind of guy.
I need to be reminded of this verse often: You do not have because you do not ask God.
We need to be bringing our specific requests to God.
3. Effective prayers are persistent prayers.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b (NKJV)
When we are down in the dumps and we feel like God is not moving and He’s not working, we need to write this verse on our heart.
It is when we are persistent in our prayer that we see God move and we see Him work.
We can’t allow the outward circumstances of what’s going on (or not going on) to affect our inward assurance.
4. Effective prayers are expectant prayers.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
In other words, we need to put our prayers into action.
We need to believe that God is going to move and that God is going to work and we need to act accordingly!
If you were going to be judged for the effectiveness of your prayer life what would be your score on a scale of 1 to 10?
Do you really believe that you have the power to change God’s mind through prayer?
Howard recently posted…What If My Best Isn’t Good Enough?
Where did you read “You have the power to change God’s mind through prayer”?
Just curious if we’re reading the same article.
Chris Gagner recently posted…How to Get the Best Wisdom at Just the Right Time
Hi Chris,
it looks like at least two of the suggestions for effective prayer as petitions. The question is then do you believe that you can change God’s mind through petition?
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
Even if “petition” does mean to try to change God’s mind… it was done in the Bible. Abraham attempted to petition God about not destroying Sodom, but in the end, God destroyed Sodom.
But when I am “petition” God, it is not to try to change His mind. I pray for what I think I need (with my simple mind).. all the while having the faith that God knows what I REALLY need. And God always answers my prayers in one of 3 ways: 1)Yes 2)Not Yet or 3)I have something better that you’re not even thinking about.
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Chris, you already have all that you need or you would be dead.
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
Howard, I really don’t think so. God just listen, but he still put people in trials.
Mika, do you believe that God created these trials? Earthquakes and tsunamis existed before the time of man and laws, money and school were all created by man. Where is it God who puts people in trial?
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
I believe we are called to pray and God is ultimately the One who is control.
Kevin Martineau recently posted…Stop mind reading!
God controls us, Kevin?
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
I believe that God is in control and we have free will. My finite mind can not fully understand how those two gel together but this is what the bible teaches.
Kevin Martineau recently posted…Stop mind reading!
Howard, are you one of those guys that loves to nit-pick about every little word somebody says? Kevin said God is the one in control. He didn’t say He was in control of us.
Ultimately, He CAN be in control of us. He’s God! He might allow us to do stupid stuff because he chose to give us free-will, but don’t think for a second that He doesn’t have us on a leash. He could stop our evil at any moment if He chose to do so.
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Hi Chris, I’m not here to be vexatious or a pedant, I’m just asking questions. I believe that I am a part OF God not apart FROM God. I don’t believe that God created us and then headed off somewhere to observe us. I don’t believe that what we are is localised in these bodies and while the Bible should be lauded in what it teaches, it’s not an historical record and is riddled with contradictions and written at time when fire and brimstone was what the audience expected in 70 A.D. When the Gospel of Mathew was written.
I ask questions because whatever your chosen beliefs, they shouldn’t be taken for granted just because they were handed down to you.
So, how do you marry the concept of free will with a God that doesn’t stop dictatorship, slave trading and genocide?
Peace, brother.
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
One of the biggest tragedies was the suffering of our Lord Jesus. God didn’t stop it from happening.
I don’t understand why suffering occurs, but I believe that it’s all part of a bigger picture that none of us see clearly except God. It’s easy and natural to look at a tragedy and say, “That’s terrible.”
But if you set it next to eternity, it’s not really that big of a deal.
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But the whole purpose of Jesus being made was was that he was to die on the cross for us. How can that be a tragedy?
Howard recently posted…Who is your inspiration?
I won’t think that it was as simple as you describe it. I know about the importance of praying, but I think it is for ourselves and our souls, the communication between the Creator and us isn’t a two-way channel.
I hear what you are saying Rita and I agree that prayer definitely is for our benefit. I also believe that God moves on behalf on His people when they call on Him.
Kevin Martineau recently posted…How to clarify expectations
For me, we don’t need to memorize those effective prayers list because God is the one who are able to hear all things that we raise to him… Effective prayers comes from the heart…
I agree with you Jennifer that effective prayers come from the heart.
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“Effective prayers are humble prayers” – I totally agree. When we pray, we are presenting ourselves to God with a humble heart, mind and soul.
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Thanks for sharing Felicia!
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For me all prayers are Effective as long as you are sincere with your prayers and you hold on onto your faith.
Thanks for sharing Heidi!
Kevin Martineau recently posted…Throw off everything that hinders your spiritual progress
Prayers work if it comes from sincere and pure intentions. I think this is what many of us are missing; praying is our way of communicating to our creator, we don’t need to pray loud, God hears it from our hearts, and he knows what we really need. Also, we should never forget the good old saying of – Do your best and God will do the rest.
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Great thoughts Stevie!
Thanks for sharing.
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