The sample of effective prayer

Greetings to you at this wonderful day, my dear friends! We have a new mercy from God this morning. The Bible says:

 “Let everything that has breath praise Yah!” Psalm 150:6

Today I would like to talk about the sample of effective prayer. In order to pray effectively one needs a sample. Christian life is a spiritual life, therefore, connection with Heaven is vitally important. Our God is a spirit, but we all live on Earth, so we need to stay connected with God. There are only two ways of having fellowship with God – The word of God and a prayer. The God speaks to us through His word. The word of God is His revelation about God himself. Neither you can create the character of God by yourself nor you can imagine what kind of person He is, because you can easily fail getting it right. The God tells us in His word about who He is, what He can do and how He acts. That´s why the word of God is one effective way that helps us maintain fellowship with God. It´s impossible to have fellowship with God without reading His word. By the word of God you are connected to heaven and without it you have no connection with God. Teaching His disciples about prayer Jesus said:

«If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.» (John 15:7).

 Your prayers will not work without the word of God.Prayer is the second way of how to have fellowship with God. Reading the Word and listening to it we open our hearts in prayer. One day Jesus was praying to His Father when disciples came asking Him to teach them how to pray:

«It happened, that when he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”» (Luke 11:1).

Jesus prayed without ceasing and His disciples knew that His ministry was so effective because of His fellowship with God. That´s why they also wanted to learn praying Jesus´ way.Then Jesus replied:

«He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, May your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come. May your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”» ( Luke 11:2-4 ).

This was the sample prayer Jesus presented to the disciples. Bible tells us that Jesus prayed a lot, but there are few cases when we know what exactly He prayed about. Personally, I recall these two verses. Short before His crucifixion Jesus prayed:

« Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.» ( Luke 22:42 ).

We find yet another place in the Scripture, in John 17 Jesus prayed for His disciples:

«Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed. I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word. Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you, for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.» ( John 17:1-11 ).

In all other cases mentioned in the Bible we just read that Jesus prayed, prayed often and abundantly.Jesus gave His disciples the sample prayer which He followed himself. The same sample has been given to you and me, so we can be effective in praying. It lets us know what exactly to pray about. Tomorrow we are going to discuss what the elements of prayer are. Many blessings to from our Lord! Rufus Adjiboye, pastor