Praying Effectively

When we look at prayer there are two aspects or elements to prayer - the Divine aspect and the Human aspect.

The Divine element deals with who do we go through to pray, in whose name we pray and what if any role does the Holy Spirit play. The human element looks at things like our attitudes and behaviours we have when we pray.

The Bible tells us in a number of places that we approach God through Jesus Christ. This is both for salvation (John 14:6) and when we bring our prayer requests to God. Two main verses that touch on coming to God through Jesus are Romans 1:8 and Colossians 3:17.

Romans 1:8 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

These two verses show us that the way to the Father is through Christ Himself. He is our intermediary.

The Bible tells us there is power in the name of Jesus. Many of the great things the Apostles and the early church did were done in the name of Jesus. When we call on the name of Jesus we are calling on the power and authority Jesus has. The following two verses look at this.

John 14:13-14 - And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (Jesus speaking)

Ephesians 5:20 - Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These verses tell us that there is power in Christ’s name and that when we pray this way it brings results and brings glory to God.

Praying in the Holy Spirit means to pray while being in tune with the Holy Spirit and praying as the Holy Spirit prompts you. When you pray following the promptings of the Holy Spirit you are able to pray in line with the will of God. Two verses touch on this.

Ephesians 6:18 - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Jude 1:20 - But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

As we can see, a key aspect of effective prayer is being open to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. When we do this we can actually pray the way God wants and needs us to pray.

The Human Element

Now let's have a look at the human element of effective prayer. This touches on the attitudes we have when we pray? Is there anything that we should or should not do? How should we approach God in prayer?

1. Pray in faith

The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). It is by faith that we believe God exists and that God can help answer our prayer requests. Having an attitude of faith and belief in God “gets” His attention. God honours our faith.

Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

2. Pray with a heart free from sin

Before we were saved our sin separated us from God. If we are a Christian and we have trusted Jesus for our salvation, we have been forgiven. However, unconfessed sin blocks us from having close and intimate fellowship with God. When this is the case our motives can become skewed and selfish. We need to keep our hearts right with God if we are wanting Him to answer our prayers.

Psalm 66:18–19 - If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

3. Pray without doubting

Sometimes we can pray and ask God to answer our prayers, but if we are honest we don’t always think He will. Many people in the Bible received an answer to prayer or were healed due to their faith. They had no doubts in who God was and in His ability to answer their prayers. They did not doubt and God came through for them.

Matthew 21:21 - Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

4. Pray with persistence

Sometimes God answers our prayers straight away. At other times there seems to be a delay. We need to have faith and believe God can and will answer our requests in His timeframe. Sometimes that takes longer than we first thought so we need to be persistent with our prayers.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

5. With sincerity and simplicity

When we approach God in prayer we don’t have to use big fancy words to get His attention or to gain favour in the sight of others. We should just simply tell Him our needs. I find the prayers that work best are the ones when we just share our hearts with God in a sincere and simple way.

Matthew 6:5–8 - And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

6. Pray in accordance with God’s will

Praying in accordance with God’s will is vital if we are going to have our prayers answered. How do we know God’s will? There are two key ways. Pray in tune with the Holy Spirit and by praying with a renewed mind. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 that if we renew our mind by reflectively reading the Bible we will know the will of God. A renewed mind is more in tune with God’s purposes and can discern God’s will.

John 5:14-15 - This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

So how do we pray more effectively?

If we pray and approach God through Jesus Christ, while praying in the name and power of Jesus Christ, our prayers will be most effective. As we pray we need to remember to be conscious of the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they will guide us in the way God wants us to pray to bring His will to pass. We also need to be conscious of the attitudes we have when we approach God. We need to come in faith, with a sincere heart that is free from sin and in accordance with God's will we know our prayers will be heard and answered by God.