Pray the Bible Way
| Power of Prayer Luke 11:1: "...Jesus' disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." This should be the heart cry of the Church ― "Lord, teach us to pray." We know how to have church ― the problem is many of us do not know how to pray. We pray for five or so minutes and give up. Is there hope? Yes.... Prayer ― Powerful Prayer can be taught. Who can teach us? Our Lord ― through His Holy Scriptures. We can learn how to pray the Word. When we pray the Word we are praying God's perfect will for our country, leaders, family, church, friends, etc. Without the Word of God operating in our prayers, we may pray selfishly. Selfish prayers are unanswered prayers. James 4:3 reads, "You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures." Saints of God, we have access to power that will move mountains! In Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus said, "Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Ephesians 3:20: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." "...according to the power that works in us. What power?" The power of God. The power to move mountains! So let's get going, Saints of God. Let's learn how to pray the Word thus releasing the Power of God to operate in our lives and our families' lives. # 1 rule to remember concerning prayer God is not a man that He should lie This means He can not and will not go against His own word If we pray a prayer that does not line up with the Word of God and God should answer it He would become a lier. God is a God of integrity He will not go against His word Therefore the right way to pray is the Bible way Praying God's word! Praying the Word 1. The promises of God belong to us. 2. Find the promises that line up with your need. 3. Pray them. 4. Believe them. 5. Receive them. 6. Know that all things are possible with God. Know that your faith can only take you as far as your knowledge in the Word goes. Example: If a physical healing is what you need, then find and meditate on all healing scriptures, etc....You can not stand on the promises if you do not know them. If you need help in your love walk, meditate on those scriptures, etc. P.S.: We all need help in our love walk. Love First ― Power second. Fruit of the Spirit first ― Gifts of the Spirit second. When you pray the scriptures, learn to personalize them. To get you started I will share with you some of the scriptures I pray in my own personal prayer time. An easy way to do this on your own is simply mark PRAY over the scriptures you want to pray, enabling you to find them easily. Are you ready? Let's Pray. Prayer for Revelation, Wisdom and Knowledge Ephesians 1:17-23: Father, I come to you through the mighty name of Jesus that You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to _____(name(s)_________ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, the eyes of (name(s) understanding being enlightened; that (name(s) may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power to us who believe, according to the working of Your mighty power which you worked in Christ when you raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And You put all things under His feet, and gave Him (Jesus) to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 2:6: And You raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:14-21: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that you would grant (name(s) according to the riches of your glory, to be strengthened with might through your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in (name(s) hearts through faith; that (name(s) being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height ― to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that (name(s) may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to You, God, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. To You, God, be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Prayer for Christian Walk Ephesians 4:1-3: Father God, we come to you through the mighty name of Jesus, help (name(s) to walk worthy of the calling with which (name(s) were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:23, 24, 27: Help (name(s) be renewed in the spirit of (his/her/their) mind, and that (name(s) put on the new man which was created according to You, God, in true righteousness and holiness, nor let (name(s) give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:29, 31, 32: Let no corrupt word proceed out of ____(name(s) _________ mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from _____(name(s)______, with all malice. And help _____(name(s) to be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave us. Ephesians 5:1,2,8,10,11: Help us to be imitators of You, God, as Your dear children; and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. Help ____(name(s)______ to walk as children of light, finding out what is acceptable to You, Lord; And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prayer for The Church Ephesians 4:11-16: Father God, we come to You through the mighty name of Jesus, that you would equip our Church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head ― Christ ― from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prayer for Boldness and Wisdom in Reaching the Lost Ephesians 6: 19,20: God, through the mighty name of Jesus I pray that utterance may be given to (name(s), that (name(s) may open(my/his/her) mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which (I/he/she) is an ambassador in chains; that in it (name(s) may speak boldly, as (name(s) ought to speak. Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this very thing, that You who has begun a good work in (name(s) will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen. Colossians 4:3-6: Father God, we come to You through the mighty name of Jesus praying that you, God, would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which we are also in chains, that we may make it manifest as we ought to speak. To walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time; let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer each one. In Jesus' name, Amen. Things to Remember about Prayer and Encouraging Scriptures Set aside a special time for prayer. The Church of Jesus Christ was birthed in a prayer meeting. Remember it is your dedication to prayer that will birth miracles. Unless you set aside time for prayer (specified time) daily matters will push out prayer. You may have good intentions to spend time in prayer but you will get busy and it won't happen. Set a time that works best for you and keep it! Prayer is important! Be committed and dedicated to prayer. Here are scriptures to help encourage your prayer life and build up your faith: Matthew 7:7-8: (Jesus said) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened." Matthew 18:18-20: (Jesus said) "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there, in the midst of them." There is power in the prayer of agreement when we raise our voice to God with one accord, (meaning no complaining, no gossip, no self-pity,), just unity in prayer. There will be a lot of shaking going on. Acts 4:31: "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness." When you spend time in prayer and in God's Word, it builds your confidence and your faith. Thus enabling you to pray and speak God's Word with boldness. Why? The more you pray and the more time you spend in the presence of the Lord, the more like Him you become... "We must decrease so that He may increase." Each time you pray, you are emptying out yourself and He is filling you with His Spirit ― His Love ― His Strength ― His Wisdom. WOW! What a trade. Matthew 19:26: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 20:34: "So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him." Pray for God to open your spiritual eyes that you may see the world through the eyes of Jesus and follow Him wherever He goes. Listen as Jesus speaks: Matthew 21:22: "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 24:44: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 25:5: "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept." Matthew 25:6: "And at midnight a cry was heard, Behold the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him." Matthew 25:13: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." We are each called to be a watchman in the tower ― interceding for others. We do this through Prayer. 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." Therefore ― Pray: Matthew 9:38: "The Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37: "For the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Pray 1 Peter 4: 7-11: The end of all things is at hand; therefore, let us be serious and watchful in our prayers. And above all things, let us have fervent love for one another for love will cover a multitude of sin. Let us be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the Glory and the dominion forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen. Be a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord. Mark 5:19: Jesus said, "...tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." Mark 1:41: "Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be cleansed." Mark 6:34: "And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion...." Luke 7:13: "When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep." Pray for compassion. When we pray with the Lord's compassion, miracles are birthed! Mark 5:36: Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; only believe." 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear...." The devil will use fear to keep our prayers from being answered. Pray for God to fill you with His perfect love, thus casting out all fear and enabling you to believe! Fear is the opposite of faith: Faith moves God on the scene and opens up the windows of heaven for your prayers to be answered. James 5:15: "And the prayer of faith will save the sick...." Hebrews 11:6: "But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who come to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Mark 9:23: Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Mark 11:24: Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Notice the believing comes before the receiving. Luke 17:5: "And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith." Luke 17:6: The Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." But then He goes on to teach them ― in order to release this faith you must first become a servant. Matthew 20:26: Jesus said, "...whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." Matthew 20:28: "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me...." Through love ― the love of Christ ― we are to serve one another. Galatians 6:2: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Luke 5:4: Jesus said, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Matthew 4:19: He said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Launch out into the deep! Get out of your comfort zone. Sure it's not easy helping others. Sure you may get hurt and you may not be appreciated. But what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. After all, it's not for your glory ― but for the glory of God. God sees all ― knows all. Luke 6:38: Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." How we live our lives is also our prayers Matthew 8:13: Jesus said, "Go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you...." Watch what you say, how you act, and how you treat others. Pray the following scriptures: Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." Psalm 17:3 "...I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Psalm 17:15: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." Psalm 25:4,5,11,21: "Show me Your ways, O, Lord, teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation, on You I wait all the day. For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You." Psalm 69:5,6: "O, God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O, God of Israel." Psalm 139:23,24: "Search me, O, God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." The Book of Psalms is also full of Praises. Prayers packed full of Praise always bring results. When we spend time praising God the enemy cannot defeat us. There is Power in Praise! Acts16:25: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." In other words, they were praising God loud enough for all to hear. Acts 16:26: "Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. Did you notice that ― everyone's chains were loosed. Through praise all who were around them were delivered. WOW! Home Sar Shalom Bible Center |
