Reason for Effective Prayer

Reasons/Requirement For Effective Prayer


“Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). How would you define an effective prayer? When we pray, we place ourselves in the presence of God to receive from Him what we really need. But prayer is much more than telling God what we want him to do for us. When Jesus taught his disciplines how to pray, he began by reminding them, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8).

As one reflects on our Lord’s Prayer, we realize it is more about living in a growing, trusting relationship with our heavenly Father than about getting what we want from Him. Our prayers will become less of a wish list and more of an intimate conversation with the Lord as we grow in faith. It is about committing ourselves to God and trusting Him, surrendering every aspect of our lives to His wise control. The promised result of such whole hearted commitment and trust is that God will do what is best for us. Prayer refers to communication with the Lord. It is calling on the name of the Lord, lifting one’s soul to the Lord, seeking the Lord and drawing near to God. Here are the reasons for prayer.

Firstly, God commands believers to pray. Through Prayer we maintain our relationship with God, it is a form of our fellowship with Him. Secondly Prayer is the necessary link to receiving God’s blessings and power, and the fulfillment of his promises. Jesus for example promised his followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit if they persisted in asking, seeking and knocking at the door of their Heavenly Father. Thirdly in his plan of salvation for humankind, God has ordained us believers to fulfill his will on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, God’s power to accomplish many of his purposes is released only through his people’s earnest prayers on behalf of the progress of his kingdom. If we fail to pray, we may actually be hindering the accomplishment of God’s redemptive purpose, both for ourselves as individuals and for the church as a body.

What then are the requirements of effective praying? Our prayers will not be answered unless we have a sincere true faith. Jesus states explicitly, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Prayer must be made in Jesus’ name. Our prayers should be made in harmony with the person, character and will of our Lord. Prayers can only be effective if it is made according to God’s perfect will and we must be in the right state of mind to pray else there will be barrier between us and God. If we have sinned, we ask the Lord for forgiveness before we pray. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will. This is shown in Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

Not only must we pray according to God’s will, but we must be in God’s will if we expect him to hear and answer us. God will give us the things we ask for only if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Obeying God’s commands, loving him and pleasing him are indispensable conditions for receiving answers to prayer. Finally, for prayer to be effective we must be persistent. Jesus’s instruction to “ask..seek..knock” (Mt 7:7-8) teaches perseverance in prayer. Brother and Sisters, let’s devote ourselves to prayers. Prayer has power. We are to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant” (Colossians 4:2)