HOW TO PRAY GOD’S WORD
JIM MELLARD
There are many different types of prayers that people and some churches pray.
- Genie in the Bottle type of prayer Our wish is God’s command
- Fire extinguisher prayers Only in case of emergency
- Sales Pitch Prayers Trying to sell God on what is best to give us.
- Religious Duty Prayers When we pray only because we feel that we have to pray, we are in a rut.
- Parachute Prayers The Pastor said, “I guess all we can do is pray,” and the deacon said, ”Has it come to that?” When all else fails and we’re in big trouble, we finally pray. There are other types of prayer:
These are like the requests our children make at bedtime:
- Just one more TV show?
- May I have a glass of water?
- I’ll be good if you will let me go to Joey’s birthday party.
We negotiate with God in an effort to get what we want.
Many people pray because they have been taught it is the right thing to do:
I have to pray – I ought to pray – It’s my duty to pray.
These are boring, rote, routine, empty, meaningless, and accomplish very little.
Often, we have been led on a guilt-trip to pray
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Going deeper:
The blessings of Abraham are the Physical, Financial, and Spiritual.
These blessings include all our needs so let’s look at ways to pray and how to pray effectively in these areas.
Physical Healing
Many people believe that God is able to heal them but they aren’t sure whether He will heal them or not. God’s Word will prove to you that He wants and will heal you. You don’t have to do anything to earn His love or His healing touch—just believe what He says and do what He tells you to do.
The Church in general has not been taught how to release God’s power to heal by speaking His Word in Prayer and trusting His Word to perform. I believe the first thing we have to do is acknowledge that God did not put the sickness or disease on us, and that Satan is the author of all sickness and disease.
Here are some Scriptures that support this statement.
Psalms 103:3 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Proverbs 4:20-22 My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
Exodus 23:25 You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.
Proverbs 3:7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name. And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
SPIRITUAL HEALINGS
The question can be asked — Is there something in your past or your present that is causing problems with your emotions or thoughts? If we’re honest, all of us would admit there are times when we had to fight this battle, but if the problem is left unattended it will eat us alive.
Let’s look at some of our weapons for “spiritual healings”.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation and old things have passed away and all things have become new. This is the beginning of all healings.
1 Peter 2:24 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast your care on the one that careth for you.
Psalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Philippians 4:6-7 Cast your care on the one that carreth for you. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Psalms 34:18 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Financial Scriptures…
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask , it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Luke 6:38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
3 John 1:2 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
Let’s Bringing it together.
Jesus taught us how to pray “The Lord’s Prayer” as stated in
Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We certainly want to pray God’s will which is God’s word “The Bible.” So based on this I submit:
If you can believe that God’s Word is His will, then when we pray the Word of God we are praying His will and His will – will be done. To me this equals “answered prayer”
Onward – Examples:
Physical Healings.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 55;3 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Psalm 103:2-5 (ESV) 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I want to give an example of someone who is addicted to something or someone.
One of my favorite Scriptures for deliverance is Job 22:28-30 which states:
28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. 29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.
30 He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
Now let’s get to the meat of this lesson. How to pray and pray effectively,.
As discussed there are many different types, kinds and ways of prayer.
Let me share with you how The Lord has taught me to pray..
We are told to seek, inquire and then require. To break this down:
We seek God (worship Him) then we inquire through His word (find scriptures that agree with our desires—His will) and then we require by returning His Word to Him—praying the Word.
Example prayer:
Father I just want you to know that I love you and I know that you love me because of your sacrifice even before I was born. Thank you.
Lord your Word says: in Matthew 18:20 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. We have your Word, you and the Holy Spirit and me agreeing with what I am asking. And further in John 14:14 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Father, I ask that you deliver, “NAMES” from Addiction.
Next I stand on Job 22:30 30 He will even deliver the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.
Lord you said in Isaiah 55:11 (ESV) 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Psalm 103:20 (KJV) 20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Before I close – the Spirit of the Lord brought to my remembrance that one of the most effective weapons that we have is our “prayer language”, which comes with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
There are times when we don’t really know how to pray, or maybe we just don’t want to pray the Word. When we pray in the Spirit (tongues) we are praying in the Holy Spirit (God) and He is praying to God, so by deductive reasoning we are praying though the Holy Spirit (who is God) and He is praying to God the Father for His perfect will concerning us.
If God is praying to God, then we have the answer.
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