How’s your prayer life? You probably guessed I have some thoughts about an effective prayer life. Prayer that avails much looks nothing like the way we’ve been taught to pray. We’ve been taught to bind and loose the devil even though Jesus already stripped him of all rule, rank, and authority (Col. 2:15). We’ve been taught to beg God to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves even though He gave us the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and the authority of Jesus. We’ve been taught to pray ‘if it be thy will’ instead of ‘thy will be done’. We’ve been taught to pray ‘in Jesus’ name’ even though we have no idea what that means.
To pray ‘in Jesus’ name’ means to pray in alignment with His will. But we’ve been told we can’t possibly know the will of God because who could possibly know the mind of God (1 Cor. 2:11)? We fail to read verses in context and forget we can have the mind of Christ if we want it (1 Cor. 2:16).
To have the mind of Christ and praying effective prayers goes hand-in-hand. To know God’s will and intentions is essential to an effective prayer life.
Because here’s the reality…if you don’t know God’s will you will magnify the problem when you pray. In magnifying the problem you will become more and more desperate for an answer and less and less assured your needs have already been met. Your mountains just become bigger and bigger when you’re begging God over and over again! It’s truly an exhausting process.
Prayer should look a lot more like confession. Confession means to say the same thing. Prayer should look more like saying the same thing God says about your situation until your heart is convinced He has already provided for your solution.
I find these scriptures helpful when I pray about any problem:
Scripture: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 1 Peter 1:3
Confession: “Thank you God that I already have everything I need that pertains to life and fulfilling your perfect will. I lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10).”
Scripture: “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him is the "Yes." Therefore also in Him, the "Amen" by us is for glory to God.”
1 Cor. 1:20
Confession: “Thank you God that every promise you ever made to anyone is yes and amen for me too. You never change.”
Scripture: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Psalm 37:25
Confession: “Thank you God that because I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus I will never be left without food, shelter, clothing, or a way out of the temptation to fear or to sin in my fear (1 Cor. 10:13).”
Scripture: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:21
Confession: “Thank you God that I am righteous because of Christ Jesus. Therefore sin no longer has power over me.”
I’m telling you right now—if you will find a scripture that answers your need and confess that scripture over your problem, the problem will become smaller and the solution will present itself. Every solution to every problem you will ever face was solved in the life, burial, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Effective prayer always aligns with God’s will. God’s will always aligns with His heart. And God showed His heart and intentions through the finished work of Jesus.
Join me for this week’s episode of The Getting Life to Work Podcast where we examine the finished work of Jesus. This teaching will help you change the lens through which you see your problem so you can magnify the solution Jesus already provided for you!
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Blog Photo Cred: Priscilla Du Preez
