Text:      James 4: 3

By:          Emakpor, Jeremiah (Deacon)

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How is your prayer life: How often do you pray. Is it only when you have a need or problem. Do you consider some matters too little to take to God in prayer? Do you realize that some of these problems could be averted through proactive prayer?

-Be still, don’t fret: Phil. 4:6 states,

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

• Admit your imperfections: Admit your imperfection before God as you go to Him in prayer. That, no degree of your godly and righteous life can make you perfect before God.
• Ask for forgiveness of your sins: As you make concerted effort to stay away from sin, ask God for forgiveness of the sins you have consciously and unconsciously committed against Him so that they will not constitute a barrier to God hearing and answering your prayer.
• Pray in faith: Believe that God exists despite being invisible. That, without faith, it is impossible to please Him, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him ( 11:6, James 5:15).

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:15).

• -What is your perception of God: 23:7. How do you perceive God? A God who is pre-occupied with heavenly affairs to care about what happens here on earth? Do you see God as one who is ultimate in power and with whom nothing is impossible? Or do you see Him as one whose power needs to be complemented? God’s manifestation in our individual lives is a function of our faith, belief or perception of Him.
• When you pray, believe that your prayer has been answered already, awaiting manifestation (which could be immediate or on a long run) – Mark 11:24 says thus:

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

• Don’t let fear or doubt set in; before, during and after a prayer. Obstacles that may occur as you await the answer to your prayer may be a test of the steadfastness of your faith (James 1:6).

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:6).

• Acknowledge God for your prayers that were answered by Him in the past and ascribe to Him glory and honour for the current one which you believe has been answered already.
• Avoid repetition of statements: God is not deaf. A prayer that will be answered is not dependent on its length ( 6:7). One brother praying on behalf of the others in a collective prayer is enough in so far everyone has joined faith together (Rom. 8:26).

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matt. 6:7).

• Discard the entitlement mentality: Don’t feel that your good standing with God is a guarantee that He must answer your prayers.
• Be specific in your requests.
• Make pronouncements to counter and render powerless all evil yokes, covenants, forces, that may have been put in place by the evil ones to frustrate you.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16).

• It is not as if God forgets, but revisiting an unanswered prayer point after a while, is a way of telling God that you have not lost faith in His ability and willingness to answer your prayer.
• Our prayers should be directed to God through or in the name of Jesus Christ.

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