EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE

5 Keys to an Effective Prayer Life

God invites everybody to communicate with Him. It’s called prayer and quite simply it’s talking to our Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus. Jesus is the one who taught us to pray, by example through The Lord’s Prayer. Yes, there are different types of prayer and there’s much that can be learned, but the first step in developing an effective prayer life is just to step out and start talking to God. There are many keys to building one’s prayer life, and here are five that we at GOD TV have selected that we believe will help you most.

1. Pick a time and place

Whilst you can pray at any time of the day or night, having a routine helps you to keep on track. Some Christians call this a devotion, or quiet time. Your prayer time need not necessarily be quiet especially if you “shout out to God with a voice of Praise!” as the Psalms instruct. However having a regular time and place where you can go to be alone with God is ideal. Many believers like to start the day in prayer and end it off with a prayer at night. Whatever works for you as long as you stick to it! Your prayer time can be coupled with a time of reading the Bible and there are many daily Bible reading plans including online services such as YouVersion, which is popular on tablets and smart phones.

2. Come boldly, come thankfully

The Book of Hebrews promises us that we can come boldly into God’s presence to receive mercy in our time of need. We should never be afraid of praying, although we should be God fearing, especially when it comes to entering into God’s Throne Room. Psalm 100 encourages us to come before God with joyful songs; and enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. The means its best to start off your prayer session is by telling God how great He is, then thanking Him for all He has done in your life.

3. Pray God’s Word

You cannot go wrong in your prayer time, by reminding God of His promises concerning a particular situation and asking Him to intervene according to His Word. By confessing the relevant Scripture verse for your prayer need you are expressing your faith in God’s Word to turn it around. God does not lie and His Word goes forth to achieve the purpose for which it is sent. Many speakers on GOD TV have spoken about this including Andrew Wommack, Mike Bickle and Stacey Campbell who is the co-author of ‘Praying the Bible: Pathway to Spirituality: Seven Steps to a Deeper Connection with God’.

4. Pray in the Spirit

For those believers who have been baptised in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, God has given you a vital prayer language that you can use to build yourself up the Lord and pray God’s perfect will during situations where you don’t know how to pray. Ephesians 6 encourages us to put on the whole armour of God and having done all to stand. Part of this standing is praying in the Spirit. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18)

5. Pray with others

You can pray alone but prayer is often best shared with others as we spur each other on and the Holy Spirit begins to manifest corporately. Consider asking a Christian friend to be your prayer partner, or attend a prayer meeting at your local church. You can also participate in Days of Prayer of Fasting on GOD TV, including TheCall Solemn Assemblies.

For those who feel God is calling them to intercede for others on a regular basis, you can become a Throne Room Prayer Intercessor.  Watch Throne Room Prayer with Lila Terhune and sign up online. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City believes in 24/7 Prayer and you can tune into the Prayer Room on GOD TV each morning or online at any time of the day or night.