Power to prayer will come with understanding
I began years ago to study prayer because I was struggling to pray and was in need of more understanding of prayer. I have had many prayers answered, some not. Over time I have read as much in the bible, as I could find, directly related to prayer. I wanted to know God’s design for prayer and how God wants us to pray. I wanted to know how prayer relates to God’s success principles. I wanted to know: IS THERE A KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER? I also looked for possible reasons why some of my prayers were not answered. I discovered the word PRAY to be in NKJV of the bible 394 times, and the word PRAYER 184 times. This may be trivial to some of you readers, but not to me. To me these numbers infers importance.
When I first started this article I was bothered by the use of the word KEY in describing the truth in God’s word. So, I did some homework regarding this word. I discovered in my research that some Christians claim there are multi keys to answered prayer. After much research, self debate, and prayer that I would not err in using the word key in relation to God’s word. It came to me to proceed with caution.
I also did some research on use of the word “KEY” in the secular world. I found many examples of teachers, and motivational speakers who often refer to a secret or the “KEY” to certain achievements. Many infer the key they have is the only way. Some may be right or wrong. My purpose was to understand its use. The best use I found was by the famous speaker, Earl Nightingale in his daily radio program, Our Changing World. Here is how he closed his most famous talk, “The Strangest Secret.” He said, “Here is the ‘key’ to success and the ‘key’ to failure: “WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT [MOST].” All great minds, thinkers, scientists, leaders, emperors disagree on many things but only on this 1 point they are in complete and unanimous agreement.
I have also learned that there are many aspects of our thinking that influence our prayers. Before I disclose what I believe to be “The Key to Answered Prayer” I also want to point out some truths that will influence our prayer life.
Powers that work in us
God given powers
You might want to refer to my previous article about the power that works in us. In it I emphasize inner powers given to us at creation; inner powers that emanate from the brain where thoughts come and go, or are acted upon. I was reminded I have read the Word many times while missing valuable lessons. I was recently reminded that we each one, personally, have more to do with answered prayer than we want to admit. Many people just want to ask and get, no matter the motive. And, sadly, even more disappointing is that many youngsters today are raised to believe that all they have to do is ask and get. God gave us abilities and powers within; where we need to think, chose to believe, then accept and apply God’s word.
Here is a must know regarding prayer. In Ephesians 3:20, God’s word of instruction is passed to us by the Apostle Paul, where it reveals the power of God and a feature of mankind. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”
God Offers Us a Helper
- God sent each of us a helper, the Holy Spirit, so that we can become aware of and use our human inner powers. In John 14:16 Jesus promises: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—“The Holy spirit is our helper. God tells us that when we do not know how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit will help us in that prayer.
- Here is another promise of the inner power of the Holy Spirit and instruction relevant to the key to answered prayer. in John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” The presence of the Holy Spirit.
- But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Only you must believe John 14:26 and Ask for help.
- God gave to each of us the power to think thoughts and the power to choose. I believe God agrees with what the philosopher Marcus Aurelius said of thoughts: A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.”
God's Grace is Sufficient
The Thrown of Grace
I want to caution all readers to not forget God’s Grace. God tells us we can come boldly to the Thrown of grace. God would have us come ‘boldly to him’ in prayer. Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul wrote “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Then Paul continued, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul knew there was NO POWER AVAILABLE TO MAN LIKE THE POWER OF CHRIST.
Requirements~~ Before, during, and After we Pray
Before, During, and After we Pray.
What’s wrong that Christians today are not experiencing more answered prayers? We Christians oftentimes simply do not think, or control our thoughts, words, and actions, as God would have us. Many do not understand prayer and the need to acknowledgeHis power as well as "the power that works in us." Many do not understand that what we say before, during, and after we pray has a POWER of its own. Words that begin in the mind with our thoughts, when taken and spoken, will have the power to cancel our prayers. In seeking understanding of prayer in Matthew 7:7 we are reminded “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Little Known and scarcely understood is the POWER OF THOUGHT. We can create them, act on them, choose to dismiss them. A power available to us before, during, and after we pray. Earl Nightingale in his famous ‘Strangest Secret” talk reminds us of the importance of thought. He said, "WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT [MOST]."
In today’s chaotic world many times people are simply too busy to pray. I remind you to slow down, be still, and know God. They sang of this wisdom in Psalm 46:10.
And, sadly, people do pray amiss. We are reminded of one pitfall to prayer that we must guard against: James, Jesus half brother, wrote in James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Many times the person praying blames God when prayer is not answered with remarks such as: “God is testing me.” Or “It is not His will.”
We need knowledge and understanding of God’s word concerning prayer. In John 15:7 Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Follow God's word of instruction regarding prayer.
This verse shares two powerful truths concerning our prayers, and is worth repeating: Ephesians 3:20 describes two POWERS available to us when we pray, the power of God and the power that works in us. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…”
FAITH is an absolute requirement. The power of faith is pointed out in 1 John 5:14-15. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
FAITH without doubting: James reminds us, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Praising God is an expression of our faith and of our thanks to God. Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. I suggest this would be appropriate before, during, and after our prayers.
All prayer must go through Jesus Christ. In John 14 Jesus is talking to his disciples about His going to heaven. Thomas, said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6. Therefore we should pray "In Jesus name."
The "KEY" to Answered Prayer
The ONE KEY is ALL INCLUSIVE
Before I disclose the key that I believe in, I must tell you, I believe in ONLY ONE KEY; and it is the foundational and all inclusive key. And it can be said it is actually a requirement that we submit all our prayer thoughts and words we pray and speak, and all our actions to this key as well.
I don’t believe God would design prayer for our benefit then hide instructions for it away in the bible as a secret. Yes, there are certain requirements of people as God describes in many places and in many ways in the bible.
"GOD'S WILL" IS THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER
Found in the Lord's Prayer
GOD'S WILL is "the key" to answered prayer.
See proof in the Lord’s Prayer. “God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is God’s will. God desires His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Besides being KEY, God’s Will is FOUNDATIONAL and an ALL INCLUSIVE REQUIREMENT for all our prayers.
Matthew 6:9-13 THE LORD TEACHES US TO PRAY
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread…..”
A profound truth about GOD'S WILL. Our words in prayer must line up with God’s Will.
Follow me next time for more of God’s Design for Man.
Related Sources & NOTES: Underscoring and bolding primarily by me.
Earl Nightingale: Speech narrative "The Strangest Secret."
Marcus Aurelius: Thoughts
NKJV of Biblical references are many, but here are a few.
Joshua 1:8~~1 John 5:14-15~~John 15:7~~John 14:16~~John 14:23~~John 14:26~~James 4:3~~Ephesians 3:20~~2 Corinthians 12:9~~Psalm 46:10~~Psalm 46:10~~Hebrews 4:16~~Luke 11:9-13~~Matthew 6:9-13
